Aconitum delphinifolium

• Common Names
• Description
• Biology
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Common Names

Description

Family Ranunculaceae

Herbs perennial or annual , sometimes subshrubs or herbaceous or woody vines . Leaves basal and cauline, alternate, rarely opposite or whorled , simple or variously compound , palmately nerved, rarely penninerved , with or without stipules. Inflorescence a simple or compound monochasium, dichasium, simple or compound raceme, or flowers solitary. Flowers bisexual , sometimes unisexual , actinomorphic , rarely zygomorphic, hypogynous. Sepals 3--6 or more, free , petaloid or sepaloid , imbricate or sometimes valvate in bud. Petals present or absent, 2--8 or more, free, usually with nectaries. Stamens numerous , rarely few, free; filaments linear or filiform ; anthers latrorse , introrse , or extrorse ; sometimes some sterile stamens becoming staminodes. Carpels numerous or few, rarely 1, free, rarely connate to various degrees ; ovary with 1 to many ovules. Fruit follicles or achenes, rarely capsules or berries . Seeds small, with abundant endosperm and minute embryo.

About 60 genera and 2500 species: worldwide, but richly represented in N temperate regions , particularly in E Asia; 38 genera (four endemic) and 921 species (604 endemic) in China.[1]

Genus Aconitum

Herbs, perennial , from tubers or elongate , fascicled roots . Leaves basal and cauline, proximal leaves petiolate , distal leaves sessile or nearly so; cauline leaves alternate. Leaf blade palmately divided into 3-7 segments, ultimate segments narrowly elliptic or lanceolate to linear , margins incised and toothed . Inflorescences terminal , sometimes also axillary , 1-32(-more) racemes or panicles, to 28 cm; bracts leaflike, not forming involucre. Flowers bisexual , bilaterally symmetric ; sepals not persistent in fruit; lower sepals (pendents) 2, plane , 6-20 mm; lateral sepals 2, round-reniform; upper sepal (hood ) 1, saccate , arched, crescent-shaped or hemispheric to rounded-conic or tall and cylindric , usually beaked , 10-50 mm; petals 2, distinct , bearing near apex a capitate to coiled spur, concealed in hood, long-clawed; nectary present, on spur; stamens 25-50; filaments with base expanded; staminodes absent between stamens and pistils; pistils 3(-5), simple ; ovules 10-20 per pistil; style present. Fruits follicles, aggregate, sessile, oblong , sides prominently transversely veined; beak terminal, straight, 2-3 mm. Seeds deltoid, usually with small, transverse , membranous lamellae. x =8.

Species ca. 100: circumboreal , southward into n Mexico and n Africa.

The greatest concentration of species of Aconitum is in Asia, with a smaller group in Europe.

Aconitum is phylogenetically most closely related to Delphinium Linnaeus as evidenced by similarities in karyotype , production of diterpene alkaloids, and similarities in floral morphology. Distinctive and unique floral morphology clearly distinguishes Aconitum from all other genera.

The aconites have been of interest since ancient times because they contain diterpene alkaloids that range from relatively nontoxic to deadly poisonous. In various parts of the world they have been used medicinally and as a source of poisons throughout history (D. E. Brink 1982). Use of Aconitum alkaloids in modern medicine was largely discontinued by the late 1930s and early 1940s (E. E. Swanson et al. 1938; H. C. Wood and A. Osol 1943; A. Osol et al. 1960).

Aconitum is a circumboreal arctic and alpine genus that extends into lower latitudes where there is suitable mesic habitat at high elevations along the north-south chains of mountains in eastern and western North America, and also in outlying, scattered , mesic, interglacial refugia , occasionally at low elevations.

The genus Aconitum worldwide is notorious for complex patterns of morphologic intergradation that blur the lines between taxa. Aconites from different regions may be morphologically distinct but connected by a series of intermediate races. Aconitum columbianum exemplifies this in North America, and A. delphiniifolium may extend this complex of variation into Asia. Intergradation between A. columbianum and A. delphiniifolium should be more fully investigated.

Cultivated aconites with origins outside North America sometimes persist in old gardens or are encountered as garden escapes , especially in eastern Canada (New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Quebec). These may include Aconitum lycoctonum Linnaeus, A. napellus Linnaeus, A. variegatum Linnaeus, and A. bicolor Schultes. Aconitum lycoctonum is similar to A. reclinatum of the southeastern United States in having the tall, conic-cylindric hood that is characterisitc of species in Aconitum sect. Lycoctonum de Candolle. Aconitum reclinatum has white flowers whereas A. lycoctonum has lilac-purple flowers.

A more complete treatment of the cultivated aconites likely to be encountered in North America can be found in H. J. Scoggan (1978-1979, part 3, pp. 718-720) and P. A. Munz (1945).[2]

Physical Description

Habitat

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 2,916 meters (0 to 9,567 feet).[3]

Biology

Growth

Culture: Space 15-18" apart.

Soil: Minimum pH: 5.1 • Maximum pH: 6.5

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Sun to Partial Shade.

Temperature: Cold Hardiness: 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b. (map)

Taxonomy

Unambiguous Synonyms

1. Aconitum delphinifolia De Candolle

Notes

Publishing author : Hort.Prag. ex Steud. Publication : Nomencl. Bot., ed. 2 (Steudel) i. 18

Similar Species

Members of the genus Aconitum

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 914 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:

A. abbreviatum · A. abietetorum · A. acaule · A. achranthum · A. ackermannii · A. A. anthora 'Yellow Monkshood' · A. acuminatum · A. acutiusculum · A. acutum · A. adenocarpum · A. adriaticum · A. aegophonum · A. aestivalis · A. aff. pendulum · A. aff. pyramidale Napellus Group · A. aggregatifolium · A. aizuense · A. ajanense · A. alatavicum · A. alatum · A. albicans · A. albidum · A. albo-violaceum · A. alboflavidum · A. alboviolaceum (White Monks Hood) · A. alboviolaceum var. albiflorum · A. album · A. algoviense · A. alienum · A. alpino-nepalense · A. alpinum · A. altaicum · A. altigaleatum · A. altissimum · A. altissimum subsp. penninum · A. ambiguum · A. amoenum · A. amplexicaule · A. ampliflorum · A. amurense · A. anglicum · A. angulatum · A. angusticassidatum · A. angustifolium · A. angustisegmentum · A. angustius · A. anthora (Yellow Monkshood) · A. anthora subsp. confertiflorum · A. anthoroideum · A. anthorum · A. apetalum · A. apoiense · A. aquilonare · A. arctophonum · A. arcuatum · A. arendsii · A. arizonicum · A. artemisiifolium · A. assamicum · A. atees · A. atlanticum · A. atrocyaneum · A. atropurpureum · A. atrox · A. australe · A. austriacum · A. austro-koreense · A. austrokoreense · A. austroyunnanense (Monkshood) · A. autumnale · A. axilliflorum · A. azumiense · A. baburinii · A. baicalense · A. bailangense · A. bakeri · A. balangrense · A. balcanicum · A. balfourii · A. barbatum · A. barbatum subsp. pekinense · A. bartletii · A. bartlettii · A. baumgarteni · A. baumgartenianum · A. bavaricum · A. bavaricum lusenense · A. beckianum · A. benzilanense · A. bernhardianum · A. besserianum · A. bhedingense · A. bhutanicum · A. bicolor (Twocolor Monkshood) · A. biflorum · A. birobidshanicum · A. bisma · A. 'Blue Lagoon' · A. 'Blue Opal' · A. 'Blue Sceptre'

More Info

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Further Reading

• Botanisches Zentralblatt; referierendes Organ für das Gesamtgebiet der Botanik. Jena [etc.]G. Fischer [etc.] GER url p. 386.
• Harriman Alaska series. vol. I-V, VIII-XIV. Washington: Smithsonian Institution, 1910-1914. ENG url p. 29.
• Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. [Washington, Biological Society of Washington] ENG url p. 137.
• The Gardener's monthly and horticulturist. Philadelphia, Pa.: Charles H. Marot, 1876-1888. ENG url p. 85.
• The Great Basin naturalist. Provo, Utah, M.L. Bean Life Science Museum, Brigham Young University. ENG url p. 154.
• Brink, D. E. 1982. Tuberous Aconitum (Ranunculaceae) of the continental United States: Morphological variation, taxonomy and disjunction. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 109: 13-23.
• Brink, D. E., J. A. Woods, and K. R. Stern. 1994. Bulbiferous Aconitum (Ranunculaceae) of the western United States. Sida 16: 9-15. Hardin, J. W. 1964. Variation in Aconitum of eastern United States. Brittonia 16: 80-94.
• Kadota, Y. 1987. A Revision of Aconitum subgenus Aconitum (Ranunculaceae) of East Asia. Utsunomiya. Munz, P. A. 1945. The cultivated aconites. Gentes Herb. 6: 462-505.
• Shteinberg, E. I. 1970. Aconitum L. In: V. L. Komarov et al., eds. 1963+. Flora of the U.S.S.R. (Flora SSSR). Translated from Russian. 22+ vols. Jerusalem. Vol. 7, pp. 143-184.

Notes

Contributors

• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed November 15, 2007. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 6 providers.

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 15, 2007:

• Canadian Museum of Nature, Canadian Museum of Nature Herbarium
• Harvard University Herbaria, Harvard University Herbaria
• Missouri Botanical Garden, Missouri Botanical Garden
• University of Alaska Museum of the North, University of Alaska Museum of the North Herbarium

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 3478744
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 15806630
• Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:707309-1
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 966854

Footnotes

1. Wencai Wang, Dezhi Fu, Liang-Qian Li, Bruce Bartholomew, Anthony R. Brach, Bryan E. Dutton, Michael G. Gilbert, Yuichi Kadota, Orbélia R. Robinson, Michio Tamura, Michael J. Warnock, Guanghua Zhu & Svetlana N. Ziman "Ranunculaceae". in Flora of China Vol. 6 Page 133. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
2. D.E. Brink & J.A. Woods "Aconitum". in Flora of North America Vol. 3. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
3. Mean = 476.820 meters (1,564.370 feet), Standard Deviation = 519.650 based on 392 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]

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