Aconitum

Aconitum (/ˌækəˈnaɪtəm/),[2] also known as aconite, monkshood, wolf's-bane, leopard's bane,

mousebane, women's bane, devil's helmet, queen of poisons, or blue rocket, is a genus of over
250 species of flowering plants belonging to the family Ranunculaceae. These herbaceous
perennial plants are chiefly native to the mountainous parts of the Northern Hemisphere in North
America, Europe, and Asia;[3] growing in the moisture-retentive but well-draining soils of
mountain meadows.
 Aconitum

Aconitum variegatum

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Plantae

Clade: Tracheophytes

Clade: Angiosperms

Clade: Eudicots

Order: Ranunculales

Family: Ranunculaceae

Subfamily: Ranunculoideae

Tribe: Delphinieae

Genus: Aconitum
L.

Subgenera[1]

Aconitum subgenus Aconitum

Aconitum subgenus Lycoctonum (DC.) Peterm.

for species see below

Most Aconitum species are extremely poisonous and must be dealt with very carefully.[4] Several
Aconitum hybrids, such as the Arendsii form of Aconitum carmichaelii, have won gardening
awards—such as the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[5] Some are used by
florists.[6]

Etymology

Northern blue monkshood (A. noveboracense)

The name aconitum comes from the Greek ἀκόνιτον, which may derive from the Greek akon for
dart or javelin, the tips of which were poisoned with the substance, or from akonae, because of
the rocky ground on which the plant was thought to grow.[7] The Greek name lycoctonum, which
translates literally to "wolf's bane", is thought to indicate the use of its juice to poison arrows or
baits used to kill wolves.[8] The English name monkshood refers to the cylindrical helmet, called
the galea, distinguishing the flower.[3]

Description

The dark green leaves of Aconitum species lack stipules. They are palmate or deeply palmately
lobed with five to seven segments. Each segment again is trilobed with coarse sharp teeth. The
leaves have a spiral (alternate) arrangement. The lower leaves have long petioles.

Dissected flower of Aconitum vulparia, showing the nectaries

The tall, erect stem is crowned by racemes of large blue, purple, white, yellow, or pink
zygomorphic flowers with numerous stamens. They are distinguishable by having one of the five
petaloid sepals (the posterior one), called the galea, in the form of a cylindrical helmet, hence the
English name monkshood.[3] Two to 10 petals are present. The two upper petals are large and
are placed under the hood of the calyx and are supported on long stalks. They have a hollow
spur at their apex, containing the nectar. The other petals are small and scale-like or nonforming.
The three to five carpels are partially fused at the base.

The fruit is an aggregate of follicles, a follicle being a dry, many-seeded structure.

Unlike with many species from genera (and their hybrids) in Ranunculaceae (and the related
Papaveroideae subfamily), there are no double-flowered forms.

Color range
E…
A medium to dark semi-saturated blue-purple is the typical flower color for Aconitum species.
Aconitum species tend to be variable enough in form and color in the wild to cause debate and
confusion among experts when it comes to species classification boundaries. The overall color
range of the genus is rather limited, although the palette has been extended a small amount with
hybridization. In the wild, some Aconitum blue-purple shades can be very dark. In cultivation the
shades do not reach this level of depth.

Aside from blue-purple—white, very pale greenish-white, creamy white, and pale greenish-yellow
are also somewhat common in nature. Wine red (or red-purple) occurs in a hybrid of the climber
Aconitum hemsleyanum. There is a pale semi-saturated pink produced by cultivation as well as
bicolor hybrids (e.g. white centers with blue-purple edges). Purplish shades range from very dark
blue-purple to a very pale lavender that is quite greyish. The latter occurs in the "Stainless Steel"
hybrid.

Neutral blue (rather than purplish or greenish), greenish-blue, and intense blues, available in
some related Delphinium plants—particularly Delphinium grandiflorum—do not occur in this
genus. Aconitum plants that have purplish-blue flowers are often inaccurately referred to as
having blue flowers, even though the purple tone dominates. If there are species with true
(neutral) blue or greenish-blue flowers they are rare and do not occur in cultivation. Also unlike
the genus Delphinium, there are no bright red nor intense pink Aconitum flowers, as none known
are pollinated by hummingbirds. There are no orange-flowered varieties nor any that are green.
Aconitum is typically more intense in color than Helleborus but less intense than Delphinium.
There are no blackish flowers in Aconitum, unlike with Helleborus.
Horticultural trade morphology
E…
The lack of double-flowered forms in the horticultural trade stands in contrast with the other
genera of Ranunculaceae used regularly in gardens. This includes one major genus that is
known solely by most gardeners for a double-flowered form of one species—Ranunculus
asiaticus, known colloquially in the trade as "Ranunculus". The Ranunculus genus contains
approximately 500 species. One other species of Ranunculus has seen minor use in gardens, the
'Flore Pleno' (doubled) form of Ranunculus acris. Doubled forms of Consolida and Delphinium
dominate the horticultural trade while single forms of Anemone, Aquilegia, Clematis, Helleborus,
Pulsatilla—and the related Papaver—retain some popularity. No doubled forms of Aconitum are
known.

Ecology

Aconitum species have been recorded as food plant of the caterpillars of several moths. The
yellow tiger moth Arctia flavia, and the purple-shaded gem Euchalcia variabilis are at home on A.
vulparia.[9] The engrailed Ectropis crepuscularia, yellow-tail Euproctis similis, mouse moth
Amphipyra tragopoginis, pease blossom Periphanes delphinii, and Mniotype bathensis, have
been observed feeding on A. napellus. The purple-lined sallow Pyrrhia exprimens, and Blepharita
amica were found eating from A. septentrionale. The dot moth Melanchra persicariae occurs
both on A. septentrionale and A. intermedium. The golden plusia Polychrysia moneta is hosted
by A. vulparia, A. napellus, A. septentrionale, and A. intermedium. Other moths associated with
Aconitum species include the wormwood pug Eupithecia absinthiata, satyr pug E. satyrata,
Aterpia charpentierana, and A. corticana.[10] It is also the primary food source for the Old World
bumblebees Bombus consobrinus and Bombus gerstaeckeri.[11][12][13]

Aconitum flowers are pollinated by long-tongued bumblebees.[14] Bumblebees have the strength
to open the flowers and reach the single nectary at the top of the flower on its inside.[14] Some
short-tongued bees will bore holes into the tops of the flowers to steal nectar.[14] However,
alkaloids in the nectar function as a deterrent for species unsuited to pollination. The effect is
greater in certain species, such as Aconitum napellus, than in others, such as Aconitum
lycoctonum.[15] Unlike the species with blue-purple flowers such as A. napellus, A. lycoctonum—
which has off-white to pale yellow flowers, has been found to be a nectar source for
butterflies.[14] This is likely due to the nectary flowers of the latter being more easily reachable by
the butterflies; however, the differing alkaloid character of the two plants may also play a
significant role or be the primary influence.[14]
 Cultivation

Aconitum delphinifolium growing in its natural habitat. The plant thrives in wet soil with good drainage, amongst
fireweed, false hellebore, yarrow, alpine rice, alpine foxtail, nootka lupine, alpine bistort, devil's club, and cow parsnip in
the rocky, tundra-like, mountainous terrain of Turnagain Pass, Alaska.

The species typically utilized by gardeners fare well in well-drained evenly moist "humus-rich"
garden soils like many in the related Helleborus and Delphinium genera, and can grow in the
partial shade. Species not used in gardens tend to require more exacting conditions (e.g.
Aconitum noveboracense). Most Aconitum species prefer to have their roots cool and moist,
with the majority of the leaves exposed to sun, like the related Clematis. Aconitum species can
be propagated by divisions of the root or by seeds, with care taken to avoid leaving pieces of the
root where livestock might be poisoned. All parts of these plants should be handled while
wearing protective disposable gloves.[3] Aconitum plants are typically much longer-lived than the
closely related delphinium plants, putting less energy into floral reproduction. As a result, they
are not described as being "heavy feeders" (needing a higher quantity of fertilizer versus most
other flowering plants)—unlike gardeners' delphiniums. As with most in the Ranunculaceae and
Papaveraceae families, they dislike root disturbance. As with most in Ranunculaceae, seeds that
are not planted soon after harvesting should be stored moist-packed in vermiculite to avoid
dormancy and viability issues. The German seed company Jelitto offers "Gold Nugget" seeds
that are advertised as utilizing a coating that enables the seed to germinate immediately,
bypassing the double dormancy defect (from a typical gardener's point of view) Aconitum—and
many other species in Ranunculaceae genera—use as a reproductive strategy. By contrast,
seeds that are not immediately planted or moist-packed are described as perhaps taking as long
as two years to germinate, being prone to very erratic germination (in terms of time required per
seed), and comparatively quick seed viability loss (e.g. Adonis). These issues are typical for
many species in Ranunculaceae, such as Pulsatilla (pasqueflower).

Award-winning hybrids
E…
In the UK, the following have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:
 A. × cammarum 'Bicolor'[16]

A. carmichaelii 'Arendsii'[17]

A. carmichaelii 'Kelmscott' [18]

A. 'Bressingham Spire'[19]

A. 'Spark's Variety'[20][21]

A. 'Stainless Steel'[22]

Toxicology

Monkshood, Aconitum napellus

Monkshood and other members of the genus Aconitum contain substantial amounts of the
highly toxic aconitine and related alkaloids, especially in their roots and tubers. Aconitine is a
potent neurotoxin and cardiotoxin that causes persistent depolarization of neuronal sodium
channels in tetrodotoxin-sensitive tissues. The influx of sodium through these channels and the
delay in their repolarization increases their excitability and may lead to diarrhea, convulsions,
ventricular arrhythmia and death.

Marked symptoms may appear almost immediately, usually not later than one hour, and "with
large doses death is almost instantaneous". Death usually occurs within two to six hours in fatal
poisoning (20 to 40 mL of tincture may prove fatal).[23] The initial signs are gastrointestinal,
including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. This is followed by a sensation of burning, tingling, and
numbness in the mouth and face, and of burning in the abdomen.[3] In severe poisonings,
pronounced motor weakness occurs and cutaneous sensations of tingling and numbness
spread to the limbs. Cardiovascular features include hypotension, sinus bradycardia, and
ventricular arrhythmias. Other features may include sweating, dizziness, difficulty in breathing,
headache, and confusion. The main causes of death are ventricular arrhythmias and asystole, or
paralysis of the heart or respiratory center.[23][24] The only post mortem signs are those of
asphyxia.[3]
Treatment of poisoning is mainly supportive. All patients require close monitoring of blood
pressure and cardiac rhythm. Gastrointestinal decontamination with activated charcoal can be
used if given within one hour of ingestion.[25] The major physiological antidote is atropine, which
is used to treat bradycardia. Other drugs used for ventricular arrhythmia include lidocaine,
amiodarone, bretylium, flecainide, procainamide, and mexiletine. Cardiopulmonary bypass is
used if symptoms are refractory to treatment with these drugs.[24] Successful use of charcoal
hemoperfusion has been claimed in patients with severe aconitine poisoning.[26]

Severe toxicity is not expected from skin contact; however paraesthesia, including tingling and
feelings of coldness in the extremities, has been reported, as has mild toxicity (headache,
nausea and palpitations).

Uses

Medicinal
E…

Plant as used in Chinese-style herbology (in Japanese) (crude medicine)

Aconite has long been used in Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine. Aconite was also
described in Greek and Roman medicine by Theophrastus, Dioscorides, and Pliny the Elder, who
most likely prescribed the Alpine species Aconitum lycoctonum. Folk medicinal use of Aconitum
species is still practiced in some parts of Slovenia.[27]

Aconitum chasmanthum is listed as critically endangered,[28] Aconitum heterophyllum as

endangered,[29] and Aconitum violaceum as vulnerable due to overcollection for Ayurvedic
use.[30]

As a poison
E…
The roots of A. ferox supply the Nepalese poison called bikh, bish, or nabee. It contains large
quantities of the alkaloid pseudaconitine, which is a deadly poison. The root of A. luridum, of the
Himalaya, is said to be as poisonous as that of A. ferox or A. napellus.[3]
Several species of Aconitum have been used as arrow poisons. The Minaro in Ladakh use A.
napellus on their arrows to hunt ibex, while the Ainu in Japan used a species of Aconitum to
hunt bear[31] as did the Matagi hunters of the same region before their adoption of firearms. The
Chinese also used Aconitum poisons both for hunting[32] and for warfare.[33] Aconitum poisons
were used by the Aleuts of Alaska's Aleutian Islands for hunting whales. Usually, one man in a
kayak armed with a poison-tipped lance would hunt the whale, paralyzing it with the poison and
causing it to drown.[34] Aconitum tipped arrows are also described in the Rig Veda.[35]

It has, albeit rarely, been hypothesized that Socrates was executed via an extract from an
Aconitum species, such as Aconitum napellus, rather than via hemlock, Conium maculatum.
Aconitum was commonly used by the ancient Greeks as an arrow poison but can be used for
other forms of poisoning. It has been hypothesized that Alexander the Great and Ptolemy XIV
Philopator were murdered via aconite.[36]

In 1524, in the first recorded human trial of poison since the ancient Greek, Pope Clement VII is
said to have intentionally poisoned prisoners with aconite laced marzipan to test the effects of
an antidote. The treated prisoner survived while the prisoner that was not treated died in agony.
[37]

Poisoning after promotion as a treatment for COVID

In April 2021 Sadyr Japarov, of Kyrgyzstan, promoted aconite root as a treatment for COVID-19.
Subsequently, at least four people were admitted to hospital suffering from poisoning.[38]
Facebook had previously removed the President's posts advocating use of the substance saying
"We've removed this post as we do not allow anyone, including elected officials, to share
misinformation that could lead to imminent physical harm or spread false claims about how to
cure or prevent COVID-19".[39]

Taxonomy

Subgenera of Aconitum and related taxa

Genetic analysis suggests that Aconitum as it was delineated before the 21st century is nested
within Delphinium sensu lato, that also includes Aconitella, Consolida, Delphinium staphisagria,
D. requini, and D. pictum.[1] Further genetic analysis has shown that the only species of the
subgenus "Aconitum (Gymnaconitum) ", "A. gymnandrum ", is sister to the group that consists of
Delphinium (Delphinium), Delphinium (Delphinastrum), and "Consolida " plus "Aconitella ". To
make Aconitum monophyletic, "A. gymnandrum " has now been reassigned to a new genus,
Gymnaconitum. To make Delphinium monophyletic, the new genus Staphisagria was erected
containing S. staphisagria, S. requini, and S. pictum.[40]

Species
E…
Aconitum ajanense Aconitum charkeviczii

Aconitum albo-violaceum Aconitum chasmanthum

Aconitum altaicum Aconitum chinense Siebold.&Zucc.[41] aka

Aconitum carmichaelii var. truppelianum
Aconitum ambiguum
Aconitum cochleare
Aconitum angusticassidatum
Aconitum columbianum (western
Aconitum anthora (yellow monkshood)
monkshood)
Aconitum anthoroideum
Aconitum confertiflorum
Aconitum album
Aconitum consanguineum
Aconitum axilliflorum
Aconitum coreanum
Aconitum baburinii
Aconitum crassifolium
Aconitum baicalense
Aconitum cymbulatum
Aconitum barbatum
Aconitum czekanovskyi
Aconitum besserianum
Aconitum decipiens
Aconitum biflorum
Aconitum degenii (syn. A. variegatum ssp.
Aconitum bucovinense paniculatum)
Aconitum burnatii Aconitum delphinifolium (larkspurleaf
Aconitum carmichaelii (Carmichael's monkshood)
monkshood) Aconitum desoulavyi
Aconitum ferox (Indian aconite) Aconitum kusnezoffii (Kusnezoff
monkshood)
Aconitum firmum
Aconitum kuzenevae
Aconitum fischeri (Fischer monkshood)
Aconitum lamarckii
Aconitum flavum (Fluff iron hammer)
Aconitum lasiostomum
Aconitum flerovii
Aconitum lethale (formerly A. balfourii)
Aconitum gigas
Aconitum leucostomum
Aconitum gracile (synonym of A. variegatum
ssp. variegatum) Aconitum longiracemosum

Aconitum helenae Aconitum lycoctonum (northern wolfsbane)

Aconitum hemsleyanum (climbing Aconitum macrorhynchum

monkshood)
Aconitum maximum (Kamchatka aconite)
Aconitum henryi (Sparks variety
Aconitum miyabei
monkshood)
Aconitum moldavicum
Aconitum heterophyllum
Aconitum montibaicalense
Aconitum hosteanum
Aconitum nanum
Aconitum infectum (Arizona monkshood)
Aconitum napellus (monkshood; type
Aconitum jacquinii (synonym of A. anthora)
species)
Aconitum jaluense
Aconitum nasutum
Aconitum japonicum
Aconitum nemorum
Aconitum jenisseense
Aconitum neosachalinense
Aconitum karafutense
Aconitum noveboracense (northern blue
Aconitum karakolicum monkshood)

Aconitum kirinense Aconitum ochotense

Aconitum koreanum Aconitum orientale

Aconitum krylovii Aconitum paniculatum

Aconitum kunasilense Aconitum paradoxum

Aconitum kurilense Aconitum pascoi

 Aconitum pavlovae Aconitum smirnovii

Aconitum pilipes Aconitum soongaricum

Aconitum plicatum Aconitum stoloniferum

Aconitum podolicum Aconitum stubendorffii

Aconitum productum Aconitum subalpinum

Aconitum pseudokusnezowii Aconitum subglandulosum

Aconitum puchonroenicum Aconitum subvillosum

Aconitum raddeanum Aconitum sukaczevii

Aconitum ranunculoides Aconitum taigicola

Aconitum reclinatum (trailing white Aconitum talassicum

monkshood)
Aconitum tanguticum
Aconitum rogoviczii
Aconitum tauricum
Aconitum romanicum
Aconitum turczaninowii
Aconitum rotundifolium
Aconitum umbrosum
Aconitum rubicundum
Aconitum uncinatum (southern blue
Aconitum sachalinense monkshood)

Aconitum sajanense Aconitum variegatum

Aconitum saxatile Aconitum violaceum

Aconitum sczukinii Aconitum volubile

Aconitum septentrionale Aconitum vulparia (wolf's bane)

Aconitum seravschanicum Aconitum woroschilovii

Aconitum sichotense

Natural hybrids
E…
Aconitum × austriacum

Aconitum × cammarum

Aconitum × hebegynum

Aconitum × oenipontanum (A. variegatum ssp. variegatum × ssp. paniculatum)

 Aconitum × pilosiusculum

Aconitum × platanifolium (A. lycoctonum ssp. neapolitanum × ssp. vulparia)

Aconitum × zahlbruckneri (A. napellus ssp. vulgare × A. variegatum ssp. variegatum)

As a poison
E…
Aconite has been understood as a poison from ancient times, and is frequently represented as
such in fiction. In Greek mythology, the goddess Hecate is said to have invented aconite,[42]
which Athena used to transform Arachne into a spider.[43] Also, Medea attempted to poison
Theseus with a cup of wine poisoned with wolf's bane.[44] The kyōgen (traditional Japanese
comedy) play Busu ( 附⼦, "Dried aconite root"), [45]
which is well-known and frequently taught in
Japan, is centered on dried aconite root used for traditional Chinese medicine. Taken from
Shasekishu, a 13th-century anthology collected by Mujū, the story describes servants who
decide that the dried aconite root is really sugar, and suffer unpleasant though nonlethal
symptoms after eating it.[46] Shakespeare, in Henry IV Part II Act 4 Scene 4, refers to aconite,
alongside rash gunpowder, working as strongly as the "venom of suggestion" to break up close
relationships. In BBC drama Shakespeare and Hatherway, series 2, episode 9, a tennis player is
poisoned through the skin of his palm by aconite smeared on the handle of his racquet.

As a well-known poison from ancient times, aconite is well-suited for historical fiction. It is the
poison used by a murderer in the third of the Cadfael Chronicles, Monk's Hood by Ellis Peters,
published in 1980 and set in 1138 in Shrewsbury. In I, Claudius, Livia, wife of Augustus, was
portrayed discussing the merits, antidotes, and use of aconite with a poisoner. It also makes a
showing in alternate history novels and historical fantasy, such as S. M. Stirling's, On the Oceans
of Eternity, where a renegade warlord is poisoned with aconite-laced food by his own chief of
internal security, and in the television show Merlin, the lead character, Merlin, attempts to poison
Arthur with aconite while under a spell. In the 2003 Korean television series Dae Jang Geum, set
in the 15th and 16th centuries, Choi put wolf's bane in the previous queen's food.

Aconite also lends itself to use as a fictional poison in modern settings. An overdose of aconite
was the method by which Rudolph Bloom, father of Leopold Bloom in James Joyce's Ulysses,
committed suicide. In Season Four, Episode 23 of Hawaii Five-O, entitled "Follow the White Brick
Road", the Hawaii State Police are alerted to a US Navy drug ring by finding the body of a young
sailor poisoned by this substance, concerning which the coroner Dr Bergman tells Steve
McGarrett that this is quite rare. In the television series Midsomer Murders, season four, episode
one ("Garden of Death"), aconite is used as a murder weapon, mixed into fettuccine with pesto to
mask the taste.[47] In the Australian detective series Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, series one,
episode five ("Raisins and Almonds"), the ground root of wolf's bane is used as a murder
weapon. In Rizzoli and Isles season one, episode three "Sympathy For The Devil", Maura Isles
discovered a teenaged boy named Matisse killed by monkshood mixed into a water bottle. In the
2014 season of NCIS:LA, assistant director, Owen Granger, and members of his staff are
poisoned with "monkshood" by a mole within the agency. In the TV series Dexter (season seven),
the character Hannah McKay uses aconite to poison some of her victims. In the 2014 pilot
episode of Forever, monkshood is used to murder a train conductor leading to a subway train
collision. In the TV series American Horror Story (season 3), Myrtle uses "monkshood" to
paralyze her victims temporarily so that she can remove their eyes.

Wolf's bane
E…
In his mythological poem Metamorphoses, Ovid tells how the herb comes from the slavering
mouth of Cerberus, the three-headed dog that guarded the gates of Hades.[48] As the veterinary
historian John Blaisdell has noted, symptoms of aconite poisoning in humans bear some
passing similarity to those of rabies: frothy saliva, impaired vision, vertigo, and finally a coma.
Thus, some ancient Greeks possibly would have believed that this poison, mythically born of
Cerberus's lips, was literally the same as that to be found inside the mouth of a rabid dog.[49]

In John Keats's poem Ode to Melancholy, wolf's bane is mentioned in the first verse as the
source of "poisonous wine", possibly referring to Medea.

In the 1931 classic horror film Dracula starring Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula and Helen Chandler
as Mina Seward, reference is made to wolf's bane (aconitum). Towards the end of the film, "Van
Helsing holds up a sprig of wolf's bane". Van Helsing educates the nurse protecting Mina from
Count Dracula to place sprigs of wolf's bane around Mina's neck for protection. Furthermore, he
instructs that wolf's bane is a plant that grows in central Europe. There, the natives use it to
protect themselves against vampires. As long as the wolf's bane is present in Mina's bedroom,
she will be safe from Count Dracula. During the night, Count Dracula desires to visit Mina. He
appears outside her window in the form of a flying bat. He causes the nurse to become drowsy,
and when she awakes from his spell, she removes the sprigs of wolf's bane, placing it in a
hallway chest of drawers. With the removal of the wolf's bane from Mina's room, Count Dracula
mysteriously appears and transports Mina to the dungeon of the castle.[50]

In the 1941 film The Wolf Man starring Lon Chaney Jr. and Claude Rains, the following poem is
recited several times Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night, may become
a wolf when the wolf-bane blooms and the autumn moon is bright.[51]
In the 1943 French novel Our Lady of the Flowers, the boy Culafroy eats "Napel aconite", so that
the "Renaissance would take possession of the child through the mouth."[52]

Wolf's Bane is mentioned as Aconite in episode five of the 1976 adaptation of Robert Graves's I,
Claudius, with two Roman noblewoman comparing their uses of poisons.

In the TV-show Game of Thrones, one of Tywin Lannister's commanders is assassinated by a

dart, identified by Tywin as Wolf's Bane, due to its scent.

In mysticism
E…
Wolf's bane is used as an analogy for the power of divine communion in Liber 65 1:13–16, one
of Aleister Crowley's Holy Books of Thelema. Wolf's bane is mentioned in one verse of Lady
Gwen Thompson's 1974 poem "Rede of the Wiccae", a long version of the Wiccan Rede:
"Widdershins go when Moon doth wane, And the werewolves howl by the dread wolfsbane."

Gallery

Aconitum napellus

Trailing white monkshood (A. reclinatum)

Southern blue monkshood (A. uncinatum)

Wild Alaskan monkshood (A. delphinifolium) is a flowering species that belongs to the family
Ranunculaceae. The picture was taken in Kenai National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.

See also …

Rufus T. Bush, industrial tycoon who died of accidental aconite poisoning

References …

1. Jabbour, Florian; Renner, Susanne S. (2012). "A phylogeny of Delphinieae (Ranunculaceae) shows that
Aconitum is nested within Delphinium and that Late Miocene transition to long lifecycles in the
Himalayas and Southwest China coincide with bursts in diversification". Molecular Phylogenetics and
Evolution. 62 (3): 928–942. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2011.12.005 (https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.ympev.20
11.12.005) . PMID 22182994 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22182994) .

2. Sunset Western Garden Book, 1995:606–607

3. One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public
domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Aconite". Encyclopædia Britannica. 1 (11th ed.). Cambridge
University Press. pp. 151–152.

4. Hay, R. (Consultant Editor) second edition 1978. Reader's Digest Encyclopedia of Garden Plants and
Flowers. The Reader's Digest Association Limited.