■ Aconitum.] I. KAN UNCU LACE jE. (Hook. f. & Thorns.) 29 



Temperate Alpine Himalaya, from 10,000 ft. to the highest limit of vegetation in 

 the N.W. provinces. — Distkib. Temp, and arctic Europe, Asia, and America. 



Stem 6 in.-3 ft., often decumbent in small states, glahrous or slightly pubescent. 

 Leaves very variable in size, ultimate divisions linear. Bacemes simple or sparingly 

 compound; bracts entire or 3-fiil. Flowers f-1 in. long, bright or dull greenish-blue. 

 Helmet three times as long as high. Follicles 3-5, in the Indian forms hairy. — An 

 extremely variable plant, of which we have vainly attempted to refer the Indian forms 

 to those indicated by Kegel The small alpine forms closely resemble the arctic Ame- 

 rican forms ol A. delphinifolmm. The roots of vara. 1 and 2 are poisonous, but those 

 of 3 and 4 are eaten by the Bhoteas. 



Var. 1. Napellus proper; stem 2-3 ft. leafy, raceme dense flowered. 



Vak. 2. KiGiDtiM ; stem 2-3 ft. few-leaved, leaves firm subooriaceous with spreading 

 falcate sharp teeth, racemes lax few-flowered, tomentose. A. dissectum, DonProdr. 197 ; 

 Wall. Cat. 4724; Boyle JU. 54. A. ferox, Wall. Cat. 4721 A; Plant. As. Bar. t. 41. 



Var. 3. multifidum ; stem 6-12 in. erect or decumbent few-leaved, leaves 1-2 in. 

 diam. many-lobed to the base, lobes cut into linear segments; racemes lax few- or 

 many-flowered. A. multifidum, Boyle III. 56. A. oligantheiQum, Kern. Nov. PI. Sp. 

 Dec. ii. 23. 



Var. 4. KOTUNDiFOLiiiM ; like var. 3, bat leaves not divided to the base. A. rotun- 

 difolium, Kar S Kir.; Led. Fl. Boss. n. 1740. A. Tiansohanicum, Ogh. t& Bupr. 

 Sert. Tian. in Mem. Acad. St. Petersb. 1869. 



7. A. beterophyllum, Wail. Cat. 4722 ; stem erect leafy, leaves broad 

 ovate or orbicular-cordate more or less 5-lobed and -toothed, upper entire 

 amplexicaul. raceme many-flowered, helmet shortly beaked, testa smooth. 

 Boyle III. 56, t. 13; H.f. & T. Fl. Ind. 58. A., cordatum, Royle III. 56. 

 A. Atees, Royle in Journ. As. Sac Bengal, i. 459. 



West TeiViperate Himalaya, from Kumaon to Hasora, alt. 8-18,000 ft. 



Stem 1-3 ft., simple or branched from the base, glabrous below, puberalous above. 

 Leaves 2-4 in., acute or obtuse ; cauline shar^ily toothed, the lowest long petioled and 

 not amplexicaul. Bacemes often panicled ; bracts sharply toothed, uppei' 3-fid or entire. 

 Flowers more than 1 in. long, bright blue, greenish blue witli pnrple veins. Helmet 

 half as high as long. FoUides 5, downy. — Koot much valued in India, according to 

 Eoyle, as a febrifuge and tonic. 



17. ACT^A, Linn. 



An erect perennial herb. Leaves alternate, temately compound. Flowers 

 small, in short crowded racemes. Sepals 3-5, rather unequal, petaloid. 

 Petals 4-10, small, spathulate, or 0. Stamens many, filaments slender. 

 Carpel 1, many-ovtded ; stigma sessile, dilated. Berry many-seeded. Seeds 

 depressed ; testa coriaceous, smooth. 



1. A. sploata, Linn.; leaflets ovate-lanceolate entire or .3-lobed acutely 

 serrate. DC Prodr. i. 65; H.f.& T. Fl Ind. 59. A. acuminata, WaU. 

 Gat. 4726 ; Royle 111 57. 



Temperate Himalaya, fromBhotan, Griffith, to Hazara — Disteib. Europe, N. Asia, 

 N. America. (Bane-berry.) _ 



Stem 2-3 ft. erect, from a woody horizontal rootstook, covered at the base with 

 leafless sheaths'. Leaves 1 ft. ; leaflets i-2 in. Bacemes 1-3 in. ; pedicels filiform. 

 P'lmoers i in. diam., white. Berry elliptic or subglobose; black in the European and 

 Himalayan form, white and red in the American. 



18. CXiaZCXFUGA, Linn. 



Erect perennial herbs. Leaves 2-5-ternately divided. Flowers in long 

 slender racemes, regular. Sepals 4-5, deciduous, petaloid. Petals (or trans- 



