Monkshood/Modra preobjeda

Description:

Dark purple helmet shaped multiple flowers with kind of rounded leaves. About 1.2-1.5m in height.

Habitat:

Western&central Europe, Asia, North America. Found this one in Dolomites. It needs moist soil in the shade, such as stream banks or ditches.

Notes:

Name for Aconitum comes from the Greek akónitos for "donkey." "Ak" means "a sharp" or "pungent", "kônos" and "cone" and the matter is likely to lanceolate leaves. This plant has long been known as a highly poisonous plant with all parts from roots to the leaves. In Greek mythology, it was rumoured to have sprung from the spittle dropped from the jaws of Cerberus, the monstrous three.headed dog that guarded the gates of Hades. The Latin name derives from napellus napus, meaning "tail" and refers to the roots, which resemble tails. Aconitum was well known in ancient times. Medea used it to murder her son. It is also reported that Aristotle died because of monkshood. Dioscorides mentions that its root can kill the scorpion. This plant was used as poison for arrows and for poisoning of wolves. Avicenna was the first to describe the use of this plant for bleeding from the nose and lungs, dizziness, collapse, paralysis, pulmonary tuberculosis and epilepsy. Chinese are using it for centuries as a narcotic consisting of plant Arum, Hyosam cyamus, Datura and Aconitum. It has long been mentioned both as a source of POISON and also as an ANTIDOTE against other poisons, particularly snake venom. If you decide to grow this plant you should wear gloves when handling it. This plant has hooded, deep-blue, delphinium, which allow the plant to be pollinated only by bees. Other names: Wolf's bane, firar's cap