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Columbian monkshood

Scientific Name: Aconitum columbianum

Family: Ranunculaceae

Category: Dicot

Growth: Forb/herb

Duration: Perennial

Other Names:

       

Columbian Monkshood (Aconitum columbianum)

Aconitum columbianum, commonly known as Columbian monkshood or western monkshood, is a flowering plant belonging to the buttercup family.

Considerations for Pets

  • The text indicates that the whole plant is highly toxic, even through simple skin contact.

Considerations for Children

  • The text indicates that the whole plant is highly toxic, even through simple skin contact.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Aconitum columbianum Nutt.
  • Common Names: Columbian monkshood, western monkshood, monkshood, aconite, wolfbane, blue-weed, friar's cap
  • Family: Ranunculaceae (Buttercup family)
  • Genus: Aconitum
  • Species: columbianum
  • Subspecies:
    • Aconitum columbianum subsp. columbianum
    • Aconitum columbianum subsp. viviparum
  • Synonyms: Mention of Aconitum uncinatum subsp. noveboracense and its common name, Northern Monkshood.

Distribution and Habitat

  • Found in the west and southwest USA.
  • Specifically mentioned locations include: Cascade and Painted Canyons, damp meadows north of Hellroaring Creek, Mount Ashland Oregon, Crater Lake National Park (Oregon), Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park (British Columbia, Canada), Great Burn (Lolo National Forest, MT), Sierra Nevada, Silver Lake.
  • Often found along streambanks and in wetlands.

Morphological Characteristics

  • Herbaceous perennial.
  • Tall, thin plant, typically 2 to 5 feet tall.
  • Leaves are parted.
  • Flowers have blue sepals and petals (often with darker veins) that can be over 2.5 cm (1&quot) long.
  • Upper sepal forms a helmet-like hood.

Quirky Facts

  • Another European species of Aconitum (A. napellus) is the celebrated wolfbane of werewolf lore.
  • Due to its toxicity, hospitals may administer an antidote to save a person's life after exposure, though the Columbian Monkshood is supposedly less toxic than other Aconitum species.

Additional Information

  • "Columbianum" refers to the plant's American (Columbian) location.
  • The plant contains the toxic chemical aconitine.