Aconitum columbianum

Nuttall

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).

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
... more about "Aconitum columbianum"
D. E. Brink +  and J. A. Woods +
Nuttall +
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. +
in J. Torrey & A. Gray, Fl. N. Amer. +
brink1980a +  and brink1980b +
W2 +  and Illustrated +
Aconitum columbianum +
Aconitum +
species +