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DECORTICATION, is the pulling off the out- J 
ward bark of trees, alfo the peeling or barking of 
. roots. 
DELPHINIUM. Lin. Gen. Plant. 602. Tourn. j 
Lift. R. H. 426. tab. 241. [Aja^Iv, Gr. a dolphin; 
fo called, becaufe the flower, before it opens, re- 
fembles a dolphin. It is called Confolida Regalis, 
from its confolidating virtue. Cafpar Bauhin calls 
it the Royal Plant, becaufe it has its cup turned 
backwards, like a nobleman’s badge. Caefalpinus, 
Pliny, and the poets fay, this plant is the true Hya- 
cinth, becaufe it has the fyllable ai infcribed on its 
flower, which is a particle of bewailing,] Larkfpur, 
or Larkfheel. 
The Characters are, 
The fiower hath no empalement ; it is compofed of five 
unequal petals placed circularly ; the tipper petal is ex- 
tended at the hinder part ifito a tubular obtufe tail ; the 
two fide petals are nearly of the fame fize with the upper , 
but the two lower are fm abler ; thefe fipread open. There 
is a bifid nediarium fituated in the center of the petals , 
and is involved in the tube by the back part. The flower 
hath many fmall ftamina which incline to the petals , and 
are terminated by fmall eredl fummits ; it hath three 
oval germen , fupporting three flyles which are as long as 
the ftamina , crowned by reflexed ftigmas ; the germen af- 
terward become fo many capfules joined together, which 
open croffways , each having one cell filled with angular 
feeds. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the third feflion 
of Linnaeus’s thirteenth clafs, intitled Polyandria Tri- 
gynia, the fiower having many ftamina and three 
ftyles 
The Species are, 
1. Delphinium ( Confolida ) nedtariis monophyllis, caule 
fubdivifo. Horf. Cliff. 217. Larkfpur with a one-leaved 
nediarium and a divided ftalk. Delphinium fegetum. 
Tourn. Inft. 426. Corn Larkfpur , and the Confolida 
regalis arvenfis. C. B. P. 142. Field Royal Confound. 
2. Delphinium ( Ajacia ) nedtariis monophyllis, caule 
fimplici. Larkfpur with a one-leaved nediarium , and an 
eredl ftalk. Delphinium hortenfe, flore majore & 
fimplici casruleo. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 426. Garden 
Larkfpur , with a larger Jingle blue flower. 
3. Delphinium ( Ambiguum ) nedtariis monophyllis, caule 
ramofo. Larkfpur with a one-leaved nediarium and a 
branching ftalk. Delphinium elatius purpuro viola- 
ceufri. Suvert. Flor. Branched Larkfpur. 
4. Delphinium ( Peregrinum ) nedtariis diphyllis corollis 
enneapetalis capfulis teretis, foliis multipartitis ob- 
tufis. Hort. Cliff 213. Larkfpur with a two-leaved 
nediarium , a flower with eleven petals and three capfules , 
and leaves divided into many obtufe fegments. Delphi- 
num latifolium, parvo flore. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 426. 
Broad-leaved Larkfpur with a fmall flower. 
5. Delphinium ( Elatum ) nedtariis diphyllis, labellis bi- 
fidis, apice barbatis, foliis incifts, caule eredto. Hort. 
Upfal. 1 5 1. Larkfpur with a two-leaved nediarium , a 
bifid Up bearded at the top , cut leaves , and an eredl ftalk. 
Delphinium perenne montanum villofum, aconiti 
folio. Tourn. Inft. 42 b. Perennial hairy Mountain 
Larkfpur with a Monk flood leaf commonly called the Bee 
Larkfpur. 
6 . Delphinium [Grandi flor uni) nedtaris diphyllis, labellis 
integris, floribus fubfolitariis, foliis compofitis li- 
neari-multipartitis. Hort. Upfal. 150. Larkfpur with 
a two-leaved nediarium , an entire lip , flowers growing 
Jingly , and compound leaves divided into many narrow 
parts. Delphinium humilius anguftifolium perenne, 
flore azureo. Amman. Dwarf narrow-leaved perennial 
Larkfpur with an azure flower. 
7. Delphinium ( Americanum ) nedtariis diphyllis, la- 
bellis integris, floribus fpicatis, foliis palmatis mul- 
tifidis glabris. Plate 1 1 9. Larkfpur with a two-leaved 
nediarium , an entire lip, flowers growing in fpikes , and pal- 
mated, multifid , fmooth leaves , commonly called American 
Larkfpur. 
8. Delphinium ( Staphifagria ) nedtariis diphyllis, foliis 
palmatis, lobis integris. Hort. Cliff 213. Larkfpur 
with a two-leaved empalement, and palmiped leaves having 
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entire lobes. Delphinium platani folio, ftaphyfagria 
didtum. Tourn. Inft; R. H. 428. Larkfpur with a 
Plane-tree leaf called Stavefacre. 
The feveral varieties of the Garden Larkfpur are not 
here enumerated, as they would fwell the work be- 
yond its intended bulk, if all thefe were diftinguilhed, 
therefore here are only the diftindt fpecies mentioned j 
and as the gardeners diftinguifh the Garden Larkfpurs 
into thofe which are branched, and fuch as have up- 
right ftaiks ; which difference is permanent, and 
hever alters, whatever may be afferted to the con- 
trary by ignorant pretenders ; fo I fhall juft mention 
the feveral varieties which there are of each fort, 
commonly cultivated if the gardens of the curious. 
And firft of the branched Larkfpur, there are of the 
following colours, with ftngle and double flowers. 
Blue, purple, white, flefh, Afh, and Rofe colours ; 
and fome have flowers beautifully fpotted, with two 
or three of thefe different colours. 
The upright or unbranched Larkfpur, produces a 
greater variety of colours than the branched, and the 
flowers are larger and fuller than thofe •, but the 
principal colours run nearly the fame with thofe of 
the other, though many of the colours are deeper, 
and there are more different fhades of thefe colours 
in the flowers of this fort. 
The firft fort grows naturally on arable lands, in 
^ France, Spain, and Italy, and is fuppofed to be the 
fame as the Garden Larkfpur, which is a great mif- 
take ; for I have cultivated it many years in the gar- 
den, and never found it alter : the leaves of this fort 
are broader, and not fo much divided as thofe of the 
garden kind, and are placed thinner upon the ftaiks ; 
the flowers are fmaller, and grow in longer fpikes ; 
the ftaiks are not fo much branched as that fort which 
is called the branched, nor are they ftngle like the 
upright, fo that I think it may be allowed to be a 
different fpecies. 
The fecond fort hath upright ftaiks, which fcarce put 
out any branches ; the fpikes of flowers grow eredt, 
and the flowers are placed very clofe together, fo that 
they make a fine appearance. Thefe plants flower in 
July and Auguft, and are very great ornaments to 
the borders of the flower-garden. 
The branching Larkfpur, which is the third fort, 
comes later to flower than the upright ; this rifes with 
a very branching ftalk three feet high or more ; the 
branches come out horizontally from the fide of the 
ftaiks, but afterward turn that part on which the 
fpike of flowers grow, which is at the extremity up- 
ward, fo as to make an angle ; the leaves are long 
and finely divided ; the flowers are placed thinner in 
the fpikes than thofe of the upright fort ; they are 
large, and fome of them very double and of various 
colours. 
Thefe plants are annual, fo are every year propagated 
by feeds, which fhould be fown where the plants are 
defigned to remain, for they do not bear tranfplanting 
well, efpecially if they are not removed very young *, 
thofe feeds which are fown in autumn, produce the 
ftrongeft plants and moft double flowers, and ripen 
their feeds better than thofe which are fown in the 
fpring, as they come earlier to flower ; but to con- 
tinue a fuccefllon of thefe flowers, there fhould be 
fome feeds fown in the fpring. When they are fown 
on the borders of the flower-garden for ornament, 
they fhould be in patches of about a foot diameter, 
ffn the middle of the borders, at proper diftances ; in 
each of thefe patches may be flattered ten or a dozen 
feeds, covering them over about a quarter of an inch 
with earth; and in the fpring the plants may be 
thinned, leaving about five or fix of the upright fort 
in each patch to ftand for flowering; but of the 
branching fort, not more than three or four, becaufe 
thefe require room ; after this the plants will require 
no farther care but to keep them clean from weeds, 
and when they begin to flower fhould be fiipported 
by flower-flicks to prevent their being broken by 
wind, efpecially if they are not in a flickered fituation. 
If the feeds were well choice, there will be very few 
ordinary 
