I04 PLANTS GROWING IN MOIST SOIL. 



of the fine small leaves. The plant is also an interesting study 

 from the difference in the pistillate and staminate blossoms. 



MONKSHOOD. WOLFFS BANE. FRIAR'S CAP. 



{Plate XLVIII.) 

 Aconitum uncznatu7n. 



FAMILY COLOUR ODOUR RANGE TIME OF BLOOM 



Crowfoot. Blue purple. Scentless. Virginia, northward June-September. 



to New Jersey. 



Flowers : growing on upcurved pedicels in loose panicles. Calyx : of five 

 sepals strangely fashioned like a monk's hood. The helmet, one and a half 

 inches long, broad and high, with turned-down vizor. Corolla : of two small 

 petals that look like chin-tabs. Pistils: three to five. Leaves: on petioles; 

 parted into three to five lobes. Stem : slender, bending at the top. Root : 

 tuberous; containing a virulent poison. 



We cannot grieve over the irregularity of feature of this 

 flower, as it affords us an excellent study of one that is un- 

 symmetrical, and delights us by the way in which it represents 

 a monk's hood. Somewhere we imagine it has hidden a mis- 

 chievous face that is longing to cast an eye out at the merry 

 forbidden world. For we cannot believe much in its piety, it 

 has had too varied an experience and has roved about in too 

 many lands. 



In Norse mythology, it is credited with the power of making 

 one invisible at will, and is called Odin's helm, or Thor's hat. 

 It was when the Benedictines invaded the domain of Thor that 

 it became monkshood. The Dutch term is friar's cap ; and in 

 Germany it belongs exclusively to the devil, and is called 

 devil's herb. It has been on most intimate terms with all the 

 ancients, and witches have even used it for concocting their 

 wicked spells. The Indians call it ativisha, the supreme 

 poison ; and children, who are really the wise-acres of the gen- 

 eration, plucked from it its petals and fancy that the remaining 

 bloom and exposed^ nectaries resemble a car drawn by doves. 

 It is then called Venus's chariot. 



