Back to main Search Page

Aconitum heterophyllum - Wall.

Author	Wall.	Botanical references	1
Family	Ranunculaceae	Genus	Aconitum
Synonyms
Known Hazards	The whole plant is highly toxic - simple skin contact has caused numbness in some people[1]. One report says that this plant does not contain the toxic alkaloid aconitine, and so is not poisonous[4]. It does, however, still contain an intensely bitter alkaloid[4].
Range	E. Asia - W. Himalayas.
Habitat	Usually found on humus-rich soils in the alpine and subalpine zones, and in forests, 2300 - 2900 metres[145, 243].
Edibility Rating	1 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	2 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 1.5m.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats

Woodland Garden; Dappled Shade;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Leaves; Root.

Leaves and root - cooked[177]. This report should be treated with great distrust due to the poisonous nature of the genus, but see the notes above on known hazards[K].

Medicinal Uses

Analgesic; Antiinflammatory; Antiperiodic; Aphrodisiac; Astringent; Cholagogue; Febrifuge; Tonic.

The dried root is analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antiperiodic, aphrodisiac, astringent, cholagogue, febrifuge and tonic[4, 240]. It is used in India in the treatment of dyspepsia, diarrhoea and coughs[240, 243]. It is also used in Tibetan medicine, where it is said to have a bitter taste and a cooling potency[241]. It is used to treat poisoning from scorpion or snake bites, the fevers of contagious diseases and inflammation of the intestines[241]. The root is best harvested in the autumn as soon as the plant dies down and is dried for later use[4]. This is a very poisonous plant and should only be used with extreme caution and under the supervision of a qualified practitioner.

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Thrives in most soils and in the light shade of trees[1]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Prefers a moist soil in sun or semi-shade[200]. Prefers a calcareous soil. Grows well in open woodlands[1, 4]. The roots of this plant are extensively collected from the wild for medicinal use and the species is becoming much rarer in many areas of its range[272]. Members of this genus seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits and deer[233]. A greedy plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby species, especially legumes[54].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[111]. The seed can be stratified and sown in spring but will then be slow to germinate[133]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter. Plant them out in late spring or early summer. Division - best done in spring but it can also be done in autumn[1, 111]. Another report says that division is best carried out in the autumn or late winter because the plants come into growth very early in the year[233].

Links

Permaculture.info Details of this plant in the Permaculture.info project, a community plant and permaculture database.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[54] Hatfield. A. W. How to Enjoy your Weeds. Frederick Muller Ltd 1977 ISBN 0-584-10141-4
Interesting reading.

[111] Sanders. T. W. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge 1926
A fairly wide range of perennial plants that can be grown in Britain and how to grow them.

[133] Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 1. Thompson and Morgan. 1987
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.

[145] Singh. Dr. G. and Kachroo. Prof. Dr. P. Forest Flora of Srinagar. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh 1976
A good flora of the western Himalayas but poorly illustrated. Some information on plant uses.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.

[240] Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986
Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.

[241] Tsarong. Tsewang. J. Tibetan Medicinal Plants Tibetan Medical Publications, India 1994 ISBN 81-900489-0-2
A nice little pocket guide to the subject with photographs of 95 species and brief comments on their uses.

[243] Medicinal Plants of Nepal Dept. of Medicinal Plants. Nepal. 1993
Terse details of the medicinal properties of Nepalese plants, including cultivated species and a few imported herbs.

[272] Manandhar. N. P. Plants and People of Nepal Timber Press. Oregon. 2002 ISBN 0-88192-527-6
Excellent book, covering over 1,500 species of useful plants from Nepal together with information on the geography and peoples of Nepal. Good descriptions of the plants with terse notes on their uses.

Readers Comments

Aconitum heterophyllum

Prabhat Kumar Mukhia Fri May 20 04:41:27 2005

Thanks. It is good source of information from your invaluable site.

This plant is also found quite abundant in Bhutan's Spruce and Fir Forest zones.

Link: pragya.org Development without Destruction Empowerment for Enabling Choices

Aconitum heterophyllum

Prabhat Kumar Mukhia Fri May 20 04:41:27 2005

Thanks. It is good source of information from your invaluable site.

This plant is also found quite abundant in Bhutan's Spruce and Fir Forest zones. Regarding this species please contact Mr. Tshitila, Research Officer, RNRRC Yusipang, CORE MoA, Thimphu BHUTAN, E-mail: tshitila@druknet.bt Phone # 00975 2 321602 or 321603 Fax # 00975 2 321601

Link: pragya.org Development without Destruction Empowerment for Enabling Choices

Aconitum heterophyllum

Jitendra S. Butola Sat Apr 8 2006

I was seeking information on Aconitum heterophyllum. It is known as panacea in Ayurveda. Thanks to your website I got all those informations which I need to write my thesis on this plant. Jitendra S. Butola, GB Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, Himalchal Unit, Mohal-Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, India

Add a comment/link:

Discussion Monitor

To have posts to this page mailed to you enter your email address here: