14. ACONITUM. L in n .; DC.syst. l.p . 364.
Sepals petaloid, irregular, deciduous; the tipper one (galea) large, vaulted.
Petals 5; the 3 lower ones minute, often converted into stamens; the 2 upper
on long claws, expanded into a sac or short spur at the summit, concealed
under the galea. Follicles 3—5, many-seeded.—Perennial herbs. Leaves pal-
mately divided.
1. A. uncinatum (Linn.) : panicle rather loosely flowered, with diverging
branches; galea obtusely conic, compressed, with an obtuse beak; spur
thick, inclined; leaves deeply 3-lobed.—Michx. ! ft. 1. p. 315; Bot. mas t
1119; DC. prodr. l. p. 60 ; Ell. sk. 2. p. 20.
Mountains, in wet places, New-York (Chenango county, Le Conte !)&
Pennsylvania! to Georgia ! June-July.—Root tuberous. Stem flexuous, slender
(climbing, Ell.). Leaves truncate at the base, coarsely toothed; lateral
segments often 2-lobed. Flowers blue, as large as in A. Napellus. Ovaries
3-5, villous.
.2- A. Napellus (Linn.)—/?. delphintfolium (Seringe): flowers racemose
with the peduncles elongated ; galea semicircular; sac somewhat conic, with
a short inclined spur; ovaries 4-6; lobes of the leaves pinnatifid; lobules
undivided. Seringe, mus. Helv. 1. p. 159; DC.prddr. l.p . 63 ; Bong. I
veg. Sitcha, l. c. p. 124. A. delphimfolium, var. Americanum, DC. svst. 1.
p. 380; Reichenb. acohii. t. 9. .
North West America, Sitcha! and north to Kotzebue’s Sound ; Rockv
Mountains—Flowers deep blue.
3. A. nasutum (Fisch. m ss.): petals erect, with the spur arcuate; galea
conical, prone; spur descending ; raceme somewhat panicled ; divisions
of the leaves rather broad. Hook. ft. Bor.-Am. 1. p. 26. A Fischeri
Reichenb. aconit. t. 22. (fide Hook.) , ’
Near the source of the Wallawallah River, in the Blue Mountains of Oregon,
Douglas.—A native also of Kamtscatka, Siberia, and the south of Europe.
4. A. Columbianum (Nutt.! mss.): “ petals erect, with the spur arcuate;
galea narrow and oblong; beak small and acutely projecting; stem
attenuated; panicle small and racemose; leaves palmate, 5 -7-cleft; segments
rhombic-ovate, acute, incisely and sharply toothed; petioles very
short. - j ’
“ Springy places, on the Oregon, below Wallawallah.—Plant glabrous except
towards the summitj about 3 feet high, attenuated and leafy. Flowers
smallj pale dull blue, hairy. Galea narrower than the other sepals, with a
promment acute beak. Lateral sepals very unequal.” Nutt.—This may be
as Mr. Nuttall suspects, not distinct from the preceding species.
t Doubtful species.
A. pallidum (Nutt.)—Loudon's hwt. Brit, suppl. p. 482.
T hibe IV. CIMICIFUGEÆ.
Suborcl. Cimicifugeæ, Am.
Sepals petaloid, caducous. Petals (or rather dilated sterile filaments
or staminodia) 3-6. Anthers introrse or innate. Carpels few, some-
I 1 ... L . Vnrplv numerous, follicular or baccate, with several
seeds, sometimes indéhiscent and 1-seeded.—Flowers occasionally by
abortion unisexual.
15. ACTÆA. L in n .; Juss. gen. p. 235; Fischer $ Meyer,
ind. sem. St. Petersb. 1835.
Sepals 4-5. Petals (or staminodia) 4-8, spatulate. Stamens numerous ;
anthers introrse. Stigma capitate, sessile. Carpels solitary, baccate, manyneeded.
Seeds compressed, smooth, horizontal-Perenmal herbs. Leaves
2- 3-ternately divided ; segments incisely serrate. Flowers in simple racemes,
white.
1 A rubra (Bigel.): raceme ovate; pedicels longer than the flower,
scarcely any thicker
stamens ; fruit s u W e ( ). g • I Americana rubra, Pursh,
l ? - 65- A - spicataarubra,
M ch x ' ƒ .1 . ^ 308 Pennsylvania! west to the Rocky Moun-
Rocky woodsHudson,s m y “ ef ® . y « leaftess and scaly at the base,”
F ü c h S y t a î s ternately decompound; leaflets ovate, acuminate
1 -2 inches long unequally and incisely serrate g the terminal one often 3-cleft.
Raceme 2 0 - 4 0 - f l o w e r e d , s h i n -
L l 0 bOute i 6-s^ded)0 nSpedicels ’half an inch in length, and not one-fourth
as thick as the peduncle. '
2 A alba (Bigel.) : raceme oblong ; pedicels as long as the flower, much
2. A. aioa (cig e ) obw , truncate at the apex, shorter than the
S L I'- . i DC f a i r . 1. f ^ A
E l l sk. 2. p-15. , . Q.eorgia, west to the Mississippi.Rotky woods, Canada to ^ 0^ ^ foli md infloresce ncMe. a y“.S-Rteem-
semblés ^ P ^ „ Y M Petals- often 2-toothed at the apex.
M nf tir flow e rO n eJ y asihick as .the peduncle, at length * - l inch
W sireadincr fed. Berry one-fourth of an inch in diameter,.S-12-seeded,
S - X t e and often tipped with purple.-Very near A. spicata of Europe.
3 A arguta (Nutt.! mss.): “ raceme oblong sometimes divided to-
a Lt Cocp lnrt«P- nedicels longer than the flowers, filiform, scarcely
thickened in fmit ; petals oblong, obtuse, shorter than the stamens; fruit
subslobose (red) ; leaflets doubly and incisely serrate.
“Woods of thé Oregon and its tributary str e am s-A much larger plant
than A mbra, with smaller dark red berries and more deeply serrated
leaflets. Lower pedicels l i inch in length. Nutt.
16. CIMICIFUGA. Linn. amoen. l. p. 435 ; Juss. gen.p. 234.
Cimicifuga, Actinospora, & Botrophis, Fisch. <f Meyer.
Sepals 4-5 Petals (or rather staminodia) 3-5, concave dr unguiculate,
sometimes by abortion fewer or none. Stamens numerous : anthers mtrorse.
Style short : stigma simple. Carpels 1-8, follicular, many-seeded-Peren