The yellow tiger moth Arctia flavia, and the purple-shaded gem Euchalcia variabilis are at home on A. No doubled forms of Aconitum are known.Īconitum species have been recorded as food plant of the caterpillars of several moths. Doubled forms of Consolida and Delphinium dominate the horticultural trade while single forms of Anemone, Aquilegia, Clematis, Helleborus, Pulsatilla-and the related Papaver-retain some popularity. One other species of Ranunculus has seen minor use in gardens, the 'Flore Pleno' (doubled) form of Ranunculus acris. The Ranunculus genus contains approximately 500 species. This includes one major genus that is known solely by most gardeners for a double-flowered form of one species- Ranunculus asiaticus, known colloquially in the trade as "Ranunculus". The lack of double-flowered forms in the horticultural trade stands in contrast with the other genera of Ranunculaceae used regularly in gardens. Monkshood ( Aconitum napellus) produces light indigo-blue flowers, while Wolf's Bane ( Aconitum vulparia) produces whitish or straw-yellow flowers. There are no blackish flowers in Aconitum, unlike with Helleborus. Aconitum is typically more intense in color than Helleborus but less intense than Delphinium. There are no orange-flowered varieties nor any that are green.
Also unlike the genus Delphinium, there are no bright red nor intense pink Aconitum flowers, as none known are pollinated by hummingbirds. If there are species with true (neutral) blue or greenish-blue flowers they are rare and do not occur in cultivation. Aconitum plants that have purplish-blue flowers are often inaccurately referred to as having blue flowers, even though the purple tone dominates. Neutral blue (rather than purplish or greenish), greenish-blue, and intense blues, available in some related Delphinium plants-particularly Delphinium grandiflorum-do not occur in this genus. The latter occurs in the "Stainless Steel" hybrid. Purplish shades range from very dark blue-purple to a very pale lavender that is quite greyish. There is a pale semi-saturated pink produced by cultivation as well as bicolor hybrids (e.g. Wine red (or red-purple) occurs in a hybrid of the climber Aconitum hemsleyanum. In cultivation the shades do not reach this level of depth.Īside from blue-purple-white, very pale greenish-white, creamy white, and pale greenish-yellow are also somewhat common in nature. In the wild, some Aconitum blue-purple shades can be very dark. The overall color range of the genus is rather limited, although the palette has been extended a small amount with hybridization. Aconitum species tend to be variable enough in form and color in the wild to cause debate and confusion among experts when it comes to species classification boundaries. Unlike with many species from genera (and their hybrids) in Ranunculaceae (and the related Papaveroideae subfamily), there are no double-flowered forms.Ī medium to dark semi-saturated blue-purple is the typical flower color for Aconitum species.
The fruit is an aggregate of follicles, a follicle being a dry, many-seeded structure. The three to five carpels are partially fused at the base. The other petals are small and scale-like or nonforming. They have a hollow spur at their apex, containing the nectar. The two upper petals are large and are placed under the hood of the calyx and are supported on long stalks.
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 tall, erect stem is crowned by racemes of large blue, purple, white, yellow, or pink zygomorphic flowers with numerous stamens. Etymology ĭissected flower of Aconitum vulparia, showing the nectaries Several Aconitum hybrids, such as the Arendsii form of Aconitum carmichaelii, have won gardening awards-such as the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Most Aconitum species are extremely poisonous and must be handled very carefully. These herbaceous perennial plants are chiefly native to the mountainous parts of the Northern Hemisphere in North America, Europe, and Asia growing in the moisture-retentive but well-draining soils of mountain meadows. Aconitum subgenus Lycoctonum ( DC.) Peterm.Īconitum ( / ˌ æ k ə ˈ n aɪ t əm/), also known as aconite, monkshood, wolfsbane, leopard's bane, devil's helmet or blue rocket, is a genus of over 250 species of flowering plants belonging to the family Ranunculaceae.Genus of flowering plants in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae
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