N. O. RANUNCUI.ACE/E, 
21 
or almost glabrous ; uppermost helmet-shaped, helmet more or 
less depressed into a distinct and often long and slender beak. 
15-10 mm. high, 12-18 mm. long, from the tip to the base, 5-7 
mm. wide (seen from the side), lateral margin conspicuously 
concave, lateral sepals not contiguous with the helmet, except 
near the base, obliquely suborbicular or almost square, shortly 
or obscurely clawed, 12-15 mm. long and broad, lower sepals 
oblong, obtuse, 9-12 mm. long. Nectaries extinguisher-shaped 
glabrous, claw 5-6 mm. long, leaning forward in the upper part ; 
hood short, wide, very obtuse, top slightly gibbous on the back, 
honey-gland occupying the whole top or the gibbosity. Fila- 
ments glabrous or very sparingly hairy, winged ; wings gradually 
or abruptly attenuated. Carpels 5, glabrous, rarely or sparingly 
hairy on the back, conniving abruptly, contracted into the short 
style, back convex. Follicles oblong, truncate, 1.0-16 mm. long, 
contiguous or with slightly divergent tips, glabrous. Seeds 
brown oboyoid to obpyramidal, 3'5 mm. long, equally 3-winged, 
wings thin, faces smooth. 
Properties and uses . — The root contains, according to Profes- 
sor Dunstan, aconitine, but in very small proportions. It seems 
that it is sometimes used in Northern India as a substitute for 
the imported tuber of Aconitum Napellus (Wall). 
Aconitum Chasmantlium, (j tap). —This was for sometime supposed to be the 
European Aconitum Napellus, but is now known to be a distinct species. 
The plant is known as ‘ Mohri.’ 
The alkaloid which has beeii obtained from the plant proves to be excep- 
tionally interesting, since it represents a compound intermediate between the 
aconitine of the European Aconitum Napellus and the pseudo-aconitine of the 
Indian Aconitum ferox. This alkaloid is named indaconitine . 
Properties. — Indaconitine is soluble in acetone, chloroform, alcohol, or 
ether, but practically insoluble in light petroleum or water. 
By the addition of light petroleum to a solution of the base in alcohol, 
chloroform, or ether, well defined crystals may be readily obtained. 
A peculiar property of indaconitine which sharply distinguishes it from 
aconitine is its capability of crystallising in ^several forms from the same 
solvent. The crystalline form appears to depend on the purity of the 
substance and on the strength of the solution. By rapid crystallisation, the 
base is deposited from ether in rosettes of needles, but if allowed to crystallise 
slowly, or if the substance is not quite pure, it is obtained as transparent, 
hexagonal prisms or large, irregular masses. If a somewhat concentrated 
