THE WINTER ACONITE— continued. 
stalk. These form in the fruit stage a ring of dry follicles splitting down their inner 
sides so as to discharge the numerous rounded smooth seeds. 
Eranthis hyemalis Salisbury is a native of Western Europe from Belgium 
southward ; but, though often naturalised in our parks and plantations, or 
occurring on banks as an escape from cultivation, it has no claim to rank as a 
truly indigenous British plant. Its flowers appear from January to March, in 
advance of the radical leaves, but beautifully set off by their glossy green frill-like 
involucre. Though remaining incurved, the golden sepals expand to an inch or 
more in diameter ; and, as the plants are seldom more than four inches high and 
grow naturally in a crowded patch, they are thus very conspicuous. There are 
from six to eight oblong sepals in the calyx, and the petals are much shorter and 
inconspicuous. At that early season of the year the chief insect-visitor is the 
honey-bee. The subsequently-developed leaves are long-stalked, orbicular, and 
deeply cut into from five to seven linear-oblong, obtuse lobes. 
Poor John Clare, the Northamptonshire peasant-poet, with his usual accuracy 
of observation, notes the 
“ Buttercup-like flowers that shut at night, 
With green leaf furling round its cup of gold ** 5 
and unquestionably, whether in our gardens or in a quasi-wild state, at a somewhat 
dull season of the year, the sprightly yellow blossoms and polished foliage form a 
pleasing harbinger of Spring. 
Eranthis luxuriates in moist leaf-mould ; and, like its contemporary, the 
Snowdrop, is tolerant of a considerable amount of shade. It will grow, however, in 
any soil and is perfectly hardy ; but to be effective should certainly be planted in 
masses. It can be well grown, like Crocuses, Snowdrops, or Daffodils, in lawns, as 
it will be over early when it is desirable to trim the first Spring growth of the grass. 
It has been given the name Aconite from the resemblance of its much-lobed 
leaves to those of that nearly related genus, and it has shared with it the name of 
W olf' s-bane ; and has also been termed hVinter Hellebore. It is also stated to be 
known as Winterling ; but, perhaps, it has never been sufficiently well known or 
valued to receive many genuinely popular appellations. 
