Description

Larkspur

Larkspur, for years, was considered to be a member of the Delphinium family, but has been recently re-classified with the new name Consolida ranunculaceae. This re-classification makes it a member of the Ranunculus family. The plant, an annual, was introduced into Britain in the mid-1500’s from its native habitat the Mediterranean. The name, Larkspur, probably originated in England and refers to the horn-shaped nectary of the flower which resembles the spur of a lark’s claw. Gerard (John Gerard, 1545-1612, author of the definitive horticultural text of the period, The Grete Herball, 1597,) made these notes about the Larkspur, “that in England the plant is known as larks spur, larks heel, larks toes, larks clawe and munkeshoode”. Soon after introduction into both Europe and Great Britain, Larkspur had naturalized and was frequently seen in cornfields and along the sides of roads. In ancient times the plant was used to heal wounds and the seed was used to rid the scalp of lice. Tournefort (A French physician and scientist who gave the science of Botany the concept of genus, 1656-1708) describes using the juice of distilled flowers to strengthen sight. All parts of the larkspur are poisonous, but the seeds are the most dangerous causing vomiting if consumed. By 1572, there is evidence of the plant in America and by the 1700’s it was a popular cottage garden flower.