30 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



Delphinium Staphisagria. 

 Fig. 57. Fio. 58. 



Seed. Longitudinal section 

 of same. 



external integument is unequally thickened, so that its surface 

 presents a mesh of anastomosing ridges (figs. 57 and 58). Stavesacre 

 is usually a biennial. 



There is, then, no essential difference 



€^^^^ between Delphinium and Aconitum. It is 

 Mf ^E true that the form of one sepal and of 

 ^H g the petals differs usually.' The large 

 H 1 posterior petals of an Aconite have a 



^^^j^^^ hood-like limb on a long claw, while the 

 ^'^'^^^ Larkspurs have the limb sessile, or nearly 

 so, and cornet-shaped. The lateral petals, 

 when present, are membranous and flat- 

 tened in the Larkspurs, while they are 

 represented by short linear rods in the Aconites. But these are 

 differences of form which do not affect the general structure of the 

 flower. It is further true that the posterior sepal is broad, shallow, 

 and helmet-shaped in J. Najje//us, while it is much narrower and 

 more elongated in BvlpUnium, where we call it a spur. But this 

 same sepal becomes very long and narrow in Aconites like Lycoc- 

 ionuw, while the anterior sepals at the same time disappear, as in most 

 Larkspurs. The floral symmetry, the gynseceum, the I'ruit, the seeds, 

 the inflorescence, and the habit are the same in both types; and 

 hence we have proposed," and still propose, to unite them into one 

 genus under the name of Belphiniiuu? 



All these plants have, too, except in a few particular cases,' the 



' And we must even add that this ditrercncc 

 of form disappears entirely in the Larkspurs 

 which Si'ACH (?. ct7.) has separated uiider the 

 name of Aconilella. In this small group the 

 8j)ur of the posterior sepal has exactly the same 

 conformation as that of Aconitum Lt/coclonum, 

 and the allied species. Sometimes the petal op- 

 jiosite this i)ostcrior sepal has itself an acute 

 spur, as in JJ.JIarum DC ; or, as in JJ. AroniH 

 L. and anthuroides Boiss, the spur may be 

 twisted into a long spiral towards its extremity 

 as in A. Li/coctonum. Besides, we must re- 

 mark that in all thc-e plants there is only a 

 single carjKl as in I). Consulida, and Ajaci^s, and 

 that the jxwtfrior sepal sometimes do»'s not pro- 

 Bcnt in limb or claw the least sign of dedupli- 

 cation. On the oihir hmid, certain large flow- 

 ered Larkspurs from India have exactly the 

 habit of certain Aconites, and it is impossible to 

 sec why the rounded and somewhat concave pos- 

 terior si'ltnl deserves the name of spur, rather 



than hood. As for the foliage, which is not ex- 

 actly the same in our common species of Aconite 

 and Larkspur, to show how unimportant a cha- 

 racter that is, it will suffice to recal to mind the 

 existence of ^. delphinifolium (Skk., /. ciL, 159). 

 '^ Adansonia iv. 12, 18. 



1. Kiulelphinium. 

 (Delphi nnsf mm, Delphi nellum.) 



2. Consolidti (Phledinium, 

 Delphinium } Aconilella.) 



Sections 5. ) 3. Slnphi.sngria. 



A. Lycoctonum. 



5. Aconitum. 



(yaptllun.Ciimmarum.Anthora.) 

 * Certain species are annuals. Others have 

 sarmentose sleiuler stems, and alternate leavi-s 

 distant from one another, on a level with which 

 the tlowers are grouped into short nicemes. 

 Such are A. roltitdle V\\.\.., and the ChincM) 

 climber with palmivcined thn-e-loU?*! loavrs 

 which may he called 1>. (A.) huiiniliHvw. 



