Aconitum delphinifolium : Northern Monkshood

Scientific Name:

Kingdom: Plantae

Division:

• Tracheophyta (vascular)
• Spermatophyta (seed bearing)
Angiospermae (enclosed seed)

Class: Dicoteldonae (two seed-leaves)

Family: Ranunculaceae (Crowfoot/Buttercup Family)

Genera: Aconitum (Monkshood) (One possible origin of many is Gk. akontion= a dart; because these plants were used to poison darts)

Species: delphinifolium (from Lat. delphinium= the plant + folium= leaf; meaning with leaves like a Delphinium)

English Name(s):

Northern Monkshood,

First Nation Names:

Structure:

• Plant herbaceous (not woody) with colourless acrid (bitter) juice.
• Rhizome (rootstock) cormlike.
• Stems 20-50cm tall, erect, less than 5mm thick, glabrous (smooth).

Leaves:

• Few, mainly cauline (on stem), alternately arranged.
• Blades palmately lobed, and deeply cleft, 5-25cm long, 5-lobed.
• On long petioles (stalks).

Reproductive Parts:

• Inflorescence (flower clusters) of 3-5 flowers in open racemes.
• Flowers perfect (bisexual) and of irregular zygomorphic symmetry.
• Flowers 2-4cm in diameter, deep blue in colour.
• Sepals 5, petal-like; upper sepal hood or helmet shaped; side sepals oval and wider than the lower 2.
• Petals 2, enclosed by the hood, hooked at apex; highly modified with a slender, filamentous lower section, a hanging blade and an elongate hollow projection.
• Stamens (male parts) numerous, hairless, filaments flattened.
• Ovaries superior (above floral parts).

Seed:

• Fruit are many seeded, erect, follicles, 1.5-2.0cm long.

Not to Be Confused With:

• The leaves of this species look alot like Delphinium glaucum (Tall Larkspur) leaves, but the flowers are very different.

Physiology:

• The petals of this flower have been transformed into nectar glands and most of the showy blossoms that we see are composed of modified sepals.
• Apparently all parts of all species of Aconitum (Monkshood) contain the poisonous alkaloid aconitine and others.

Life Cycle:

• Perennial

Seasonal Cycle:

• plants deciduous from rootstock.
• Flowers blooming in mid-July.

Animal Uses:

• The flower is designed for bumblebee pollination but these insects often avoid the fnacy internal mechanisms for pollination by biting right through the hood and stealing the nectar.

Habitat:

• Moist meadows from tundra and heathlands to thickets and woods.

Modern:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

Food:

• Caution: All parts of all species of Aconitum contain the poisonous alkaloid aconitine and others. Are harmless to handle but poisonous to eat.

Traditional Gwich'in:

Folklore:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

Food:

Traditional Other:

Folklore:

• In Germany it was called "Devil's Herb" and was associated with the spells of witches used to invoke the devil.
• In literature, plants of this genus are used as a symbol of hatred or distrust of all people.
• In Norway its was called "Odin's Helmet" because it resembled the tarn-helmet or cap of darkness, which made its wearer invisible.
• Is one of the flowers dedicated to Hecate the Greek goddess of night and queen of hell.

Industrial:

• Poison obtained from this plant was put on the tips of Inuit spears for killing whales.
• The Greeks, Romans and Indians used it as a poison to tip their arrows, darts or spears.

Medicinal:

Food: