BRITISH PLANTS. 
571 
and leafy stem. The leaves are twice ternate, 
smooth, or very slightly downy. The flowers 
are dark purple, pendulous, in a terminal 
panicle, with ovate oblong petaloid sepals, 
and tubular petals, which have an unequal 
dilated mouth, and are two lipped, the outer 
one being large and flat, the inner very small, 
and the base prolonged into a tapering spur 
hooked inwards. The capsules are ovate, 
oblong and hairy. Flowers in June and July. 
Found in pastures, woods, and thickets. The 
Columbine is well known as a handsome 
border flower, varying, from its single dark 
purple wild form to various shades of crimson 
and pink, as well as white ; and also assuming 
a double form, in which latter state they are 
exceedingly handsome. 
THE GENUS DELPHINIUM. 
Character. — Calyx of five petaloid decidu- 
ous sepals, the upper one elongated at the base 
into a spier; petals four, the two upper ones 
with spurs included in the spurred sepal, or all 
combined into one spurred petal; capsules one, 
three, or five. 
D. Consolida, Linnnsus. — Field Larkspur. 
Stem erect, branched ; leaves deeply mul- 
tifid ; racemes few flowered ; spur longer 
than the calyx; petals combined. A pretty 
annual plant, the stem of which grows 
from one to two feet high, and branches in a 
straggling manner. The flowers are produced 
in terminal racemes, and are of a vivid and 
permanent blue. The petals are all united 
into an irregular cleft hood. The capsule is 
smooth. Flowers in June and July. Found 
in sandy or chalky corn fields, but is probably 
a naturalized plant, and not a true native, as 
it is not mentioned by Ray, one of our old 
authors. A variety called pubescens has the 
stem, leaves, and capsules downy. The Lark- 
spur is a very favourite border annual ; and in 
its cultivated state varies into several different 
colours, as pale blue, red, pale pink, and 
white; \* also exists in a double-flowered state, 
and in this state is highly ornamental. A 
tincture of the seed has been recommended in 
asthma. The leaves and stalks are said to 
enter into the composition of some cosmetics ; 
which, although efficient at first, are found by 
continued use to be very destructive to the 
skin. 
TOE GENUS ACON1TUM. 
Character. — Calyx of five petaloid decidu- 
ous sepals, upper one helmet shaped ; tiro 
upper petals, tubular, on loTig stalks, concealed 
in the helmet-shaped sepal; capsules three to 
five; leaves palmate. 
A. Napellus, Linnaeus. —Common Wolf's- 
bane, or Monk's-hood. Leaves deeply five- 
cleft, cut, with linear segments, furrowed 
above ; flowers racemose ; nectaries hori- 
zontal, upon curved stalks; spurs bent down ; 
young carpels diverging. A well known 
herbaceous perennial, growing three or four 
feet high, with an erect simple stem, fur- 
nished with numerous deeply cleft leaves, and 
terminated by a dense raceme of dark purplish 
blue flowers of a singular hood-like form. 
Aconitum Napc'lus. 
Flowers in June and July. Found on the 
banks of rivers and brooks in different places, 
but rarely. It is sometimes called A. vulgare. 
The Monk's-hood is probably not a truly 
native plant, but it is now naturalized. It is 
more common on the Continent. There are 
numerous varieties of it ; De Candolle records 
about thirty in his Prodromus. The plant is 
a most powerful and dangerous narcotic acrid 
poison, and its deleterious properties are not 
confined to any particular part, but are met 
with all over the plant. The roots are, how- 
ever, the most virulent, and these have been 
mistaken by the ignorant for horse-radish, and 
used as such with serious effects, though they 
do not possess much resemblance to the roots 
of that plant. Persons have been killed by 
eating the leaves ; and even the odour of the 
flowers is reported to have caused swooning 
tits, and blindness that has lasted for several 
days. Notwithstanding the dangerous qua- 
lities of this plant, it becomes a valuable and 
useful medicine in experienced hands, and lias 
been found especially useful in nervous affec- 
tions, gout, and rheumatism. It is very easily 
cultivated. 
THE GENUS ACT.SA. 
Character. — Calyx of four petaloid decidu- 
ous sepals ; petals four, soon falling ; carpels 
one, baccate, indehisceut, many-seeded. 
