190 BRECK’S NEW BOOK OF FLOWERS. 
Bee Larkspur. It sends up a stem from three to five feet, 
high, much branched at the top, covered in June and 
July with innumerable dark-blue flowers, partaking some- 
what of the character of the Bee Larkspur. Propagated. 
by divisions of the root. : 
D. grandiflérum. — Great-flowered.—One of the most 
showy of the genus, sporting into many varieties. Its 
height is from two to three feet, and continues from June 
to October to give a succession of flowers, which are large, 
of a fine light or dark-blue, purple and white, and often 
spotted or shaded on each petal with copper color on the 
dark varieties, or with green on the white. Leaves 
palmate, (hand-shaped,) many parted. It is propagated by 
dividing the roots in the spring, about the time it begins 
to vegetate ; or it may be divided with success in August. 
By sowing the seed, new varieties may be expected, which, 
planted early, will flower feebly and show the character of 
the flower in autumn. Nothing. is more pleasant, than to 
originate a new variety. It must not be supposed, how- 
ever, that there will be much chance of any improvement 
in more than one or two in a hundred plants. It has 
flourished with me in a great variety of soils. It will, in 
fact, grow anywhere without difficulty, only requiring to 
be divided every few years, when the roots become large. 
This species is a native of Siberia. A seedling of this 
species was raised by the late Wm. E. Carter, of the Bo- 
tanic garden, which was named in honor of him D. Car- 
terdi, and isnowin my possession. The flowers are double, 
sky-blue, a very fine variety. I wish I could say the same 
of my much admired seedling D. Breckii, which I fear is 
lost. It was perfectly hardy for many years, and at one 
time I had a large stock of it; it was also extensively dis- 
seminated, but now I fear, it is numbered among the 
things that were, as mine are all lost, and all in my neigh- 
borhood have died also. Formerly I had large stools of 
