OCR Text |
Show 42 sGhe Beka lc Poa The flowers ftandat the tops ofthefe, and are large, and ofa beautiful blue. The feed-vefléls follow, five to each flower, andcontain large black feeds. Tt is wild in woods of Yorkthire, and other northern counties, and flowers in May. C. Bauhine calls it Aguilegia fylveftris, hine, Aquilegia The feeds of calumbine are famous againit the jaundice, Matthiolus prefcribes them withfaffron; andthere is no better way of giving them: they open obftructions of the vifcera, and operate by fweat and urine. It is alfo excellent alone in fevers, and in the fmall-pox and meafles, to throwout the puftules. A decoétion of the roots and feeds makes a very good gargarifm againft fore throats. DIVISTON For all thefe purpofes the «wild columbine -is preferable to any of the garden kinds: and this is the café throughout all nature, the cultivated fpecies having the moft beauty, but the plain na tural plant the moft virtue, This plant has been taken out of the woods into our gardens, andculture has givenit a great J. Bau- flore fimpli “TL EE RB ASE: variety of forms and appearances, which fome have confidered as diftin& fpecies. The common farden columbine, with large fingle flowers, the double-inverte mbine, and the rofe columbine, as alfo the degenerate great columbine, have been called fo many difliné plants; but they are nothing more thanvarieties raifed from this ftock by various culture. Thereare other f{pecies, thoughlefs common : and thefe deferve to be diftinguithed. EF OREDLGN 2. Red Virginian Columbine. Aquilegia magno flore foliis majus divifis. Aquilegia precox rubra, divided into many fegments: but thefe are not broad, as in the common kind; but narrow, of a pale green, and fharp-pointed, Theftalks are two feet high, upright, redifh, branched, and firm. Their leaves are few, and ftand at diftances. The flowers areinall refpeéts like thofe of the common columbine, but that they are much larger: their colour is a beautiful blue. The feeds are contained in capfules, five following each flower. It is common in the fouth of France, and flowers in June. C. Bauhine calls it Aguilegia montana magno The rootis long, thick, divided into fevera parts, and edged with fibres. The leaves are numerous, and ftand upon lon footftalks : they are dividedinto fmall fegments, notched at the edges, andof a verypale g The ftalks rife in the centre of this tuft; and are flender, weak, and but fix orfeveninches high. They have a few fmall leaves on them, divided like thofe from the root, but into narrower fec- ments. The flowers are large, and of a bricht red on the outfide, and yellowifh at the mouth within: the horns or neétaria are not crooked, as in the common kind, but rigid andftrair, The feeds are contained in fler apfules. It is a native of North / We have ir in fome curious gardens; natural fize, but pr Cornutus calls it 4 denfis. Others,, / Gs E.. .N Ui § LARKSPUR. DELPHINIU Mm. HE flower confifts of five petals, one of which runs out behindinto a long fpur: the fee contained in capfules ; three of thefe naturally fucceed each flower; but in fome fpecies the unite, and together formbut one. Linnzus places this genus among his polyandria trigynia ; the filaments in each flower being nun rous; and the rudimentsof the fruit three naturally, and moft frequently ; though fometimes one, when the capfule is to be fingle. This plant fhews howdifficult it muft be to form the charaéters of a genus, or larger divifio n, upon any one part; there being {pecies of Jark/pur in which the feed-veftel is fingle, DIV LS I.ON» BRITISH Common Larkfpur. Delpbinium vulgare ceruleum, Therootis long, flender, whitit h, fimple, and has but few fibres, “BERT 1s jour i lead blue, There follows eachflower onlya fingle capfule for the feeds; but it is eafy to fee that it is compofed of three, united one with another. This perfectly fhews howthe fingle capfule happens in the other fpecies. It is commonin the corn-fields in fome parts of England, ard flowers in June. C. Bauhine calls it Confolida regalis arvenfis flore H HERBAL, 43 Others, Delphinium Jegetum flore ca- From this inconfiderable plant rife all the common varieties of the garden larkfpurs. Theré are diftin& fpecies to be named hereafter ; but the common, tall, and double larkfpu rs rife only from this ftock by culture, It is agelutinant, and vulnerary, The con- ferve of the flowers is goodin thofe purgings to which children are fubjeét, attended with fharp humours. The juice of the flowers is good againf t diforders of the eyes; and the whole herb made into an infufion, againft cholicks, Some have difputed thefe virtues of the JarkJour; but theytried the garden kind: that from the field is the right, SP EOC PES 1. Great-flowered Columbine. The root is long, thick, and furnifhed with many fibres. Theleaves ftand on long footftalks, and are Che numerous branches; and not more hes high. es {tandirregularly on it, and are divided into many longifh and narrow fegments: thofe on the lowerparts of the ftalk are largeft, and ftand onfootftaiks; thofe toward the upper part have no footftalks, and have but fewdivifions. The flowers ftand onthe tops of the branches: they are large, and have a long heel: their co- SPECI ps The firft leaves are {mall : they ftand upon fhort footftaiks, and are divid ed into a fewfeements. They are of a pale green colour, and foon fade and wither, The ftalk is tound, firm, and of a pale g DL Vile Sal ON tl FOREIGN 1. Great fennel-leaved Larkfpur. Delphinium foliis feni This is a large and very beautiful {pecies. The root is long, fimple, white, and tufted with fibres. The leaves that rife from it are long, large, and divided into a multitude of flender, long fegments; fo that they have fome refemblance of thofe of fennel; and they are of a dark green. The ftalk is robuft, erect, and four feet high: it divides towardthe top into many branches, and on thefe fland long {pikes offlowers. The leaves onthe ftalk refemble thofe from the root in their divifion and colour: they ftand alernate, andare of fine frefh green: their feg$ are numerous, andveryflender. he flowers are large, andof the form of thofe commonlark/pur, but of a deeper and more beautiful blue. ‘This is their natural, but not | conftant colour; for they are fometimes and fometimes white, Te is a nati Spain, and is brought into our ‘ ns; where it-has' all the advantages ofcul ture, and all the varieties attendingit. C. Bauhine s Confolida regalis bortenfis Flore majore fimplici. 2. Broad-leaved hairy Larkfpur. n hirfutumlatifolium. The root is thick, and has fewfibres, The leaves that rife fromit ftand onlong foota ed into many portions; but that not in the manner ofthe others, into narrow, iy fegments 5 but into about five broad parts, w h fubdivided toward the ends by deep notched roundthe edges. k is thick, robuft, ereét, purplifh, a feet high ; and is not much en none at all. Is on it, but ftand ir- sare large, with a long fpur, and SPE CTE 's, of a very beautiful blue: they ftand in a lone fpike. j The feed-veflels follow, three after each flower; and the feedis large, and dark coloured, It is a native of the northern parts of Europe , whence it is brought into our gardens ; where, from the leaves differing from the other lark/pur s, and in fome degree refembling thofe of the aconites, it is commonly called sa/f wolfs-banes Authors have alfo led themfelves into this error, bynot fufficiently confidering that the flower is the part from which the reference to a genus is to be taken. C. Bauhine calls it Aconitum cceruleuu hirfutu m Sloe confolide regalis. 3- Smooth broad-leaved Larkfpur. Delpbiniumlatifolium glabrum. Theroot is long, white, fplit into branches, and hung round with fibres. The leaves that rife from it are large, broad, and deeply divided ; but not at all like thofe of the commonkind ofJark/pur, or even like the lait kind : thofe are divided fomewhat in the fins gered manner, their feveral broad fegmen ts running from the-fame point whichis the top of the footftalk ; but thefe have rather the divifio n of the pinnated kind; for their feveral broad fegments, which are about equal in number, ftand in pairs, though they are not cut in to the centre, with an odd one at the end. They are of a dufky reen, and not at all hairy. The ftalk is round, upright, and two feet and igh. The leaves ftand irregularly, andare like thofe from the root, dividedinto three or four pairs of egments, with an oddone at the end. 's ftand in fpikes at the tops of the and are {mall andred. s follow in a fingle capfule; but, like theco i ur, a capfule madeupof three. It is a native of the Greek iflands, and of the warmer parts of Europe; and flowers in June. C. Bauhine calls it Confolida regalis latifolig parvo flore, a GE.- |