DELPHINIUM 



BUTTEBGUP OBDEB 



DELPHINIUM 161 



from June to September, and have petals 

 shorter than the sepals, the limb of the 

 lower petals being entire and roundish. 



There are many varieties of this 

 species, the best of which is perhaps 

 chinense or sinense, which differs in 

 having a stiffer and more erect stem, and 

 in the 2 lower petals being bearded with 

 yellow hairs. D. g. plemi/m, is a fine 

 double-flowered variety ; album, has 

 white flowers, of which there is also a 

 double form. Other forms are pallidum, 

 ruhrwm, pumilum album and pumdlum. 

 cceruleimi, the names of which give an 

 idea of the colours. 



Culture So. as above. Increased by 

 seeds, division, or cuttings. 



D. hybridum. — A native of Tauria, 

 3-4 ft. high, with many-parted linear- 

 lobed leaves having dilated stalks sheath- 

 ing at the base. The blue flowers, the 2 

 lower petals of which have white beards, 

 appear on crowded racemes from June to 

 August. The variety ochroleucum (also 

 known 3.S albijlorv/m), a. native of Arme- 

 nia, has whitish flowers, smooth outside. 



Culture Sc. as above. Increased by 

 seeds, division, or cuttings. 



D. intermedium. — A European species 

 4-8 ft. high, with heart-shaped 5-7-parted 

 leaves, the lobes of which are deeply 

 serrated. In July and August the glau- 

 cous racemes of flowers appear, the sepals 

 being blue, and the very hairy petals 

 almost black. There is a great deal of 

 variation in this species. 



Culture do. as above. Increased by 

 seeds, division, or cuttings. 



D. laxiflorum. — A Siberian plant 4-6 

 ft. high. Leaves 3-7-lobed, the lobes 

 being oblong, acute, and deeply cut ; the 

 upper leaves are more or less 3-parted 

 with narrow entire lobes. Flowers in 

 June, on loose branched racemes. 



Culture dc. as above. Increased by 

 seeds, division, or cuttings. 



D. mesoleucum. — ^The native country 

 of this species is unknown. It grows 

 about 3 ft. high, with somewhat downy 

 stems, and has leaves rather dilated at the 

 base with wedge-shaped segments, deeply 

 serrated at the top. The flowers appear 

 in June, having blue sepals and pale 

 yellow or whitish petals. 



Culture Sc. as above. Increased by 

 seeds, division, or cuttings. 



D. nudtcaule. — A brilliant species 

 12-18 in. high from California. The 



somewhat peltate fleshy leaves are 

 3-parted with numerous sub-divisions, 

 which in the lower ones are obcordate 

 with notched lobes, and in the upper 

 oblong entire. The flowers, which are 

 borne on a loose raceme from May to 

 August, have vivid red sepals inchning to 

 orange, and clear yellow petals, the lower 

 ones being spoon-shaped with a 2-cleft 

 fringed lip ; the upper ones elongated, 

 prominent, hairy at the ends ; the spur 

 about twice as long as the smooth calyx. 

 The variety elatius is taUer growing than 

 the species. 



Culiv/re a/nd Propagation. — D. nudi- 

 coMle grows best on raised ground in 

 warm borders with light sandy soil. It 

 is easily raised from seeds, but well- 

 established plants may also be divided. 

 General treatment as described above. 



D. Requieni (D. pietum). — A biennial 

 species about 18 in. high from S.W. 

 Europe. Leaves on long stalks, the lower 

 ones cut into 5 broad, wedge-shaped, 3-5- 

 toothed lobes, the upper ones into 5 linear 

 entire lobes. The bluish hairy flowers 

 appear in June. 



Culture Sc. as above. Increased by 

 seeds sown in cold frames as soon as 

 ripe. The seedlings to be planted out in 

 spring. 



D. Staphisagria. — • A large erect bi- 

 ennial 2-3 ft. high from S. Europe, with 

 5-9-lobed leaves. The blue flowers with 

 whitish petals appear on loose racemes in 

 May and have a very short spur. 



Culture Sc. as above. Increased by 

 seeds sown in cold frames as soon as 

 ripe. The seedlings to be planted out in 

 spring. 



D. tricorne. — A N. American species 

 about 9 in. high, with 5-parted leaves cut 

 into 3-5 narrowly divided lobes. The 

 bright blue flowers appear in May. 



Cultu/re Sc. as above. Increased by 

 seeds, division, or cuttings. 



D. triste. — A native of Siberia, 2 ft. 

 high, with 3-5-parted leaves, having some- 

 what pinnatifid sharp narrow lobes. The 

 flowers appear on loose racemes from 

 July to September, and are dark brown, 

 the edges of the sepals being tinged with 

 red, and the spur of a violet colour. 



Culture Sc. as above. Increased by 

 seeds, division, or cuttings. 



D. trollifolium. — A beautiful N. Ameri- 

 can Larkspur 2-4 ft. high, with stout 



