XXI. A SYNONYMIC CONSPECTUS OF THE NA- 

 TIVE AND GARDEN ACONITUMS OF 

 NORTH AMERICA. 



K. C. DAVIS. 



This genus of hardy, ornamental, perennial herbs is much 

 used in borders, and such places, and is commonly called 

 Monkshood. Many species are planted in European gardens ; 

 nine only have been thus used in America. The number of 

 species varies from 18 to 80, according to treatment by differ- 

 ent authors. They are native in mountainous regions of 

 Europe, temperate Asia, and 7 are found in North America. 



Roots tuberous, turnip-shaped, or thick-fibrous : stem tall or 

 long, erect, ascending, or trailing : leaves palmately divided 

 or cleft and cut-lobed : flowers large, irregular, showy ; sepals 

 5, the large upper sepal in shape of a hood or helmet; petals 

 2-5, small; stamens numerous; carpels 3-5, sessile, many- 

 ovuled, forming follicles when ripened. 



The following species do well in any garden soil, but rich soil 

 is preferred. They thrive in open sun, but flowers last longer 

 in shaded places. Aconites should never be planted in, or too 

 near the kitchen garden, or the children's garden, as the roots 

 and some of the flowers contain a deadly poison. Propagated 

 easily by root division. 



Besides the Prodromus treatment by A. DeCandolle, in 1824, 

 the only other monographs of the whole genus are by H. G. 

 L. Reichenbach, " Uebersicht der Gattung Aconitum," Leip- 

 sic, 1819; " Monograph Generis Aconiti," Leipsic, 1820, folio, 

 2 vols., and " Illustratio Spec. Aconiti," Leipsic, 1823-7, folio. 

 Reichenbach considered the number of species to be about 80, 

 but many of his names should be treated as synonyms, as they 

 were given to forms varying only slightly from the type. 



