BUTTERCUP FAMILY. Ranunculaceae. 



Monkshoods have almost as much charm as their cousins 

 Columbine and Larkspur, with a quaintness and individ- 

 uality all their own. There are a good many kinds; 

 mountain plants, growing in temperate regions, with 

 rather weak stems and leaves much like those of Larkspur. 

 The blue and white blossoms have a " hood," which gives 

 these plants their very appropriate name. This is formed 

 by the upper and larger one of the five, petal-like sepals 

 arching over and forming a hood, or helmet, under which 

 the two small petals, with spurs and claws, are hidden; 

 sometimes there are three or more petals below, which are 

 minute and resemble stamens. The real stamens are 

 numerous and ripen before the pistils, thus ensuring cross- 

 pollination, and the fruit consists of a head, of from three to 

 five, many-seeded pods. The thick or turnip-shaped root 

 is used medicinally and is virulently poisonous, so these 

 plants are sometimes called Wolfsbane. Aconite is the 

 ancient Greek name and other common names are Blue- 

 weed and Friar's-cap. 



This handsome perennial, from two to 

 Monkshood . , 



Aconitum S1X ^ eet ta ^ g rows near streams, in moun- 



Columbi&num tain meadows or open woods. The 

 Blue and white flowers measure from half an inch to over 



an inch long and are mostl y bri g nt - b 

 and white, tinged with violet, but shade 



from almost white to deep-blue, veined with purple. 

 They are paler inside and grow on slender pedicels, in a 

 long loose cluster, on a somewhat bending stem. The 

 two, small, hammer-shaped petals are nearly concealed 

 under the hood. The leaves are alternate, the lower ones 

 with long leaf-stalks, and deeply cleft into three or five, 

 toothed or lobed, divisions. This reaches an altitude ol 

 twelve thousand feet. 



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