RANUNCULACE^ 63 



and there is no sheath at the base of the petiole. Flowers bright 

 blue, in long spikes. Petals downy. 



Very local, in fresh, stony places in the mountains between 4800 

 and 6500 feet. June to August. 



Distribution. — Central Europe (not in the Jura), but including 

 Carpathians, Silesia, Bohemia and as far as the Caucasus, Provence, 

 Eastern Pyrenees ; Siberia, India. 



Delphinium Consolida L. 



Annual. Almost glabrous. Stem slender, 8-18 inches, with 

 spreading branches ; leaves multifid, with linear segments ; bracts 

 simple and entire, linear, spike short, few-flowered. Flowers deep 

 blue, with long spur. Carpels glabrous, solitary. Seeds black. 



Among crops on calcareous soil. June to August. 



In the sub-Alps this beautiful blue weed is occasionally seen 

 up to about 4000 feet, as e.g. in a small arable field in the Val 

 d'Anniviers (Valais), where we saw it again in 1911 after a lapse 

 of eight years, and in cornfields below Lanslebourg in Savoy. 



Distribution. — Nearly all Europe ; Western Asia. 



ACONITUM L. 



Perennial herbs with much-divided leaves, the segments palmate. 

 Sepals 5, coloured, the upper one helmet-shaped, the two lateral 

 broader than the two lower. Petals 2-5, concealed within the 

 calyx. Stamens numerous. Carpels 3-3, each with several seeds. 



A rather small genus inhabiting the mountainous parts of Europe, 

 Asia, and North America ; though a number of new species have 

 recently been determined from the Himalaya. 



Aconitum Anthora L. 



Rootstock with 1-3 globular tubers covered with fibres. Stem 

 erect, 1-2 feet high, glabrous below, downy above, like the flower- 

 stalks and calyx. Leaves pedately or palmately 5-9 cleft, usually 

 glabrous, except the root-leaves ; divisions palmately multisect, 

 with narrowly linear segments. Flowers in a simple or branched 

 terminal raceme, yellow. Calyx persistent after withering. Hood 

 hemispherical and helmet-shaped. Follicle hispid or ultimately 

 glabrous. 



Stony places and pastures in the Alps. July to September. 



Distribution. — Carpathians ; Jura, Switzerland (Tessin), Eastern 

 Alps, Corbi^res and Pyrenees ; Western Asia. 



Aconitum Lycoctonum L. 



Stem attaining a yard in height, pubescent, branched. Leaves 

 deeply palmately cut, with 5-7 broad segments, incised- dentate. 

 Flowers pale yellow, in oval, elongated spikes. Sepals pubescent, 

 soon falling. Hood cylindric-conical, much longer (higher) than 



