
BUTTERCUP FAMILY. Ranunculaceae. 
> 
Monkshoods have almost as much charm as their cousins 
Columbine and Larkspur, with a quaintness and individ- 
uality all their own. There are a good many kinds; 
mountain plants, growing in temperate regions, with 
rather weak stems and leaves much like those of Larkspur. 
The blue and white blossoms have a “ hood,” which gives 
these plants their very appropriate name. This is formed 
by the upper and larger one of the five, petal-like sepals 
arching over and forming a hood, or helmet, under which 
the two small petals, with spurs and claws, are hidden; 
sometimes there are three or more petals below, which are 
minute and resemble stamens. The real stamens are 
numerous and ripen before the pistils, thus ensuring cross- 
pollination, and the fruit consists of a head, of from three to 
five, many-seeded pods. The thick or turnip-shaped root 
is used medicinally and is virulently poisonous, so these 
plants are sometimes called Wolfsbane. Aconite is the 
ancient Greek name and other common names are Blue- 
weed and Friar’s-cap. 
are et ee This handsome perennial, from two to 
if she: Di six feet tall, grows near streams, in moun- 
Columbidnum tain meadows or open woods. The 
Blue and white flowers measure from half an inch to over 
aed an inch long and are mostly bright-blue 
and white, tinged with violet, but shade 
from alrnost white to deep-blue, veined with purple. 
They are paler inside and grow on slender pedicels, in a 
long loose cluster, on a somewhat bending stem. The 
two, small, hammer-shaped petals are nearly concealed 
under the hood. The leaves are alternate, the lower ones 
with long leaf-stalks, and deeply cleft into three or five, 
toothed or lobed, divisions. This reaches an altitude of 
twelve thousand feet. 
we 
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