Wine red (or red-purple) occurs in a hybrid of the climber Aconitum hemsleyanum. In cultivation the shades do not reach this level of depth.Īside from blue-purple-white, very pale greenish-white, creamy white, and pale greenish-yellow are also somewhat common in nature. In the wild, some Aconitum blue-purple shades can be very dark. The overall color range of the genus is rather limited, although the palette has been extended a small amount with hybridization. Aconitum species tend to be variable enough in form and color in the wild to cause debate and confusion among experts when it comes to species classification boundaries. Color rangeĪ medium to dark semi-saturated blue-purple is the typical flower color for Aconitum species. Unlike with many species from genera (and their hybrids) in Ranunculaceae (and the related Papaveroideae subfamily), there are no double-flowered forms.

The fruit is an aggregate of follicles, a follicle being a dry, many-seeded structure. The three to five carpels are partially fused at the base. The other petals are small and scale-like or nonforming. They have a hollow spur at their apex, containing the nectar. The two upper petals are large and are placed under the hood of the calyx and are supported on long stalks.

They are distinguishable by having one of the five petaloid sepals (the posterior one), called the galea, in the form of a cylindrical helmet, hence the English name monkshood. The tall, erect stem is crowned by racemes of large blue, purple, white, yellow, or pink zygomorphic flowers with numerous stamens. Dissected flower of Aconitum vulparia, showing the nectaries

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