Herb latin name: Aconitum hemsleyanum


Family: Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family)



Medicinal use of Aconitum hemsleyanum:

A widely used herbal remedy in China, where it is cultivated for its root. This is harvested in the autumn as the plant dies down and is then dried before being used. The root is anaesthetic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antirheumatic, cardiotonic, stimulant and vasodilator. Use with caution, the plant is very poisonous and should not be used internally.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
150 cm
(5 feet)

Flowering:
July to
August

Habitat of the herb:

Forests, forest margins, scrub, mountains and grassy slopes at elevations of 1700 - 3500 metres.

Propagation of Aconitum hemsleyanum:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. The seed can be stratified and sown in spring but will then be slow to germinate. 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. 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.

Cultivation of the herb:

Forests, forest margins, scrub, mountains and grassy slopes at elevations of 1700 - 3500 metres.

Known hazards of Aconitum hemsleyanum:

The whole plant is highly toxic - simple skin contact has caused numbness in some people.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.