62 SUB-ALPINE PLANTS 



Distribution. — Nearly all Europe ; Siberia, Himalaya. In- 

 digenous in parts of the British Isles, but often introduced. 



Aquilegia atrata Koch. 



This is probably a variety of the Common Columbine, with 

 violet-black flowers about an inch in diameter, which occasionally 

 grows at about 5000 feet in the ItaUan Maritime Alps and the 

 Jura, and flowers in June and July. The stamens are longer than 

 in the common Aquilegia. 



Hoffmann speaks of its being " widely, and in some places 

 abundantly, distributed over the Alps and sub-Alps, and regarded 

 by many botanists as an Alpine form of the Common Columbine " ; 

 but he and some other botanists include in this category the 

 ordinary mountain plants with " purple-brown " flowers, which 

 are so common and so decorative in many Alpine pastures, as e.g. 

 those about Engelberg. 



The Alpine species of Aquilegia are rather more difficult to 

 cultivate than the common one; and they are best sown from seed 

 in spring obtained direct from the Alps, pricked out into pans 

 or a cold frame, and planted in early autumn in deep, well-drained 

 loam with some grit in it. On rockeries they do well in half-shady 

 but weU-drained positions, but A. alpina Ukes rather more sun. 



Delphinium L. Larkspur. 



Mostly annual herbs having much divided leaves with narrow 

 segments. Sepals 5, coloured and spurred. Petals lengthened into 

 a spur. Carpels 1-5 each with several seeds. 



A considerable genus, widely spread over the northern hemi- 

 sphere without the tropics. 



The two following sub-alpine species are perennials and deserve 

 to be more cultivated in gardens. 



Delphinium fissum Waldst. and Kit. 



Glabrous or hairy, sometimes a yard high, robust. Leaves 

 cut into 5-7 linear lobes, trifid, incised-dentate. Petioles dilated 

 into a sheath at the base. Flower-stalks erect, pubescent, with 

 two linear bracts near the centre. Flowers bright blue, at first 

 often tinged with green ; in long spikes. Spur long and pointed. 

 Petals bifid, the 2 inferior downy at the base. Follicles 3-5, glabrous 

 or hairy. Seeds numerous, with imbricated scales. 



Rocky and shrubby places in the south. June to August. 



Distribution. — Hautes-Alpes, Basses-Alpes, Maritime Alps (at 

 about 2000 feet in the chestnut zone), Var, Bouches-du-Rhone, 

 Gard, Southern Europe as far as the Caucasus ; Western Asia. 

 Delphinium elatum L. Alpine Larkspur. 



Stem 1-2 yards high, robust. Leaves palmately divided into 

 5-7 divisions, similar to those of E. fissum, but the lobes less linear. 



