RANUNCULACE^E 



95 



deep green, with three milk-white veins, shortly petiolate ; petiole 

 3 mm. long; lamina 13'5 mm. long, 7-5 mm. broad. 



Stem herbaceous, biennial, elongated before flowering. 



Leaves simple, radical, ultimately cauline, alternate, exstipu- 

 late, petiolate ; both petiole 

 and lamina pubescent when 

 young, ultimately becoming gla- 

 brous, deep green and shining 

 above, with anastomosing milk- 

 white veins, paler green and 

 shining beneath ; petioles chan- 

 nelled above, dilated and sheath- 

 ing at the base, rather thick. 



No. 1. Palmately tri-nerved 

 and -fid : middle lobe minutely 

 tridentate ; lateral lobes biden- 

 tate ; teeth triangular, tipped 

 with a mucro. 



No. 2. Palmately five-nerved 

 and three-lobed ; middle lobe 

 unequally tridentate ; lateral 

 lobes unequally bifid. 



No. 3. Palmately five-nerved 

 and five-lobed; terminal and 

 middle lobes unequally tridentate ; basal lobes unequally bifid. 



No. 4. Palmatipartite ; nerves and divisions five ; terminal and 

 middle lobes unequally trifid (middle much the largest), sub- 

 rhomboid ; lateral or basal lobes overlapping, dentate or sublobulate 

 along the posterior or basal side. 



Ultimate leaves palmately five- to seven-nerved and -lobed, or 

 -partite, reticulated with white or green nerves ; one to three of the 

 terminal or central lobes subcuneate and trifid ; the two to four 

 basal lobes unequally bifid with the smaller lobe on the posterior or 

 basal side. Uppermost leaves tripartite, trifid, or entire. 



FIG. 135. Delphinium Staphysagria 

 Half nat. size. 



Delphinium elatum, L. 



Seed obovoid, triangular or variously compressed, pale or deep 

 brown ; testa membranous, shrivelled or wrinkled ; tegmen paler 

 and thinner ; hilum &c. as in D. Staphysagria. 



Endosperm as in D. Staphysagria, copious, fleshy, white, except 

 a small quantity between the cotyledons and at their apex, which is 

 transparent. 



