A. variegatum (variegated).* fl. blue, large, smooth; racemes panicled, loose; spur erect, clavated-hooked; helmet bent forward, inflated; beak ascending. July. l. lower, on long stalks; upper, sessile, smooth, thickish. h. 1ft. to 6ft. Europe, 1597. See Fig. 19.
A. v. albiflorum (white-flowered).* fl. white, small; helmet straight.
A. v. bicolor (two-coloured).* fl. white, edged with blue or lilac; helmet straight.
A. vulgare (common). A synonym of A. Schleicheri.
A. Willdenovii (Willdenow's).* fl. bluish-purple; peduncles pubescent; spur obtuse, straight. June. l. with blunt segments. h. 2ft. to 3ft. Carniola, 1823.
Sect. II. Roots Fibrous or Napiform.
A. Anthora (Anthora).* fl. pale yellow; panicles generally pubescent; spur refracted; lip obcordate; helmet arched. July. l. palmately cut into linear lobes. h. 1ft. to 2ft. Pyrenees, 1596. The following varieties of A. Anthora are erroneously classed as species by some authors:
A. a. Decandollii (Decandolle's). fl. yellow; panicle and flowers pubescent; helmet rather conical, bent, with a short, abrupt, and acuminated beak. l. with rather large dark green lobes. Alps of Jura, 1873.
A. a. eulophum (well-crested). fl. yellow; panicles and flowers puberulous; helmet conical. Caucasus, 1821.
A. a. grandiflorum (large-flowered). fl. yellow, large; panicle, flowers, and fruit pubescent; helmet rather conical. Alps of Jura, 1821.
A. a. Jacquinii (Jacquin's). fl. yellow, smooth; helmet somewhat conical, drawn out into an elongated beak.
A. a. nemorosum (grove-loving).* fl. yellow; panicle and flowers pubescent; helmet somewhat conical, bent; beak short. l. with broad lobes.
A. autumnale (autumn-flowering).* fl. bluish-purple, in loose panicles; peduncles rigidly spreading; spur capitate; helmet closed; lip very long, refracted. July. l. with cuneate, bipinnate lobes. h. 3ft. to 4ft. Europe.
A. barbatum (bearded).* fl. cream coloured, middle sized; racemes dense, puberulous; spur straightish, obtuse; bottom of helmet conical; middle sepals densely bearded. July. l. opaque, with the lobes divided into many linear segments, on long stalks, which are villous as well as the nerves. h. 2ft. to 6ft. Siberia, 1807. SYN. A. squarrosum.
A. chinense (Chinese).* fl. intense and very bright blue, in large compound racemes; pedicels slightly hairy above. Summer. l. lower ones large, deeply cut into three wedge-shaped segments, tapering at the base; upper ones sessile, gradually becoming more entire. h. 4ft. to 6ft. China, 1833.
A. Lamarckii (Lamarck's). fl. cream-coloured, pubescent; racemes long, cylindrical, crowded, branched at the base; spur spiral; helmet constricted, clavate. July. l. large, seven to nine-parted, with the lobes unequally cleft. h. 2ft. to 3ft. Pyrenees, 1800.
A. lupicidum (Wolf's-bane). Synonymous with A. Vulparia.
A. macrophyllum (large-leaved). fl. yellow, numerous, panicled; spur arched; helmet large, somewhat ventricose at the apex. July. l. large, more or less dissected. h. 4ft. to 8ft. Germany.
A. Nuttallii (Nuttall's). Synonymous with A. ochroleucum.
A. ochroleucum (yellowish-white).* fl. cream coloured, large; spur arched; bottom of helmet conico-cylindrical; middle sepals covered with short hairs; racemes puberulous, rather loose. July. l. five to seven-parted, deep green, the first ones are puberulous above. h. 2ft. to 4ft. Russia, 1794. SYNS. A. Nuttallii, A. pallidum.
A. Pallasii (Pallas'). Probably a mere variety, with a continuous spur, of A. anthora.
A. pallidum (pale). Synonymous with A. ochroleucum.
A. pyrenaicum (Pyrenean).* fl. yellow, rather large; spur hooked; bottom of helmet cylindrical, rounded; racemes elongated, dense, puberulous. June. l. parted almost to the base, with pinnatifid lobes, rather hispid beneath, but smooth above, on long stalks. h. 2ft. Pyrenees, &c., 1739.
A. squarrosum (rough). Synonymous with A. barbatum.
A. vulparia (Fox-bane).* fl. pale yellow, smooth; spur spiral; helmet cylindrical, large; beak stretched out, acute; racemes crowded. July. l. three or five-lobed, ciliated. h. 1ft. to 3ft. Europe, 1821. SYN. A. lupicidum. The principal varieties of this species are:—
A. v. carpaticum (Carpathian). fl. panicled, of a lurid colour, sometimes variegated with yellow; helmet conico-cylindrical, compressed; peduncles smooth. l. profoundly cut. Stems smooth. h. 2ft. to 3ft. Carpathian Mountains, 1810.
A. v. Cynoctonum (tall Dog's-bane). fl. (and stem) yellow, smoothish, numerous, panicled. h. 3ft. to 4ft. France, 1820.
A. v. moldavicum (Moldavian). fl. violet, panicled; helmet cylindrical, compressed. h. 3ft. to 4ft. Moldavia.
A. v. rubicundum (reddish). fl. livid violet, panicled, villous, variegated with yellow; helmet conico-cylindrical, compressed. h. 2ft. to 3ft. Siberia, 1819.
A. v. septentrionale (northern).* fl. blue, panicled, villous; helmet conico-cylindrical, compressed. h. 4ft. North Europe, 1800.
ACONTIAS. See Xanthosoma.
ACORN. The seed or fruit of the oak. See Quercus.
ACORUS (from a, without, and kore, the pupil of the eye; in allusion to its reputed medicinal qualities). ORD. Aroideæ. A small genus of hardy herbaceous plants. Flowers on a sessile spadix; perianth six-cleft, inferior, persistent. They thrive best in a moist soil, and are very suitable for the banks of water, or even as aquatics in shallow water. Propagated easily by divisions during spring.
A. Calamus (sweet-flag).* fl. yellowish, small, borne on a cylindrical spadix 4in. to 6in. long. Summer. l. sword-shaped, erect, striated 3ft. long. The root is cylindrical, channelled, and very fragrant. Europe. The variety with gold-striped leaves is more useful as a decorative plant. See Fig. 20.
FIG. 20. ACORUS CALAMUS.
A. gramineus (grass-leaved). China, 1796. This is much smaller in all its parts than the above, but very pretty.
A. g. variegatus.* A pretty variety with white striped leaves, forming handsome little tufts.