Aconitum heterophyllum
Aconitum heterophyllum
Safety & Hazards
The whole plant is highly toxic - simple skin contact has caused numbness in some people[ 1 Title RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Publication Author F. Chittendon. Publisher Oxford University Press Year 1951 ISBN - Description Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]). ]. One report says that this plant does not contain the toxic alkaloid aconitine, and so is not poisonous[ 4 Title A Modern Herbal. Publication Author Grieve. Publisher Penguin Year 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9 Description Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants. ]. It does, however, still contain an intensely bitter alkaloid[ 4 Title A Modern Herbal. Publication Author Grieve. Publisher Penguin Year 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9 Description Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants. ]. The aconites have been of interest since ancient times because they contain diterpene alkaloids that range from relatively nontoxic to deadly poisonous. In various parts of the world they have been used medicinally and as a source of poisons throughout history. The use of Aconitum alkaloids in modern Western medicine was largely discontinued by the late 1930's and early 1940's, though they are still widely used in traditional medicine, especially in Asia[ 270 Title Flora of N. America Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses. , K Title Plants for a Future Author Ken Fern Description Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips. ].
Botanical Description
Aconitum heterophyllum is a herbaceous perennial plant with an erect stem that can be branched or unbranched and is usually 15 - 90cm tall, occasionally reaching 200cm. The stem grows from a biennial tuberous root that produces a new tuber each year, the old tuber dying after the plant flowers[ 1051 Title Annals of the Royal Botanic Garden Vol.10 Publication Author Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ Publisher Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta Year 1905 ISBN Description A botanical journal, this edition contains a treatment of the genera Dalbergia and Aconitum in Asia. Rather old, but a wealth of information, illustrations etc. ]. Aconitum heterophyllum is a highly traded medicinal plant in India, where it is known as 'Ativisa' and is included in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. , 2020 Title Trade in Indian Medicinal Plants Publication Ethnobotany of India Vol 5., 321-345, 2018 Author D.K.Ved, S.Noorunnisa Begum, & K.Ravi Kumar Publisher Apple Academic Press; Oakville, Canada Year 2018 ISBN 978-1-77188-600-0 Description ]. This is one of various Aconitum species that are widely harvested from the high altitude alpine and subalpine meadows in the Western Himalayas. The plant is is harvested for its tubers, which constitute the Ayurvedic plant drug 'Ativisa', and which is included in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India. During collection the whole plant is uprooted. It has been observed, as well as inferred, that the trend of unsustainable collection practice is continuing and more than 70% of the wild population in the Himalayan region of India had declined in the 10 years up to 2003, and that this trend has continued up to 2015.The plant is classified as 'Endangered' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].