FLOWER GARDEN

There are numerous species of aconite, which belongs to the buttercup family. They are all poisonous, the roots bearing some resemblance to horseradish. The common monkshood is Aconitum Napellus, a British native which favours shade near water. Besides the blues, there are several varieties bearing pale yellow flowers, like lycoctonum, which

is the wolfsbane, anthora and pyrenaicum, all summer bloomers. The winter aconite (Eranthis) does well in shade, and is often grown under trees, its clear yellow cups on their green Toby frills appearing in January.

Aconite root has been mistaken for horseradish, with fatal consequences.

Horseradish is a pale yellowish color outside, whitish inside; aconite out is a dark brown color outside, whitish inside. Horseradish is cylindrical in shape, aconite conical. In medicine aconite is a powerful poison, sometimes prescribed to slow the action of the heart. The symptoms of poisoning are severe vomiting, an icy wet skin, complete prostration, accompanied by a very slow, often irregular pulse.

See Monkshood; Poisoning.