Interesting information about the types of aconite, the rules of planting and care on the site

Aconite - an amazing plant. His second name is wrestler. This is very symbolic, because the plant has long been used to fight dangerous diseases, including cancer.

Aconite is a perennial flower. This plant belongs to buttercups. The height of the bush is up to two meters. Has beautiful flowers. They are purple and have an unusual shape. Scientifically speaking, this form of flowers in biology is called zygomorphic. This distinguishes aconite from other buttercups. In the form of flowers, it looks more like legumes.

Description of the plant

Aconite is a herb for open ground. The plant genus is very rich - about 300 species. Grows in Europe, Asia, North America. These are herbaceous perennials. The root system is in the form of tubers or rhizomes. The stems are erect. Winding and curly are less common. The height of upright - up to 2 m, curly - up to 4 m.

Rhizomes are oblong, ovoid (length - up to 5 cm, width - up to 2 cm). They grow in soil at a depth of 5 to 30 cm. The plant has finger-split, lobed or dissected foliage. Color - dark green. The location is next. Wherever aconite grows, it has gained popularity.

The flower shape is irregular. The color is usually purple. Less often - yellow, white, variegated. There are 5 sepals in the corolla. The top has a characteristic helmet shape. It covers two petals that have become nectaries. The inflorescence can be simple or complex, racemose (up to 50 cm long). Flowering time is July-September. The fruit is the flyer. It is multi-seeded, has teeth, arched or straight. The seeds of the plant are small, brown, gray or black. Their germination can last up to one and a half years.

Aconite, whose flower photos are very attractive and varied, has become in demand among gardeners. The most popular form is nodular aconite (blue). This species is variable. That is why a lot of confusion is created in the names.

Everything in aconite is completely poisonous, even pollen.

The natural growing area is the northern hemisphere. Now botany has recorded about 300 of its species. There are 75 species found in Russia. Most of the varieties are fairly widespread. The most suitable soil is meadows in highlands, roadsides around dirt roads, river banks.

Curious facts

Aconite is a plant with a rich history. Many legends and myths have been invented about him. He is mentioned in the ancient legends and epics of the Scandinavians. This mysterious plant is found in a huge number of recipes for witchcraft drinks.

Here are just a few interesting facts:

1. The plant is mentioned even in the eleventh feat of the famous Hercules. According to the myth, it grew from the place where a drop of the poisonous saliva of the dog Cerberus fell. This inhabitant of hell was horrified when Hercules brought him to earth.
2. This name came from the Scandinavians. In Scandinavian myths, the wrestler grew up where the god Thor died. He defeated a terrible poisonous snake, but died from numerous bites.
3. In ancient Greece, the plant was often used as a poison. They killed those who were sentenced to death for crimes. Thus began the sad fame of Aconite.
4. Plutarch mentions that the soldiers of Mark Antony were poisoned with the help of aconite. The state of the poisoned is described in detail.They wandered for a long time without a goal, fell into a deep unconsciousness, as if they were constantly looking for something. Then they vomited with bile and over time they died. The death was painful and long.
5. The ancients cultivated aconite as an ornamental plant. In antiquity, it could be easily found in city gardens. Even around the palace of the emperor, lush lilac bushes were planted. The year 117 was a turning point. Cases of poisoning have increased. Emperor Trajan began to associate the mass deaths of his servants with the aconite bushes. From that year on, the plant was banned as an ornamental plant.
6. In antiquity, the inhabitants of the island of Chios with the help of the poison of aconite got rid of the sick, the elderly and the infirm. According to a cruel custom, a person had to voluntarily drink prepared poison in order to get to another world.
7. East Indians have long used a poison called bik. They carefully grease the tips of their arrows and spears with it. This helps to significantly increase the efficiency of hunting, especially for large animals. The Digaroa tribes still use pounded aconite root for this.
8. In the dark times of the Inquisition, if aconite was found in a dwelling, a woman could be accused of witchcraft. For this she was burned.

Application in medicine

It is difficult to find a disease that cannot be treated with aconite. It is not for nothing that the wise people of Tibet call him nothing but the "king of medicine." It was here that it was first used as a medicinal plant. He is mentioned in the work "The Four Books". Aconite was used to fight against tumors and infections, pneumonia, anthrax. In Russia, it was often used externally to relieve pain.

Pliny the Elder mentions this bush as a remedy for the treatment of eyes. There are many examples of how glaucoma and blindness were cured with it. At the same time, the author calls it nothing but "vegetable arsenic". Its toxicity is emphasized.

Vienna physician Anton Sterk has researched for years how aconite fighter cures cancer. He has documented cases of recovery. Sterk went to great lengths to determine the safe and most effective dose of the drug derived from this plant.

In 1838, the Sovremennik edition published a letter that V. Dal wrote to his friend doctor Odoevsky. The message told about the case of a peasant cured by aconite from severe pneumonia. When Dahl's own son fell ill with croup, the scientist also treated him with this plant.

Among Soviet doctors, the first to draw attention to aconite was the doctor Zakaurtseva. She carefully researched it and developed her own cancer treatment method.

Since 1946, the following types of aconite have been officially recorded in the Soviet Pharmacopoeia:

• Karakol;
• Dzungarian.

Now the plant has no medicinal status. Despite this, the pale-mouthed species is used for the industrial production of allapinin. This drug is used for arrhythmias. The Dzungarian species is traditionally used in herbal medicine, as one of the complex of drugs in the treatment of cancer.

Do not use aconite tincture without consulting a homeopath! It is important to choose the right dosage.

Introduced species

This attractive shrub is often used in landscaping. Western florists especially love him. A huge number of decorative forms have been bred. Wolf aconite is very popular. The plant has several advantages at once. Its bushes have luscious, lush leaves and bright small flowers that bloom in abundance. Ornamental species have low toxicity, and after generations they completely lose it.

The following species are especially decorative: Aconitum variegatum, Aconitum lycoctonum, Aconitum napellus, Aconitum stoerckeanum and Aconitum cammarum. These are small shrubs (up to 2 m). Their feature is lush inflorescences that resemble pyramids in shape. The flowers are very bright. There are yellow, purple, blue-white and even blue.

To emphasize the unusual shade of aconite flowers, plant short plants with contrasting shades (yellow, orange, red) next to it. Gardeners are very fond of Dzhungarian aconite for its unpretentiousness. Insects fly around them.

In summer cottages and in nature, the following types are common:

1. Aconite paniculata. Homeland - the south of Europe. It has a beautiful branched stem. They are distinguished by a decorative brush of flowers on long pedicels. The seeds have one wing.
2. Variegated aconite. Distributed in the Carpathians. The signs are the same as in the previous species, but less pronounced.
3. Aconite two-color kammarum or aconite Sterka. It is a graceful hybrid of blue and variegated species. It favorably combines the signs of crossed parents. But the flower is colored more interestingly. It is two-tone. It is the two-tone form that has become very popular among flower growers. In the gardens you can find different varieties of it: Bicolor - has short inflorescences with white flowers, bordered with purple; Grandiflorum Album (Grandiflorum Album) - is distinguished by perfectly white flowers, collected in luxurious brushes; Pink Sensation ”(‘ Pink Sensation) – as the name implies, it has pink inflorescences.
4. Aconite nodule is prized for its bright blue flowers. They are very decorative. The blue hue is rarely found in nature, because this type has become very popular with gardeners.
5. Aconite Karmikhel is also often seen in gardens. Its flowers have a pleasant blue-violet hue. The panicles are medium, rather decorative.
6. Aconite curly. A very interesting shape. It has a curly stem that can grow up to 4 meters.

Meadow plant species can be used as honey plants. However, bees rarely land on them. Experienced beekeepers even recommend weeding out the plant to avoid poisoning. bees... There are known cases of their mass death after collecting nectar from this plant.

Growing aconite

If you decide to start aconite, planting and maintenance in the open field does not require much effort. This is an unpretentious plant. Many species winter well.

Light-loving species - Aconitum anthora and Aconitum carmichaelii. They are best planted in elevated areas. Other species tolerate excess moisture.

The plant tolerates transplanting well. It is better to divide the bushes in the spring, but you can also in the fall. There should be no stems. Make the planting hole wide and deep to keep the rootstock comfortable. Before planting the plant, you need to pour into the hole mineral fertilizer (15-20 g). Deepening of the root neck - 1-2 cm.The distance between the bushes is 25-30 cm.

It reproduces well vegetatively, by dividing the bushes. Worse - seeds. Seed propagation does not preserve the characteristics of the variety. It is best to stratify before seeding. Flowering should be expected only for 2-3 years.

Care

The care is as follows:

• regularly need to loosen the soil.
• feeding once every 1-2 months.
• dried inflorescences must be removed.
• if the season is dry, the plant is watered.

The plant is prone to defeat powdery mildew.

Features of the composition

In aconite, two types of alkaloids are found at once:

1. Atizin.
2. Acanite.

Their localization is the whole plant (from flower to root). Atizine are volatile alkaloids. They are not poisonous. Upon hydrolysis, it breaks down into organic acid and arucanine. The plant contains very few of them. It is atyzine alkaloids that have a beneficial effect on the heart and blood vessels.

More interesting are the acanite alkaloids. Most of alkaloids are found in tubers and roots.

Each species has its own degree of toxicity. Also, this indicator is influenced by the type of soil, collection time. The least poison is in those plants that grow on water-flooded and swampy soil. If you pick the plant in the fall or spring, it will be as toxic as possible.

Poisonous species contain a maximum of aconitine and its derivatives. Almost any type of plant is poisonous to humans. But the degree of their toxicity can be very different.

You can easily check how poisonous the plant is. It is enough to squeeze out some juice and rub your finger with it. If poison is present, itching will appear. Then the skin will begin to burn, and soon it will lose its sensitivity. This is a clear sign that the sample taken is poisonous. This effect is explained by the fact that aconitine is capable of exerting a pronounced irritating and paralyzing effect on nerve endings.

We do not recommend experimenting with this dangerous plant. Even applying its juice to a finger is fraught with undesirable consequences. The most dangerous thing is to use grated roots.

How does it affect the body

Aconite has an extremely destructive effect on the central nervous system. Its effect can be compared to the famous curare poison. If a lethal dose enters the human body, paralysis of the respiratory center rapidly develops. This leads to inevitable death.

That is why it is strictly forbidden to independently use the plant for medicinal purposes. Only an experienced physician can find a safe dose. It should be scanty. In this case, the therapeutic effect does not occur immediately. A certain amount of alkaloid must accumulate in the blood.

The therapeutic dose of aconitine helps to stabilize the heart rhythm and respiration. It activates the metabolism in cells, negatively affects all kinds of infections. It is also noticed that the growth of neoplasms slows down. If the dose is not calculated, paralysis of the heart muscle, suffocation may occur. This is inevitable death.

If a homeopath treats with the poison of this plant, he is extremely careful in choosing the dosage. It must be strictly individual.

Aconite tincture is used in homeopathy. After taking this remedy, strongly diluted with water, increased salivation may be observed. This is a sign that the alkaloid has begun to work. When it is absorbed through the oral mucosa, it irritates the parasympathetic nerve. And the body temperature can also drop for several hours.

The therapeutic effect is achieved only by regular use of the alkaloid. It is important that it accumulates in the body and reaches the desired concentration. This turns on defense mechanisms, the body begins to fight.

The decoction of the plant is two times weaker than the infusion. This should be taken into account when taking the dose. With the help of tincture of Dzungarian aconite, homeopaths treat the following diseases:

• hormonal imbalance, impotence, infertility;
• prostration;
• anemia;
• the goiter is toxic;
• diabetes;
• blindness, deafness, cataracts, glaucoma;
• benign type of neoplasm;
• kidney stone disease;
• gallstone disease;
• angina pectoris, hypertension, arrhythmia;
• gastritis, ulcers, pancreatitis, cholecystitis, diarrhea, constipation, flatulence;
• asthma, pneumonia, bronchitis, pleurisy, tuberculosis;
• trigeminal neuralgia, depression, migraine, paralysis, insomnia, Parkinson's disease;
• tics, seizures, schizophrenia, psychosis;
• sexually transmitted diseases, anthrax;
• arthritis, arthrosis, gout, radiculitis, fractures, dislocations, bruises, osteochondrosis, etc.

Also, the plant is used:

• as an external antiseptic (scabies, head lice);
• as an antidote (mushroom, plant poisoning);
• as a remedy against tumors.

As you can see, aconite, the photo and description of which we offered you, is a very interesting medicinal and ornamental plant.