A C O 



A C O 



surrounding the germ : bearded at the tip, con- 

 cave and caducous; the stamina are filiform, the 

 filaments of the length of the corolla, and the 

 antherse are ovate and incumbent : the pistillum 

 has a superior turbinate germ : the style is filiform, 

 of the length of the stamina, and the stigma is 

 bifid and villous : the pericarpium is a capsule, 

 roundish, one-celled, not gaping; and the seed 

 is single and oblong. 



There are several species, but only one that is 

 much cultivated by gardeners. This is the A. 

 aspcra, or Rough Sicilian Achyranthes. 



It is a plant which rises with an erect stem 

 to nearly three feet in height, having oblong 

 pointed leaves, the flowers coming out from the 

 extremities of the branches in long spikes. The 

 seed, which is inclosed in a sort of chaffy cover- 

 ing that can scarcely be called a capsule, is ovate, 

 oblong, nearly cylindric, having a sort of small 

 beak on the side, and is of the colour of honey. 

 The flowers appear in July and August, and the 

 seeds become ripe about September. 



Culture. — It is capable of being raised, either 

 in the spring or autumn, from seed by means of 

 a hot-bed, and also by cuttings ; but the first is 

 by much the best method, as being more certain. 

 When the plants are become strong, they may be 

 removed into the open ground in pots during the 

 summer months ; and when set into a warm 

 greenhouse during the winter season they may 

 be preserved for two or three years or longer. 

 This plant is cultivated more for the sake of 

 variety than the purposes of ornament, as it 

 possesses but little beauty. 



ACON1TUM, Aconite, Monk's-hood, or 

 Wolf's-bane, a genus that comprehends several 

 plants of the hardy herbaceous perennial kind, 

 with tuberous or fibrous roots. 



It belongs to the class and order Polyandria 

 Trigynia, and ranks in the natural order of Mul- 

 tisuiqucB. 



The characters are : that it has no calyx : the 

 corolla consists of five unequal petals opposite in 

 pairs; the highest being helmet-tubed, inverted, 

 and obtuse; the two lateral ones broad, roundish, 

 opposite, and converging; and the two lowest 

 oblong and bending downwards : the nectaries 

 are two, concealed under the first petal, fistu- 

 lous, nodding, with mouth oblique, and the 

 tail recurved, sitting on long subulate peduncles : 

 in the same circle with the nectaries there are 

 six little, very short, coloured scales : the stamina 

 are subulate filaments, very small, broader at 

 the base, inclining towards the first petal : the 

 antheroe are erect and small : the pistillum has 

 from three to five oblong germs, ending in styles 

 the length of the stamina : the stigmas arc 

 simple and reflex : the pericarpium has as many 

 capsules as the styles, ovate, subulate, straight, 



one-valved, gaping inwards ; the seeds are many, 

 angular, and wrinkled. 



The species generally cultivated in pleasure- 

 grounds for the sake of ornament are : 1 . A. Pa- 

 pellus, Napellus, Common Monk's-hood, or Blue 

 Aconite ; S. A. Lrjcoctonum, Great Yellow 

 Monk's-hood, or Wolf's-bane ; 3. A. Anthora, 

 Salutary Monk's-hood ; 4. A. Pyrenaicum, Pyre- 

 nean or Fennel-leaved Monk's-hood, or Wolf's- 

 bane ; 5. A. Cammarum, Purple Monk's-hood, 

 or Wolf's-bane ; 6. A. album, White Monk's- 

 hood, or Wolf's-bane ; 7. A. variegatum, Vari- 

 egated or Small Blue Monk's-hood ; 8. A. un~ 

 cvnatum, Hooked American Monk's-hood. 



In the first of these species the root is simple, 

 woody, tuberous, unequal : the stem is erect, firm, 

 covered with leaves eighteen inches in height, 

 and terminated with a thick cylindric spike of 

 flowers. The leaves 'have a blackish-green co- 

 lour, are firm and shining, being three-parted in 

 the middle lobe, and deeply two -parted in the 

 side ones; the small divisions acutely but un- 

 equally trifid. It is a highly poisonous plant ; 

 which renders its culture in the garden less at- 

 tended to than would otherwise be the case. It 

 comes into blow about August. 



The variety with long spikes of blue flowers 

 is the most usually met with in garden culture. 

 It grows to the height of four feet, and has spikes 

 two feet or more in length. It flowers in May 

 and June, and the seed becomes ripe about Sep- 

 tember. There is also a rose-coloured, a white- 

 flowered, and a variegated blue and white variety 

 of Napellus. 



The second has the stem eighteen inches high 

 or more, leafy, and very little branched. The 

 leaves are broader than in the other sorts, cut half 

 way into three lobes, which are doubly trifid, the 

 side ones being very deeply two-parted. The 

 spike is simple, with few flowers. Itflowers about 

 the middle of June, and, if the season be not too 

 hot, will continue in blow till August. 



There is a variety of this species with large 

 palmated leaves, which are smooth. 



In the third species, the root consists of from 

 two to four angular fleshy bulbs. The leaves 

 have a furrow along the middle, and are narrow, 

 three-parted, the side-lobes being deeply two- 

 parted, the middle one doubly trifid, with long 

 sharp gashes ; the side ones being more irregular. 

 The stem is from a foot to eighteen inches in 

 height, and a little branching. The peduncles 

 sustain oneor two flowers. The seeds arewrinkled 

 and multangular. It flowers about the middle 

 of August, and often continues in beauty till the 

 middle of September : the flowers are not so large 

 as those of some of the other sorts, but, being of 

 a sulphur-colour, make a pretty appearance in 

 the borders of the flower-garden. 



