Monk's Hood

Aconitum napellus

"Aconitum napellus" is a species of flowering plant in the genus "Aconitum" of the family Ranunculaceae, native and endemic to western and central Europe. Plants native to Asia and North America formerly listed as "A. napellus" are now regarded as separate species.
Monkshood Silsombos, Belgium (June, 2014). Tall plant, more than 1 m to the tip of the flower raceme. It is an herbaceous perennial plant growing to 1 metre tall, with hairless stems and leaves. The leaves are rounded, 5–10 cm diameter, palmately divided into five to seven deeply lobed segments. The flowers are dark purple to bluish-purple, narrow oblong helmet-shaped, 1–2 cm tall. Aconitum napellus,Belgium,Geotagged,Spring

Appearance

It is an herbaceous perennial plant growing to 1 m tall, with hairless stems and leaves. The leaves are rounded, 5–10 cm diameter, palmately divided into five to seven deeply lobed segments. The flowers are dark purple to bluish-purple, narrow oblong helmet-shaped, 1–2 cm tall.

Naming

Nine subspecies are accepted by the "Flora Europaea":
⤷ "Aconitum napellus" subsp. "napellus", south-western Britain
⤷ "Aconitum napellus" subsp. "corsicum" W.Seitz, Corsica
⤷ "Aconitum napellus" subsp. "firmum" Gáyer, Central and eastern Europe
⤷ "Aconitum napellus" subsp. "fissurae" W.Seitz, Balkans to south-western Russia
⤷ "Aconitum napellus" subsp. "hians" Gáyer, Central Europe
⤷ "Aconitum napellus" subsp. "lusitanicum" Rouy, south-western Europe
⤷ "Aconitum napellus" subsp. "superbum" W.Seitz, western Balkans
⤷ "Aconitum napellus" subsp. "tauricum" Gáyer, Eastern Alps, southern Carpathians
⤷ "Aconitum napellus" subsp. "vulgare" Rouy & Foucaud, Alps, Pyrenees, northern Spain

References:

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Status: Least concern
EX EW CR EN VU NT LC
Taxonomy
KingdomPlantae
DivisionAngiosperms
ClassEudicots
OrderRanunculales
FamilyRanunculaceae
GenusAconitum
SpeciesA. napellus
Photographed in
Belgium