ACONITUM 
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I. # ACONITUM NAPELLUS. Monkshood or Wolf’s-bane. Plate no 
Aconitum napellus L. Sp. Pl. 532 (1753); Miller Gard. Diet. ed. 8, no. 5 (1768); Smith Eng. FI. iii, 
31 (1825); Syme Eng. Bot. i, 64(1863); Rouy et Foucaud FI. France i, 140 (1893). 
leones: — Forster in Eng. Bot. Suppl. t. 2730; Svensk Bot. t. 46; Baxter Phaen. Bot. ii, 87; Reichenbach 
Icon, iv, t. 92, fig. 4700. 
Camb. Brit. FI. iii. Plate no. (a) Lower part of plant. ( b ) Radical leaf. (c) Flowering branch. 
(d) Lateral sepals, (e) Hood. (/) Flower with hood and lateral sepals taken away, (g) Fruit. ( h ) Follicle. 
Herefordshire (S. H. B.). 
Exsiccata : — Billot, 503 [cf. var. compactum Rchb., R. and F.] ; 2406, as A. eminens ; Bourgeau ( PI. d’Esp. 
1851); Fries, vii, 23; Reichenbach, 1984, as A. angustifolium ; 2277, as A. pyramidale\ 2588, as A. multifidum. 
Perennial, very poisonous. Root black. Shoot about o - 6 — ro m. high, slightly hairy, little 
branched. Lower leaves with long petioles. Stem leaves with short petioles. Laminae palmatisect, 
segments cuneate at the base, lobes acute. Flowers about 2^5 — 3'o cm. long; late May to early 
August. Sepals blue, pale blue, or white ; 2 lower ones oblong, 2 lateral ones suborbicular, hood 
laterally compressed. Filaments broad-based. Follicles usually 3, glabrous, transversely marked, 
about 2 ‘5 cm. long and 0^5 broad. Seeds very dark brown or nearly black, testa spongy. 
The indigenousness of the monkshood in England is a matter of dispute ; but we think that a study of the history 
of the plant in this country ought to set all doubts at rest. It must be borne in mind that the monkshood is a con- 
spicuous and ornamental plant, with pronounced medicinal properties : it is therefore just such a plant as the early 
botanists would have recorded, had they found it growing in wild localities. To Gerard (. Herball 823 (1597)), however, 
it was only a cultivated plant, “ universally known in our London gardens ” ; and botanists such as Ray, Dillenius, Hudson, 
and Withering do not mention it at all. Its first appearance in British botanical works was in Purton’s Midland Flora iii, 
47 (1821); and in 1825 Sir J. E. Smith inserted it in his English Flora. However, the Rev. E. S. Marshall (Suppl. FI. 
Somerset 8 (1914)) is satisfied that it is “a true native” in Somerset; and Mr James Britten (in Journ. Bot. Iii, 221 (1914)) 
has endorsed this view. We are fully aware that the monkshood is nowadays very abundant locally in several parts of England 
and Wales, and particularly so in parts of Somerset ; but it is inconceivable that such a handsome and conspicuous medicinal 
plant as Aconitum napellus could have been completely overlooked or ignored by all British botanists during the seventeenth 
and eighteenth centuries and the first part of the nineteenth. There is therefore, in our judgment, no alternative to the 
view that the plant in this country is a comparatively recent escape from cultivation. 
The Rev. E. S. Marshall (op. cit.) further states that “Dr O. Stapf, of Kew, who has made a special study of the genus, 
told me (May, 1913) that he had been unable to meet with exactly our English plant on the Continent.” It will be most 
interesting if an English form of the species prove to be endemic. However, the species is exceedingly variable, over 50 
forms of it having been definitely named ; and it is possible that the English form in question will yet be found abroad. 
The species is known to be naturalised in Denmark. The indigenousness of the plant used to be debated in that country, 
as the Danish form was thought to be endemic. However, the particular Danish form has been found to grow in Austria, 
whence it was probably transferred to Denmark by monks. Dr Ostenfeld, who informed us of these circumstances, regards 
it as now settled that Aconitum napellus is not native in Denmark 1 . 
The plant is still increasing its area in England and Wales. It prefers stream-sides, especially those passing through 
villages, as it is a nitrophilous species both in England and in the Alps. Recently, it has appeared in Cambridgeshire. 
We are informed that it was for a time grown as a crop in two or three fields to supply some manufacturing pharmacist 
in London, but that the experiment was not a financial success. The cultivation of the plant therefore ceased ; but descendants 
of the cultivated specimens occur (and are increasing) by stream-sides and in copses, in the vicinity of the farms where the 
monkshood was for a few years cultivated. 
Locally abundant by stream-sides and (rarely) in ash-oak woods, especially in south-western England and in 
Wales, from Cornwall and Hampshire northwards to Berkshire, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Denbighshire. 
Sweden (? indigenous), Denmark (doubtfully indigenous), Germany, Holland (doubtfully indigenous), Belgium, 
France, central Europe (ascending to 2620 m., and — as var. alpinum — even to 2925 m. in Switzerland), western 
Russia, southern Europe ; Asia. Probably not indigenous in western Europe. 
Tribe II. ANEMONEAE 
Anemoneae DC. Syst. Nat. i, 129 et 168 (1818); Rouy et Foucaud FI. France i, 7 (1893) ; Prantl op. 
cit. 54 et 60 (1891) partim. 
For characters, see page 104. 
Subtribes of Anemoneae 
Subtribe V. Clematidinae (p. 1 1 4). Lianes. Stem-leaves opposite. Involucre of bracts absent 
(in the British species) or calyciform. Sepals petaloid, valvate or induplicate. Nectar-leaves or petals 
absent. Stigmas persistent, hairy, lengthening and becoming feathery in fruit. Seed suspended. 
1 Since the above was printed, we have sent Cambridgeshire specimens of the monkshood to Dr Stapf : he has kindly 
replied stating that these specimens differ from the other British form he knew. In our judgment, still other British forms occur. 
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M. III. 
