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RANUNCULACEAE

BUTTERCUP FAMILY

Dieter H. Wilken, except as specified

Annual, perennial herb, sometimes aquatic
Leaves generally basal and cauline, generally alternate, simple or compound; petioles at base generally flat, sometimes sheathing or stipule-like
Inflorescence: cyme, raceme, panicle, or flowers solitary
Flower generally bisexual, radial; sepals generally 5, free, early deciduous or withering in fruit, generally green; petals 0–many, free; stamens generally 10–many; pistils 1–many, ovary superior, chamber 1, style 1, generally ± persistent in fruit as beak, ovules 1–many
Fruit: achene, follicle, berry, or utricle-like, 1–many-seeded
Genera in family: ± 60 genera, 1700 species: worldwide, especially n temp, tropical mtns; many ornamental (Adonis, Aquilegia, Clematis, Consolida, Delphinium, Erianthis, Helleborus ), some highly TOXIC (Aconitum, Actaea, Delphinium, Ranunculus )
Reference: [Duncan & Keener 1991 Phytologia 70:24–27]

ACONITUM

MONKSHOOD

Perennial from rhizome or tuber; roots fibrous or fleshy
Stems 1–few, generally erect, generally simple
Leaf generally palmately lobed; deep lobes 3–7, toothed to lobed; cauline gradually reduced upward
Inflorescence: generally raceme, terminal, bracted; pedicels spreading to upcurved
Flower bilateral; sepals 5, petal-like, upper 1 > others, hooded, generally enclosing upper 2 petals and stamens, tip generally rounded to beaked; petals 2–5, upper 2 clawed, blades generally inflated, tip spurred, lower 3 << sepals, scale-like, or 0; pistils generally 3
Fruit: follicles
Seed angled or winged, dark brown to black
Species in genus: ± 100 species: temp North America, Eurasia
Etymology: (Greek: ancient name)
Reference: [Brink 1980 Amer J Bot 67:263–273]
Most species highly TOXIC, causing death in livestock, humans.

Native

A. columbianum Nutt.

Plant 3–15(20) dm
Stem erect, less often reclining or twining above; upper axils (including inflorescence) with deciduous bulblets or not
Leaf 3–17 cm, 5–14 cm wide; deep lobes 3–5, wedge- to diamond-shaped, toothed to irregularly cut or lobed above middle
Inflorescence 5–55 cm, open
Flower: sepals deep bluish purple or white to yellow-green, upper 10–15(20) mm, beak 3–8 mm, lateral 8–18 mm, round to reniform, lower 7–12 mm, lanceolate to ovate; upper petals blue to whitish, spur < blade, lower petals 0
Fruit glabrous to puberulent, glandular or not
Chromosomes: n=8
Ecology: Streambanks, moist areas, meadows, coniferous forest
Elevation: 600–2900 m.
Bioregional distribution: Northwestern California (except North Coast), Cascade Range, High Sierra Nevada, Modoc Plateau, n East of Sierra Nevada (Sweetwater Mtns)
Distribution outside California: to British Columbia, South Dakota, New Mexico
Flowering time: Jul–Aug
Synonyms: A. geranioides Greene, A. leibergii Greene
Plants with bulblets (KR, n SNH) have been called var. howellii (A. Nelson & J.F. Macbr.) C.L. Hitchc. [A. hanseni Greene, A. viviparum Greene]
Horticultural information: WET, DRN: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18; DFCLT.

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bioregional map for ACONITUM%20columbianum being generated
 
N.B. The distribution depicted here differs from that given in The Jepson Manual (1993)

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