Aconitum monanthum

Aconitum monanthum

　　Aconitum monanthum

　　A perennial herbaceous plant growing 23–40 cm tall. The stem is solitary or branched, slightly ribbed, and hairless. It bears several stem leaves, with those at the lower part of the stem having long petioles up to 8 cm long, slightly widened at the base. The petioles become progressively shorter toward the upper part of the stem. The leaf blades are pentagonal-rounded or nearly round, 4–7 cm in diameter, and 3–5-lobed to the base. The central lobe is rhomboid, 3–5 cm long and 2–3.5 cm wide, with pinnate lobes. The lateral lobes are deeply 2-lobed, with the inner lobes nearly the same shape as the central lobe and the outer lobes smaller, obliquely rhomboid. The ultimate lobes are linear-lanceolate, 1.5–2.5 mm wide, entire, pointed at the tip, and hairless on both surfaces. Flowers are solitary or clustered in several blooms at the top of the stem, forming an umbel-like raceme. The flower stalks are usually 3–5 cm long, occasionally longer, hairless, and bear 2 bracts at the base or middle-lower part. The bracts are lanceolate, 4–6 mm long and about 1.5 mm wide. The flowers are purple, with a high, hood-shaped helmet 1.6–2.7 cm tall and 1–1.3 cm wide at the middle, extending forward into a duck-bill-shaped beak 2 cm wide at the mouth. The outside is hairless. The lateral sepals are obliquely ovate, 1.2–1.6 cm long and 1–1.5 cm wide, hairless on the outside and sparsely long-haired inside. The lower sepals are unequal in shape, oblong or narrowly ovate, 1.2–1.5 cm long and 2–6 mm wide. The nectar lobes are about 3 mm wide, with the lip slightly upward-curved and slightly 2-lobed. There are numerous stamens, with filaments widened at the base, hairless, and usually without teeth. The carpels are usually 3, rarely 3–4, and hairless. The follicles are 1.5–2.5 cm long and 4–5 mm wide. The seeds are oblong, 2.5–3 mm long, with membranous, scale-like wings. Flowering period is July to August. Fruiting period is August to September.

　　It grows on alpine tundra or steep volcanic ash slopes. Distributed in China (Northeast), North Korea (North).