CROWFOOT FAMILY. 41 



blue, with lower petals also entire or nearly so ; the mostly downy leaves have 

 fewer anil lanceolate or wedge-lanceolate divisions ; is now much mixed and 

 crossed with others : summei-. 



D. aztlreuiu, Azdke L. Wild S. & W., often downy, l°-3° high, with 

 narrow linear division's to the leaves, and a spike-like raceme of rather small, 

 azure, pale-hluc, or sometimes white flowers, in spring ; sepals and 2-cleft lower 

 petals olilong. Var. with full-double flowers in gardens : summer. 



D. tricorne, Dwarf Wild L. Open woods from Pcnn. W. & S. : 

 about 1° high from a branched tuberous root; has broader linear lobes to the 

 leaves, and a loose r.iceme of few or several rather larg-e showy flowers, deep 

 blue or sometimes white, in spring ; sepals and cleft lower petals oblong ; pods 

 strongly diverging. 



D. exaltatum. Tall Wild L., is the wild species (from Penn. W. & S.) 

 most resembling the next, 3° -5° high, but the less handsome flowers and 

 panicled racemes hoary or downy : fl. summer. 



D. elatum, Hee L.iekspur. Cult, from Eu. : 3° - 6"^ ijigh, with broad 

 leaves 5 - 7-cleft beyond the middle, and the divisions cut into sharp lobes or 

 teeth ; many flowers (in summer) in a long wand-like raceme, blue or purplish ; 

 the 2-cleft lower petals prominently yellowish-bearded in the common garden 

 form. There are many varieties and mixtures with other species, some double- 

 flowered. 



19. ACONITUM, ACONITE, WOLFSBANE, MONKSHOOD. (An- 

 cient name.) IJ. Root thick, tuberous or turnip-shaped, a virulent poison 

 and medicine. Leaves palmately divided or cleft and cut-lobed. 3?lowers 

 showy : the large upper sepal from its shape is called the casque or helmet. 

 Undei- it are two long-stalked queer little bodies whicii answer for petals. 

 See Lessons, p. 92, fig. 18.5, 186, 193. The following are all cult, from Eu. 

 for ornament, except the first : fl. summer. 



A. uncin&tUm, Wild A. or Monkshood. Stem slender, 3° - 5°, erect, 

 but bending over above, as if inclined to climb ; leaves cleft or parted into 

 3-3 ovate or wedge-lanceolate cut-toothed lobes ; flowers loosely panicled, blue ; 

 the roundish helmet nearly as broad as high, its pointed visor turned down. 

 Low ground^, from Penn. S. & W. 



A. varieg^tum. Variegated A. Erect; leaves divided to the base 

 into rather broad-lobed and cut divisions ; flowers in a loose panicle or raceme, 

 blue and often variegated with white or whitish ; the helmet considerably higher 

 than wide, its top curved forwtird, its pointed visor, ascending or horizontal. 



A. Ifapellus, True Monkshood or Officinal Aconite. Erect, 

 from a turnip-shaped root ; leaves divided to the base and then 2-3 times cleft 

 into linear lobes ; flowers crowded in a close raceme, blue (also a white variety) ; 

 helmet ,broad and low. • 



A. Anthora, a low species, with very finely divided leaves, and crowded 

 yellow flowers, the broad helmet rather high, occurs in some old gardens. 



20. P.ffi6NIA, P^ONY. (Ancient name, after a Greek physiciim, PcBon.) 

 ^l Well-known large-flowered ornamental plants, cult, fiom the Old World. ■ 

 Leaves ternately decompound. Roots thickened below. 



* Serbs, with single-flowered s.'ems, in sprivij, and downy pods. 



P. offlcin&lis. Common P. Very smooth, and with large coarsely di- 

 vjjed green leaves ; the great flowers red, white, &.C., single or very double, 



P. peregrlna, of Eu., in the gardens callctl P. pakodoxa, has leaves 

 glaucous and more or less downy beneath, and smaller flowers than the last, 

 rose^red, &c., generally full double, and petals cut and fringed. 



P. teuuifolia, Slknder-leaved p. of Siberia, is low; with early crimson- 

 red flowers, and narrow linear divisions to the leaves. 



* * Herbs, with sivet al-Jiowei'ed stems, in summer, and smooth pods. 



P. albifl6ra, White-fl. or' Fragrant P., or Chinese P. Very smooth 

 about 3° high, with bright green foliage, and white or rose-colored, often SWeet- 

 .^pented, rather small flowers, single, also double, and with purple varieties. 

 S&F— 13 



