Aconitum septentrionale Koelle

Nomenclature and Classification

Aconitum septentrionale Koelle, also widely known as Aconitum lycoctonum (common names wolf's-bane or northern wolf's-bane), is a species of flowering plant in the genus Aconitum, family Ranunculaceae.

Native Distribution and Habitat

It is native to much of Europe and northern Asia, where it grows from lowlands to the subalpine zone, mainly in forests and other shaded habitats.

Commonness in Europe

Alongside A. napellus, A. lycoctonum is one of the most common European species of the Aconitum genus.

Ornamental Cultivation

It is also grown as an ornamental plant in gardens, and grows well in ordinary garden soil.

Introduced Distribution in North America

Because of this cultivation, A. lycoctonum can now be found in North America, especially in eastern Canada, where it often occurs in old gardens or as a garden escapee.

Etymology of Epithet

The specific epithet lycoctonum is a modern Latin rendering of the traditional common name "wolf's-bane".

Taxonomic Naming Origin

The name Aconitum lycoctonum was given by Carl Linnaeus, who found this plant growing in Lapland, Finland in 1727.

Morphological and Genetic Variation

High morphological variability has been recorded across A. lycoctonum specimens, but molecular studies have found small genetic distances between populations.

Species Complex Status

Because of this, A. lycoctonum is considered to be a species complex that contains multiple taxa of uncertain taxonomic rank.

Plant Growth Habit

A. lycoctonum is an herbaceous perennial plant that grows to 1 m tall.

Leaf Structure

Its leaves are palmately lobed, with four to six deeply cut lobes.

Flower Size and Color

Its flowers measure 18–25 mm long, and are most often dark violet, rarely pale yellow.

General Flower Morphology

Like all Aconitum flowers, those of A. lycoctonum are five-petaled, zygomorphic, and protandrous.

Posterior Petal Structure

The posterior petal has a helmet-like shape that hides two nectaries.

Nectary Structure

In A. lycoctonum, the nectary tips are long and highly curled, a trait that supports specialized pollination.

Reproductive Organ Structure

The plant has multiple stamens, and its ovary is usually made up of three free carpels, though it may have up to five.

Fruit Type

Its fruit are follicles.

Inflorescence Structure

The plant's inflorescence is a raceme, with flowers maturing from the bottom to the top of the raceme.

Elevation Effects on Inflorescence

Specimens growing at high elevations tend to produce more flowers per inflorescence and more inflorescences per plant than specimens found at low elevations.

Aconitum Pollinator Group

All species of Aconitum are pollinated by bumblebees of the genus Bombus.

Primary Pollinators

A. lycoctonum is mainly pollinated by Bombus hortorum in lowlands and Bombus gerstaeckeri in highlands; both of these are long-tongued bumblebee species that can reach the nectar at the end of the nectaries.

Other Flower Visitors

The flower's nectar also attracts other insects, including flies, and short-tongued bumblebees such as Bombus wurflenii.

Nectar Robber Behavior

These short-tongued insects act as nectar robbers, but may also occasionally pollinate the plant.

Toxicity Status

Like all species in the genus Aconitum, A. lycoctonum is poisonous.

Alkaloid Mode of Action

All parts of the plant contain a variety of alkaloids, which act primarily on muscular endplates.

Root and Seed Alkaloids

Alkaloids including gigactonine, demethylenedelcorine, 14-O-methyldelphinifoline, pseudokobusine, lycoctonine, lycaconitine, and myoctonine have been isolated from the roots and seeds of A. lycoctonum.

Flower Alkaloids

Gigactonine is the main alkaloid found in the flowers, along with 6-Oacetyldemethylenedelcorine (1), 6-O-acetyl-14-O-methyldelphinifoline, 14-O-methyldelphinifoline, and lycoctonine.

Relative Toxicity to A. napellus

The alkaloids in A. lycoctonum are much less toxic than those of A. napellus.

Aconitine Absence

A. lycoctonum also does not contain aconitine, which is the main toxic alkaloid of A. napellus.

Historical Medical Use

While A. napellus was used for its antipyretic and analgesic properties until recent times, the medical use of A. lycoctonum became obsolete far earlier, and it is only mentioned in ancient texts.