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Aconitum lethale

Aconitum lethale Griffith, Not. Pl. Asiat. 4: 732 1854. (syn:Aconitum atrox (Brühl) Mukerjee; Aconitum balangrense Lauener; Aconitum balfourii Stapf; Aconitum deltoideum Lauenar; Aconitum falconeri Holmes ex Stapf; Aconitum laciniatum var. fractiflexum Lauener; Aconitum patulum Tamura; Aconitum spicatum (Brühl) Stapf; Aconitum tamuranum Lauenar; Caltha codua Buch.-Ham.);
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Himalaya to S. Tibet: East Himalaya, Myanmar, Nepal, Tibet, West Himalaya as per POWO;
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Aconitum balfourii Stapf, ; Ann. B. G. Calc. 10: 160, t. 104 (1905). (Syn: Aconitum atrox (Bruhl) Mukerjee; Aconitum ferox var. atrox Bruhl; Caltha codua Buch.-Ham.) as per Annotated checklist of the flowering plants of Nepal ;
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Common name: Balfour’s Monkshood • Nepali: गोबरी Gobaree
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The whole plant is highly toxic – simple skin contact has caused numbness in some people [1].
Found in the upper subalpine areas in open positions on rocky slopes
E. Asia – Himalayas from Nepal to Tibet at an elevation of 2200 – 4000 metresThe tuber is used in Tibetan medicine where it is considered to
have an acrid and sweet taste with a heating potency – it is also very poisonous[241, 243]. The root is analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antirheumatic and vermifuge [241]. It dries up serous fluids and is used in the treatment of all types of pain and inflammation from gout or arthritis, all disorders due to worms or micro-organisms, amnesia, loss of bodily heat, leprosy and paralysis [241].

[1]F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
 [241]Tsarong. Tsewang. J. Tibetan Medicinal Plants
[243] Medicinal Plants of Nepal
Terse details of the medicinal properties of Nepalese plants, including cultivated species and a few imported herbs.
(From  PFAF )
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Aconitum violaceum from Bhadarwah J&K : 4 posts by 4 authors. Attachments (2)
Bot. name: Aconitum violaceum

Family: Ranunculaceae
Location: Bhadarwah J&K
Altitude: 3000 meters asl
Date: 15th August 2012

Forwarding again for validation pl. as it looks different from images at Aconitum violaceum

Raised helmet, branched inflorescence, suggest A. laeve

Aconitum lethale Griff. ??

Looks different from images at Aconitum laeve
Appears close to Aconitum lethale as per FOI, POWO, Plant illustrations

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Aconitum species. it seems lethale: 3 images- 1 high res.
please check the attached images of Aconitum species. it seems lethale to me.
Captured – Madhmaheshwar Uttarakhand.
Oct 2021
Alt – 4000m approx.

I guess it is matching !
http://temperate.theferns.info/plant/Aconitum+lethale

 

 

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Aconitum sp (ferox or balfourii) From main Valley of Flowers
In Book by Murty it is written as Aconitum balfourii
FoI as Aconitum ferox
Pls validate which one

It would be interesting to know differentiating key for these two species. Perhaps original description of A. balfourii from Stapf’s paper should help.

This plant was towards ending site of valley.

May be of some use
http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/mpc11.pdf
http://ia700603.us.archive.org/10/items/mobot31753002133244/mobot31753002133244.pdf

According to cited publication A. ferox does not grow west of Nepal. I think we settle for A. balfouri

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RANUNCULACEAE Fortnight: Aconitum balfourii (??) from Uttarakhand_DSR_Jan 2015_11 : 3 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (2)

This Aconite is probably Aconitum balfourii Stapf and photographed in Valley of Flowers.
The Plant List 2013 indicates this name as synonym of A. lethale though Flora of India vol-1 mentions it as A.balfouri Stapf.
However, I am not sure about the ID
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Flora of Uttarakhand- Aconitum ferox ? : 6 posts by 5 authors. Attachments (7)
Captured on 12/8/10 during the trek from Ghangaria (around 11,000 ft.) to Valley of Flowers (around 12500 ft.).  

One more lovely plant from your trip collection….TFS

It may be Aconitum balfourii Stapf as per … post & … & as per distribution at ‎Aconitum. Pl. confirm.

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Saw this Aconitum enroute Hemkund from Ghangria in the upper reaches, Uttarakhand in Aug 2018.
Requested to please provide ID.
Pl. check images at Aconitum balfourii Stapf

I am not sure.

I think yes A. balfourii

I guess ID is correct !

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Aconitum (Ranunculaceae) for ID from Sandakphu, Darjeeling : 3 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (10)
Kindly help in id.

Aconitum palmatum D.Don

Carpels are glabrous in A. palmatum, here densely villous, A. balfouri I hope

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Aconitum for ID :: VOF, Uttarakhand :: Aug 2018 :: ARKDEC-01 : 2 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (1)

Saw this Aconitum in the Valley of flowers, Uttarakhand in Aug 2018.
Requested to please provide ID, if possible from this lone pic.

Difficult to id with such image.
However, you can try as per comparative images at
https://sites.google.com/site/efloraofindia/species/m–-z/r/ranunculaceae/aconitum

Aconitum violaceum Jacquem. ex Stapf

Aconitum violaceum Jacquem. ex Stapf

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Updated on December 23, 2025

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