RANUNCULACE. XXIX. Aconitum. 
inst. 1. p. 424. t. 239 and 240. Lin. gen. no. 682. D. C. syst. 1. 
p. 364. prod. 1. p. 56. Ser. mus. helv. 1. p. 115. Rchb. Uebers. 
p. 13. illus. gen. Acon. atque. Delp. 
Lin. syst. Polyándria, Tri-Pentagýnia. Calyx of 5 petal-like, 
irregular, deciduous or marcescent sepals, with the upper sepal 
concave and helmet-shaped. Petals 2 (or hollow nectaries), 
hidden within the helmet, on long stalks, expanded into a hollow 
inverted tube at the apex, drawn out at the ends into a spur, 
which is either straight, hooked, or twisted.—Herbaceous peren- 
nial herbs, with tuberous, fibrous or napiform roots, and palmate- 
parted leaves, with the partitions deeply toothed or multifid. 
Racemes terminal, with 1-flowered pedicels rising from the axils 
of the bracteas, each furnished with two bracteoles. Flowers 
large, irregular, yellow, cream-coloured, blue or white, or mixed 
with these colours. ‘The species are all poisonous; the root 
- 1s the most powerful part. 
This genus is called in English Monks-hood and Wolfs-bane ; 
the former from the shape of the flower ; the latter from the poi- 
sonous quality of the plants. 
Secr. I. Anrnoroipea (applied to this section because the 
plants it contains agree with 4. Anthora, a syncope of Anti-thora, 
that 1s to say, counter-poison.) Rchb. uebers. p. 13. Sect. 1. 
Anthéra, D. C. syst. 1. p. 864. Calyx permanent. Petals (nec- 
aries) supine, somewhat hooked, lip obcordate, tapering into 
the pedicel. Stamens smoothish. Capsules 5, erect. Helmet 
arched. Flowers cream-coloured, sometimes variegated with 
blue. Leaves palmately cut into linear lobes. Roots napiform. 
1 A. Awrnora (Lin. spec. 751. Rchb. ill. t. 59.) spur refract- 
ei germens equally pubescent. %. H. Native of the Pyrenees, 
gu tzerland, Hungary, Italy, &c. A ochroleùcum; Salisb.— Lob. 
trp. ed. 1576. p. 385.—C]us. hist. V. p. 98.—Barrel. icon. 609, 
c. Flowers pale yellow. This species was formerly made 
use of in medicine, and recommended as an antidote to the 
aa ae species : whence by some writers it is called Anthora 
i ntithora, the poisonous ones having been named Thora. 
a, taste of the root is sweet, with a mixture of bitterness and 
fresh, 1, The smell is pleasant. It purges vehemently when 
presa , ut loses its qualities when dried ; it is disused in the 
oss fi practice; and is certainly poisonous, but perhaps in a 
gree than those of the other sections. Haller regards it 
as ye of the most dangerous. 
LEB » §randifldrum (Rchb. uebers. p. 15. acon. p. 63. t. 
large; hp’ flowers and fruit pubescent ; flowers yellow, 
ura, & 4 met rather conical. %4. H. Native of the Alps of 
panan Y» gúlophum (Rchb. uebers. p. 15. acon. p. 69. t. 5.) 
low. ir flowers puberulous ; helmet conical ; flowers yel- 
Var * D Native of Caucasus and the Alps of Jura, &c. 
panicle ard geerdólli (Rchb. uebers. p. 16. acon. p. 67. t. 3.) 
short, abe Owers pubescent ; helmet rather conical, bent, with a 
an are ase wd acuminated beak. Lobes of leaves rather broad, 
Mountains We l as the stem dark green. Y%.H. Native of the 
nthòra 3 o Gavarn and at Port Espagne in the Pyrenees. A. 
ar e atrovirens, D. C. syst. 1. p. 366. Flowers yellow. 
t6. nS nemorosum (Bieb. ex Rchb. uebers. p- 16. acon. p. 71. 
nical, bent. nen’ and flowers pubescent ; helmet somewhat co- 
H. Na peak short. Lobes of leaves broad. Flowers yellow. 
À. Anthòra SL of Siberia and Caucasus. A. tuberdsum, Patrin, 
ar. f op tobum, Ser. mus. helv. 1. p. 131. 
yellow. » E'abriflòrum (Rchb. uebers. p. 15.) flowers smooth, 
called g’ Eynes. Native of the Eastern Pyrenees in the valley 
Var. o n 
flowers i ia (Rchb. uebers. p. 17. acon. p. 65. t. 2.) 
elongated bes ; helmet somewhat conical, drawn out into an 
; flowers yellow. %. H. Native of Austria 
55 
and the Pyrenees. A. Anthora, Jacq. austr. t. 382. y, Jacquiu- 
ianum, Ser. mus. helv. 1. p. 131. 
Var. A, inclinàtum (Ser. mus. helv. 1. p. 131. t. 15. f. 2.) 
panicle flowers and fruit pubescent; helmet high, conical, with 
an incumbent beak ; flowers yellow. 3. H. Native of the Alps 
of Jura. 
Var. 0, multicucullàtum (Ser. mus. helv. 1. p. 182. t. 16.) 
lateral petals cucullate ; lateral sepals helmet-shaped. %. H. 
Native of the Alps of Jura. 
Counter-poison Aconite. Fl. Ju. Aug. Clt. 1596. Pl.1 to 2 ft. 
2 A. Parr asu (Rchb. uebers. p. 18. acon. p. 72. t. 6. f. A. 
ill. t. 60.) spur continuous. 2/. H. Native of Siberia. A. An- 
thòra, Pall. Bieb. Flowers yellow, and are as well as the fruit 
pubescent. 
Pallas’s Aconite. Fl. Ju. Aug. Clt. 1821. Pl. 1 to 2 feet. 
3 A. ANTHOROÌDEUM (D. C. syst. 1. p. 366. Rchb. uebers. p- 
19. acon. p. 68. t. 4. ill. t. 61.) spur refracted ; germens bearded. 
u.H. Native of Siberia. A. Anthora, Bieb.? Pall.? Panicle 
flowers and fruit pubescent. 
Var. B, versicolor ; flowers smoothish, yellow variegated with 
blue; helmet low, rather conical. 2%.H. Native of Iberia. A. 
Anthora, var. versicolor, Stev. ined. 
Anthora-like Aconite. Fl. Ju. Aug. Clt. 1821. Pl. 1 to 2 ft. 
Sect. II. Naperiorpea (a name applied to this section on 
account of the plants it contains agreeing in character with 4. 
Napéllus, which is derived from napus, a turnip, on account of 
the form of the roots, they having the appearance of little black 
turnips.) Rchb. uebers. p. 13, Sect. IV. Napellus, D. C. syst. 1. 
p. 371. prod. 1. p. 62. Calyx deciduous. Petals (nectaries) 
supine, obtuse or capitate, with a bifid lip. Stamens pilose. 
Capsules usually 3 (rarely 2 to 7) young ones diverging. Pe- 
duncles nodding. Helmet convex, hemispherical or arched (se- 
micircular, rarely navicular, D.C.) Lobes of leaves cuneate, 
bipinnate. Roots tuberous. Flowers blue, white, whitish-blue, 
and yellowish-blue. 
§ Peduncles smooth. 
4 A. Korrrea‘num (Rchb. uebers. p. 19. acon. t. 11. f. 1.) 
spur blunt; filaments smooth, %.H. Native of Switzerland 
and Carinthia, &c. Rchb. ill. t. 72. A. Napéllus, Wulfen. Koelle. 
spicel. with a figure. A. manuale, Sieb. A. Tatricum, Hoppe. 
pl. exsicc. A. Napéllus, 6, spicatum, Ser. mus. 1. p. 154. D. C. 
prod. 1. p. 62. Flowers disposed in loose spikes of a deep blue 
colour; bracteas short; helmet semicircular. 
Var. B, crassicaúle (Rchb. uebers. p. 19.) stem thick. %. H. 
Native of Switzerland and Carinthia. 
Var. y, pymæ um (Rchb. acon. t. 21. f. 1.) flowers 3-8 in a 
spike, deep blue. Leaves crowded. A. Napéllus, ò pygmæ um, 
Ser. mus. helv. 1. p. 154. 2%.H. Native of Switzerland. 
Koelle’s Aconite. Fl. June, July. Clt. 1820. Pl. 2to 4 feet. 
5 A. Tauricum (Wulf. in Jacq. coll. 2. p. 112. icon. rar. 3. 
t. 49. Rchb. acon. p. 87. t. 12. f. 2-3.) spur blunt; filaments 
pilose ; helmet closed, hemispherical; peduncles erect. 2. H. 
Native of Germany and Switzerland. Rchb. illus. t. 63. Koelle. 
acon. A. densiflorum, Hoppe. bot. Z. 1818. p. 142. A. le'tum, 
Rchb. acon. 89. t.13. f. 2. Koehlèri, commutàtum and plicàtum, 
Rchb. uebers. are hardly varieties of this species. A. Napellus 7 
leetum, Ser. mus. helv. 1. p. 157. A. Napéllus y, bracteosum, 
Ser. mus. helv. 1. p. 154. A. Napéllus, Haenk. Koell.—Clus. 
hist. 2. p. 95. f. 2,—Gerard, herb. 973. f. 6. Very like 4. 
Napéllus, but the lateral sepals are smooth, not pilose inside. 
Flowers deep blue, disposed in dense racemes. Segments of 
leaves almost pedately disposed and divided into linear acumi- 
nate lobes. : 
