What Is Monkshood?
Aconitum (commonly called monkshood, aconite, wolf’s-bane etc) is a genus of flowering plants with more than 250 species. It’s part of the family Ranunculaceae. The genus gets its name from the shape of the upper petals of the large flowers.
Aconites are perennial herbaceous plants that grow wild in the cooler regions of the northern hemisphere. Some species are cultivated as ornamental plants.
Monkshoods are deadly poisonous. The active ingredient is an alkaloid called aconitine, which is found especially in the rhizome and to a lesser extent in other parts of the plant.
Fatal cases are known to have occurred after eating 2-4 grams of the root. Prolonged skin contact with the leaves of the plant also causes poisoning. Symptoms of poisoning include tingling in the mouth, numbness of the skin, excessive sweating, thirst, a feeling of coldness, shortness of breath, hearing and vision problems. Severe poisoning leads to death due to cardiac arrest or respiratory failure.