y 
I 
17 
^ 
lacmiated, and ftand alternately upon long footflalks, but the upper 
leaves are almoft feffile, and the lacinix much broader than thofe to- 
wards the bottom of the ftem; the fuperior pagina of the leaf is of 
\ 
dark p;reen colour, but the under pagina is whitifh ; the ped 
are generally uniflora], ered, and villous ; the flowers terminate the 
ftalk, are without calyces, and grow in a long racemus or fpike ; 
each flower confifts of five petals, which include two nedaries, the 
uppermoft petal is arched over the lateral ones, fo as to appear 
helmet-fliaped, or hooded ; they are all of a purplifh or deep violet 
colour : the piftilla, (according to Jacquin) are three, four, and fo 
times five. The Aconitum is a native of the mountainous and 
woody parts of Germany, France, and Switzerland ; but fmce the 
time of Gerard, it has been cultivated for ornament in moft of the 
flower-gardens in this country 
The figure of this plant given by Stoerck, is fuppofed, by Hall 
and Bergius to be the Aconitum Cammarum of Linnseus : Murray 
? 
however, is of a diflPerent opinion ; and upon comparing Stoerck's 
Aconitum with the Cammarum and Napellus, as delineated by 
Jacquin, (Flor. Aull.) we have no hefitation in referring it to the 
^^ 
* # ^. 
Every part of the frefh plant' is fi:rongly poifonous, but the 
root is unqueilionably the moft powerful, and when firft chewed 
imparts a flight fenfe of acrimony,, but afterwardsj an infenfibility. 
ftuporat the apex of the tongue, and a pungent heat of the lip 
urns, palate, and fauces, are perceived, followed with a general 
tremor and fenfation of chillinefs. Though the" plant lofes 
^ JL 
V. 
much of its power by drying, yet Stoerck obferves that, when 
powdered and put upon the tongue, it excites a durable fenfe of 
heat, and iharp wandering ^ pains, but without rednefs or inflamma 
tion. The juice applied to a wound, feemed to affed the whol 
angle 
d^ forms a more acute 
s aUvavs fliorter than 
that of the Napellus, • 
* Reinhold, howeve: 
Dili, de Aconit. Napel 
-No* 2a 
*-v 
defcribes the leaves of this plant, when dry, as almoft 
^ t 
E 
nervous 
