DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW AND RARE INDIAN PLANTS. 101 
“Fragments of a Delphinium closely allied to D. incanum were brought by Dr. Hooker from 
Tibet, north of Sikkim; it differs from фисанит in the slightly notched petals, and may be 
new.” 
Prats 119, fig. 33. Seed of Delphinium dictyocarpum, DC. 
DELPHINIUM ALTISSIMUM, Wail. 
The great resemblance which the vegetative parts of the Khasian larkspurs bear to those of Wallich’s 
D. altissimum has induced botanists to refer them to the latter species. It is true that the inflorescence of 
the Khasian plant is much opener, that the colour of the staminodes is dark-blue instead of light-purple, and 
that Wallich omits to make any remark about the odour of the flowers, which in the Khasian plants are fetid 
like those of a Stapelia; but these characters may be considered of minor importance and not sufficient to 
separate two form-groups as species. Recently, however, Dr. King's collectors have gathered fruiting speci- 
mens near the Nipal frontier, and we know now that the seeds of D. altissimum are very different from those 
of the Khasian Delphinium. The latter has the seeds of D. grandiflorum and D. elatum, where the lightbrown 
epidermis is thrown into wing like folds along the edges of the obpyiamidate seed and becomes more or 
less puckered on the dorsal and ventral surfaces (see plate 121, figures 10, a, 4, с); on the other hand, the 
seed of D. altissimum is obovoid, has а brownish-black testa, and although obscurely wrinkled it is neither 
winged nor scaly, and therefore constitutes, as far as larkspurs go, a distinct type of seed (see plate 121, fig. 
11 a, 6). The cells of the epidermis are much larger in the Khasian plant (plate 121, fig. 10 a) than in 
D. aitissimum (ibidem, fig. 11 c). The Khasian plant will therefore be described under the name D. 
stapeliosmum. 
There is comparatively little to be added to Wallich’s description of D. altissimum in the second volume 
of his Plant. As. Rariores : the few additions concern the seed and the remarkable form defined below as sub- 
species drepanocentrum. Regel reports D. aitissimum from Turkestan ; but, in the absence of specimens from 
that country, and in consequence of Regel not mentioning the colour of the staminodes orthe structure 
of the seeds, the writer is unable to say whether the Turkestan specimens are referable to D. a/tissimum, or 
whether they may not be a variety of D. ranunculifolium, Wall., Indian specimens of which might often 
easily be confounded with D. altıssimum. ' 
The Indian forms may be grouped as follows :— 
D. arrıssımum, Wall., a tall perennial herb; stem glabrescent below or densely hirsute from the 
base; iower leaves very long-petioled, blade reniform or subisodiametric, much paler below, deeply 
tripartite, lateral segments unequally 2—3- lobed, segments and lobes trifid, crenate-serrate; inflorescence 
racemose or racemuse-paniculate ; racemes elongate, many-flowered, lax or rather dense, spur as long as, 
or longer than, the sepals; sepals blue; staminodes shorter than the sepals, light-purple, blade of 
petaloid staminodes shortly bilobed, hairy; follicles 3, patulous, subcylindrie, about 1:5 cm. long; seeds 
obovoid, brownish black, obscurely wrinkled, neither winged nor scaly. 
Subspecies I. WaLLicui; stem upwards pubescent with fine crisped colourless hairs; upper surface of 
leaves rather sparsely covered with adpressed hairs, nearly glabrous beneath except the nerves; spur 
little longer than the sepals, nearly straight or gently recurved; ovaries ciliate on the ventral suture, 
otherwise glabrous or sparsely and finely pubescent. 
Var. а. NIPALENSIS, P. B.; bracteoles remote from the flower, small, lanceolate; sepaline spur 
straight or slightly incurved—Nipal (Wall. /). This is probably Don's D. Carla. 
Var. В. PHALLUTENSIs, P. B.; bracteoles close to the flower, rather conspicuous, linear; sepal- 
ы ine spur often slightly recurved. —Sikkim: near Sikangam 12,000: Subiking, 
Phullut (King’s collectors !)—Flowers in August. 
Subspecies II. DREPANOCENTRUM, P. В.; а middle-sized herb; the whole stem covered with 
dirty-yellow more or less deflexed, partly glandular hairs; blade of leaves hairy above, subhirsute 
beneath; bracteoles close to the flower, linear; sepaline spur distinctly longer than the sepals, sickle- 
shaped ; ovaries hirsute.— Western Sikkim, near Wallanchün (King’s «olectors/). Flowers in August 
and Septemter. 
