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. Last month a family in Andorra suffered severe poisoning, after eating a toxic plant found in the mountains.Īuthorities advised people to have any wild plants or mushrooms picked in the countryside checked before consuming them.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 He is out of danger, according to France 3.Ī third person, a 32-year-old fellow hiker to whom the pair had given some of the deadly plant, has been found and taken to hospital for observation, but has shown no signs of poisoning symptoms. The 78-year-old died shortly after eating a meal made using the leaves of the plant, while his companion was taken to hospital in Perpignan for treatment. If eaten, it causes including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea - and can lead to hypotension, sinus bradycardia, and ventricular arrhythmias - which can be fatal within two to six hours. Wolfsbane is a member of the aconite family. ![]() ![]() The pair picked some deadly wolfsbane while walking in the Canigou massif region, mistaking it for an edible plant known locally as couscouil, which is often used as an ingredient in salads and omelettes. Authorities have warned against eating wild plants after a 78-year-old hiker died, and his 75-year-old walking companion was taken to hospital after they ate the leaves of a poisonous plant they had collected while walking in the mountains of the Pyrénées-Orientales.
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