35 



ACONITUM FEROX. Tab 41. 



Floribus racemoso-paniculatis, villosis ; galea semicirculari, antice acute porrecta, deorsum attenuata; cucuUorum 

 sacco longo, angusto, calcare inclinato, labio elongato, recurvo ; filamentis alatis, subsagittatis, ciliatls, ovariis, cap- 

 sulis ramisque villosis; foliis quinquepartito-palmatis, subtus pubescentibus, lobis inciso-pinnatifidis, basi cuneatis, 

 lobulis acutis, divaricatis. 



Aconitum ferox, JFalL apud Seringe Mas. Hehet. \. p. 160. t. 15./. 43, 44. Decand. Prodr. 1. 64. 



Aconitum virosum, Don. Prodr. Flor. Nepal, p. 196. 



Habitat in Himalaya ad Gossain Tlian, Dam. E. Gardner; in Sirmore, G. Gomn, M.D.; in Kamaon, Robertus 

 Bl'mkworth. Ipse legi ad cacumen Sheopore mentis in Napalia. Floret sub pluviis, fructicat Octobre, Novembre. 



Nomen Sanscrlticum : Visha, \. e. venenum, et Atimsha, i. e. venenum summum, atrox; Hindustanicum : Vish vel 

 Bikh, (ex auctoritate ilUistr. Colebrookei) ; Newarensibus : Bikh et Bikma. . 



Radix constans tuherihus aliquot (2 vel 3) fasciculatis, fusiformibus, 2-4-pollicaribus, attenuatis, nigricantibus, int^s albidis, sub- 

 carnosis,>r«. sparsas, teretes, ramosas, longiusculas exserentibus. Caulis erectus, cylindricus, fistulosus, basi glaber, obsolete angu- • 

 latus pennam cygneam usqufe ad digitum minimum crassus, supernfe attenuatus, pedalis, 2-3-pedalisque, (ex observatione Govami 

 usque ad 6-, quin 12-pedalem,) par^m viUosus, subsimplex, vel ramos emittens paucos, alternos, breves, villosos. Folia remota, patentm, 

 circumscriptione orbiculato-cordata, profundi 6-partita, lobis inciso-pinnatifidis, basi cuneato-attenuatis, lobulis distantibus, oblongis, 

 dentiformibus, acutis; suprk saturate viridia, glabra, secus tractus vasorum sulcata; subtiis pallida, nervoso-venosa, grossfe reticulata 

 .sepiiisadvasapubescentia; inferiora palmaria, longfe petiolata ; media brevfe petiolata; summa sessilia, amplexicaulm ; >r«//a valdfe 

 parva trifida vel Integra, pedunculos floriferos a^quantia. Petxoli graciles, canaliculati, basi dilatati ; inferiores spithameei, parcfe pubes- 

 centes folio longiores; medii iUo plurifes breviores, viUosi. Racemi terminates caulis ramorumque, graciles, attemmt., G-poUicares ; 

 fructiferi elon^ati ; tenuiflori, pube moUi, dens^ obsiti. Flores magni, ccerulei, extfls pedunculi^u^ teretes, poUicares cano-villosi. Galea 

 poUicaris, adscendens, gibboso-semicircularis, antic^ in acumen breve porrecta, deorstim attenuata. AL^orbiculato-remformes, galea 

 tertiJ. breviores Sepala inferiora oblonga, acuta, deflexo-patula, semiunguicularia. Petala superiora cuculhformra cylmdracea, angusta, 

 leviter incurva, calcare vix dilatato, labioque elongato, recurvato obtusis, stipitata ungue l^vi, miovvn.; inferiora nulla Filamenta 

 capiUacea pilosula, basin versus marginata membrana tenuissima, latiuscuia, ciliata, supern^ bidentato-sagittata ; nunc glabra, sursiim 

 attenuata etedentuia. Ovaria 5, villosa. Capsule oblongs, viUosee, albicantes, reticulata, poUicares. Semina atra, favosa. 



This plant varies considerably, according to the situation in which it is found. On Sheopore, at an elevation of 

 about 10 000 feet, (the only place where I have found it in Nipal Proper,) it is a smaller, slenderer and smoother plant, 

 with almost simple stem, narrow segments of the leaves, and thin racemes. As it approaches higher elevations, 

 Tolrds the snowy mountains, it attains a larger size and habit, and is covered wrth soft, greyish hairs, he 

 divisions of the leaves become broader, the spikes larger, and the flowers more dense and numerous. These various 

 appearances so gradually succeed each other, that I am unable to discover any point on which to form a specific 

 distinction . nor can I even sufficiently limit the varieties to render their enumeration a matter of utility. 



Treea;e three other species oJconitum or Monkshood, all of them tuberous-rooted, which inhabit the southern 

 side of the Himalaya, and are considered by the natives as strong poisons. Our species, however, exceeds them all 

 in virulence and is probably the most deleterious vegetable poison of continental India. . 



r^e suW^^^^^ of the Nipal poisons, the late Dr. Hamilton has the foUowmg observation m his Account of the 



On the sublet ot the 1 p | ^^ ^^ ^^^ pronunciation of the same letters in the 



K^ngdom of Nepal, ;> 98 ^he te ^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^ .^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^^^ ^^^^^ 



plams and on t^- — n^^^^^^^^ ^PP^^^ l^ ^^ ^,^ ^ J^ ^,,,,,,, ,,d hills, and supposed it to be a species of 

 already ^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^ resemblance to it, but are so strongly Larked by a resemblance to each 



Snulaw. The others ^^^^^^^ *^^^^^^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^, ,Ui,oagh 1 have only seen the flowers and frmt 



T: % is rcriL^^^^^^^^ -ems to me to'differ little in botanical characters from the Caltha of 



F "ne tL /^i' or B^hma is also, I believe, called Metha, although I am not certain but that the name may 

 Europe. Ihe Ji is tma or ij rfp.erves the most serious attention, as the Btkhma is used m medicine 



or applied t. wounds and .s m --;; ^ j"/^ J^ ^^^^^ ;; -.eW attention of the magistrates. The Gorl<halese 

 worst of purposes. 1%™^ '^'l"" "J i"lTes iaTnst invasion from the low countries ; and that they would so 

 pretend that it is one of the.r Vr'-^'P^l^^^^'^'^^^^ ^Ld^^^ ^ .„ „,easi„n his certain destruction.- In case 

 Uct all the waters on the route by wh.ch an ^^J 7~7/;^j b„, ,he country abounds so in springs that 

 of such an attempt, the invaders ought no -l-^' '"Z;;; ^^^f^t ffectual, were the enemy aware of the cireum- 



'mtha ought to be referred to it, or to the foregomg kind^ 



