The Columbine. 3£3 



AQUILEGIA— THE COLUMBINE. 



Natural Order, Ranunculaceae ; Linusean System, Polyandria, Polygyria. 

 Generic Character:— Calyx of five, colored, petal-like, deciduous sepals ; 

 petals five, gaping above, two-lipped, outer lip large, flat, inner lip small; 

 each petal drawn out into a hollow spur, which protrudes between the se- 

 pals : capsules five, erect, many-seeded, pointed with the styles. 



X Mericana.— Spurs straight, spreading, five times longer than the limb ; 

 sepals lanceolate, twice as long as the limb of the petals ; stamens very 

 long, exserted ; styles three, rarely five. — PL 44. Fig. 1. 



A.fragrans.— Stem leafy ; segments of the lower leaves trifid; flowers nu- 

 merous, somewhat downy; sepals ovate-lanceolate, acute; spur of the- 

 petals incurved, much shorter than the limb. — PL 44. Fig. % 



Perhaps no flower is more universally cultivated than the 

 common Columbine ; and yet few persons observe its singular 

 construction. The sepals and petals are of nearly the same 

 color, and yet their forms are so different as to be readily dis- 

 tinguishable. The sepals are oval, generally pointed, and are 

 attached by a short stalk to the disk. The petals are alternate 

 with the sepals, and their formation is very curious. They 

 form a hollow horn, or spur, having an expanded lip, or mouth, 

 by one side of which they adhere to the disk, while the horns 

 pass upwards between the stalks of the sepals, and curve in- 

 wards, so as nearly to meet at their extremities. When a 

 petal is pulled off, with a sepal adhering to it on each side, it 

 bears some resemblance, in shape, to a bird ; and from this 

 circumstance are taken both the common and the botanical 

 names of the genus ; the first being derived from the Latin, 

 columba, a dove ; and the other from aquila, an eagle. Of the 

 numerous stamens of the Columbine, the inner ones are abor- 

 tive, having no anthers, and forming a kind of membranous 

 envelope to the carpels. The seed vessels, when ripe, open 

 at the top, to discharge the seeds. The common Columbine 

 is a native of most parts of Europe, and nearly all the species 

 inhabit temperate climates. The very handsome species, A. 

 Mcxicana, however, as its specific name indicates, is found in 



