Aconitum columbianum

Nuttall in J. Torrey & A. Gray

in J. Torrey & A. Gray, Fl. N. Amer. 1: 34. 1838.

Illustrated
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 3.

Roots tuberous, tuber distally not obviously bulblike, to 60 × 15 mm, parent tuber producing 1 (rarely 2) daughter tubers with connecting rhizome very short, i. e., tubers ±contiguous. Stems erect and stout to twining and reclining, 2-30 dm. Cauline leaves: blade deeply 3-5 (-7) -divided, usually with more than 2 mm leaf tissue between deepest sinus and base of blade, 5-15 cm wide, segment margins variously cleft and toothed. Inflorescences open racemes or panicles. Flowers commonly blue, sometimes white, cream colored, or blue tinged at sepal margins, 18-50 mm from tips of pendent sepals to top of hood; pendent sepals 6-16 mm; hood conic-hemispheric, hemispheric, or crescent-shaped, 11-34mm from receptacle to top of hood, 6-26 mm wide from receptacle to beak apex.

Distribution

B.C., Ariz., Calif., Colo., Idaho, Iowa, Mont., N.Mex., N.Y., Nev., Ohio, Oreg., S.Dak., Utah, Wash., Wis., Wyo., Moist areas, primarily in w North America, sporadic in e U.S

Discussion

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).

Available information suggests that Aconitum columbianum is probably not one of the extremely toxic aconites (D. E. Brink 1982; J. D. Olsen et al. 1990).

Selected References

None.

Key

1 Leaf axils and inflorescence without bulbils Aconitum columbianum subsp. columbianum
1 Leaf axils and/or inflorescence with conspicuous bulbils Aconitum columbianum subsp. viviparum

"dm" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

... more about "Aconitum columbianum"
D. E. Brink +  and J. A. Woods +
Nuttall in J. Torrey & A. Gray +
cuneate +, truncate +  and cordate +
expanded +
straight +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
3-5(-7)-divided +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
globose;cylindric +
nearly +  and sessile +
B.C. +, Ariz. +, Calif. +, Colo. +, Idaho +, Iowa +, Mont. +, N.Mex. +, N.Y. +, Nev. +, Ohio +, Oreg. +, S.Dak. +, Utah +, Wash. +, Wis. +, Wyo. +, Moist areas +, primarily in w North America +  and sporadic in e U.S +
sessile +  and pedicellate +
blue tinged +, cream colored +, white +  and blue +
showy +  and inconspicuous +
sessile +  and aggregate +
1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br /> (3.4 cm34 mm <br />0.034 m <br />) +
crescent--shaped +, hemispheric +  and conic-hemispheric +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (2.6 cm26 mm <br />0.026 m <br />) +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (28 cm280 mm <br />0.28 m <br />) +
membranous +
round-reniform +
compound +  and simple +
whorled +, opposite +  and alternate +
cauline +  and basal +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
palmate +  and pinnate +
toothed;incised +
capitate +  and coiled +
distinct +
long-clawed +
reduced +
in J. Torrey & A. Gray, Fl. N. Amer. +
elongate +
not arillate +  and stalked +
deltoid +
3 (?) +  and 7 (?) +
not persistent +
distinct +
3 +  and 6 +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (1.6 cm16 mm <br />0.016 m <br />) +
W2 +  and Illustrated +
reclining +  and erect +
persistent +
Aconitum columbianum +
Aconitum +
species +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
cylindric +, hemispheric +  and rounded-conic +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
herbaceous +  and woody +