![]() When touched to one's lip, the juice of the aconite root produces a feeling of numbness and tingling. The crown or upper portion of the root gives rise to new plants. It has a short underground stem, from which dark-colored tapering roots descend. Its roots have occasionally been mistaken for horseradish. The most common plant in this genus, Aconitum napellus (the Common Monkshood, European) was considered to be of therapeutic and toxicological importance. The 3–5 carpels are partially fused at the base. The other petals are small and scale like or non-forming. ![]() They have a hollow spur at their apex, containing the nectar. They are placed under the hood of the calyx and are supported on long stalks. There are 2–10 petals, in the form of nectaries. They are distinguishable by having one of the five petaloid sepals (the posterior one), called the galea, in the form of a cylindrical helmet hence the English name monkshood. The plants are tall with the erect stem being crowned by racemes of large and eye-catching blue, purple, white, yellow or pink zygomorphic flowers with numerous stamens. This genus of herbaceous perennial plants are chiefly natives of the mountainous parts of the northern hemisphere, growing in moisture retentive but well draining soils on mountain meadows. Common NamesĪconitum, known as conite, monkshood, wolfsbane, leopard's bane, women's bane, Devil's helmet or blue rocket. Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order:nbsp Ranunculales Family: Ranunculaceae Genus: Aconitum Species: napellus (the Common Monkshood). A word to the readers: WHAT DEDICATION! Stop complaining about your long hours and lack of instrumentation. ![]() One method was taste, “they applied some of the alkaloid obtained from the body to their tongues, which produced a “biting and numbing effect” a precisely similar effect was produced by a similar application of aconitine.”. One of the interesting facts of the case is the methods used for the analysis of the poison. The details of the trial were published in 1913 as part of a series of Notable English Trials by William Hodge company. This was reported to be the first homicide using aconitine. George Henry Lamson in 1881 was convicted of using aconitine for the murder of his brother-in-law, Percy John. For an interesting discussion of Aconitum in literature and film click here. and served as a botanist in Nero’s armies. Historical SignificanceĪconitum is an ancient Greek name for the plant, used by the Greek physician and pharmacist Dioscorides. This species was also supposedly used as a component in witches’ brew. In the past, wolves and criminals were poisoned with an extract from the European wolfsbane Acontium lycoctonum. The hood is thought to look like an old fashioned cowl worn by monks.Īll parts of monkshood are poisonous, especially the roots and seeds, and the flowers if eaten. The common name for this plant comes from the hood-like sepal on the flower. Monkshood is a distinctive looking wildflower borne on shoulder high erect and sturdy stems. No, no, go not to Lethe, neither twist Wolf's bane, tight-rooted, for its poisonous wine Nor suffer thy pale forehead to be kissed By nightshade, ruby grape of Proserpine…John Keats Ode on Melancholy
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