3. Aconitum violaceum Jacquem. ex Stapf in Ann. Roy. Hot. Gard. Calc. 10(2):144. 1905. Coventry, Wild Flow. Kashm. 3:21.1930, Stewart, Ann. Catalogue Vasc. Pl. W. Pak. & Kashm. 259. 1972, Qureshi & Chaudhri in Pak. Syst. 4(1-2):42.1988.
YASIN J. NASIR
National Herbarium, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Biennial with geminate tubers. Stem 10-30 cm high, usually simple, erect in the lower part, glabrous or hairy. Leaves forming a dense cl uster near the base, rarely equally distributed throughout the whole length, with ± long petioles, orbicular, 5-palmatipartite to the base, primary segments deeply bi-pinnatisect, lobes of the last order linear, acute or subobtuse, ± glabrous, the upper leaves much reduced in size. Inflorescence a dense or ± lax, simple raceme, rarely with a single branch. Bracts similar to upper leaves, but much reduced. Lower pedicels 4(-5) cm with spreading hairs. Sepals violet, rarely blue or yellowish-green with blue veins, pubescent, helmet 14-20 mm high, 18-24 mm long (including beak), lateral sepals broadly obovate, oblique, 12-16 x 10-14 mm, lower ones elliptical, 10-12 mm, deflexed. Petals (nectaries) glabrous, claw 12-18 mm, hood gibbous dorsally, with tru ncate recurved lips. Filaments hairy in the upper part, winged in the lower, wings ending in tiny teeth.
Two varieties can be distinguished:
