THE ALPINE FLORA 



Act^a spicata* 



Banebcrry or Herb Christopher; FV.; Actce or Hcrbe 

 a St. Christophc; Ger.: Christophskraut. 



The peculiarity of this plant is that, alone among Eu- 

 ropean J{anunculaceae, it has a baccate fruit. It is a strong- 

 growing plant, sometimes attaining a height of 2-2 % feet; 

 stem hard and branched; leaves ample and resembling 

 those of the 1{eine des Bois or Spirxa; flowers small, 

 inconspicuous and whitish, in large, lax racemes, followed 

 by beautiful spikes of glistening black berries. Grows in 

 cool and shady mountain parts. Variety alba has white 

 berries and red stalks. 



The poisonous root is purgative and sometimes used 

 in pharmaceutics in place of the black Hellebore. 



May be grown in a cool and shady part of the rockery 

 or garden, but the habit is too coarse and the flower too 

 transient for a choice position. Seed germinates slowly. 



Delphinium 



"ng.: Larkspur; Tr.: Dauphinelle or Pied d' Alouette ; 

 Ger.: Rittcrsporn. 



This genus is distinguished by an irregular calyx with 

 5 unequal, caducous, petaloid sepals, the dorsal one pro- 

 longed into a spur; 4 petals, of which the two dorsal ones 

 are lengthened into appendages enclosed in the spur like 

 a knife in a sheath. 



The only Swiss alpine species 1 is a sturdy, herbaceous 

 perennial, with pubescent stems, bearing downy leaves, 

 more than 40 in. high and terminated by a Jong spike of 

 dark-blue flowers. July-September. Native of stony and 

 cool pastures in the calcareous Alps. Easily cultivated in 

 partial shade. 



l (D. elatum. Ed.). 



