Scottish specimens longer than in our Continental or cultivated
ones, in some few instances even approaching to lanceolate
; each is tipped with a small mucro. The leaves,
and indeed the whole plant, turn singularly black in drying.
Stipules linear-lanceolate, very acute and entire, 2—3 lines
long. Peduncles axillary, slender, longer than the leaves,
bearing a raceme of 4—8 flowers, very elegantly varied with
bluish purple and red. These are succeeded by black, linear,
acuminated, compressed pods, inclosing 5—6 oblongo-ellip-
tical, compressed, dark brown, perfectly smooth seeds.
—W. J . H.
The flowers and colouring have necessarily been finished
in the figure from garden specimens. The wild flowers
were apparently larger and less numerous.—J . D. C. S.
