Herb: Bei Wu Tou


Latin name: Aconitum kusnezoffii


Synonyms: Aconitum kusnetzowii


Family: Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family)



Medicinal use of Bei Wu Tou:

The root is alterative, anaesthetic, antiarthritic, deobstruent, diaphoretic, diuretic, sedative and stimulant. This is a very poisonous plant and should only be used with extreme caution and under the supervision of a qualified practitioner.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
150 cm
(5 feet)

Flowering:
July to
September

Habitat of the herb:

Grassy slopes, grasslands, forests, forest margins, by streams at elevations of 2200 - 2400 metres.

Propagation of Bei Wu Tou:

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:

Grassy slopes, grasslands, forests, forest margins, by streams at elevations of 2200 - 2400 metres.

Known hazards of Aconitum kusnezoffii:

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

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.