Wolf's monkshood

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Wolf's monkshood
Fox monkshood (Aconitum lycoctonum subsp. Vulparia)

Fox monkshood ( Aconitum lycoctonum subsp. Vulparia )

Systematics
Order : Buttercups (Ranunculales)
Family : Buttercup Family (Ranunculaceae)
Subfamily : Ranunculoideae
Tribe : Delphinieae
Genre : Monkshood ( aconite )
Type : Wolf's monkshood
Scientific name
Aconitum lycoctonum
L.

The wolf monkshood ( Aconitum lycoctonum ), also called yellow monkshood , or - depending on the subspecies - fox monkshood , is a species of the buttercup family and the genus aconite ( aconite ). It is widespread in Eurasia , but rare in Central Europe overall. It contains, like all Aconitum TYPES an alkaloid affects the neuro-toxic to mammals.

description

The wolf monkshood grows as a perennial herbaceous plant and reaches heights of 50 to 150 centimeters. It has an erect stem . The leaves are deep, palmate, five to seven parts with roughly sawn sections.

The flowering period extends from June to August. The flowers are in a loose to dense, racemose inflorescence . The hermaphroditic, zygomorphic flowers are light yellow. The helmet is about twice as long as it is wide. Below are two nectar leaves that are rolled up in a spiral shape. Since the nectar leaves are about 2 centimeters long, only long-nosed bumblebees can get to the nectar .

The chromosome number of the species is 2n = 16.

Occurrence

The wolf's monkshood is widespread in southern and central Europe and Asia . It is completely absent in the lowlands of Central Europe, in the western low mountain ranges it is absent in larger areas, in the other low mountain ranges of Central Europe, in the Alpine foothills and in the Alps it is absent in smaller areas. Overall, it is rare in Central Europe; it occurs there in smaller stocks at its locations .

In Germany , the wolf monkshood ( Aconitum lycoctonum subsp. Lycoctonum ) can be found scattered in the central and southern parts. It is missing in northern Germany and partly in Saxony . The fox monkshood ( Aconitum lycoctonum subsp. Vulparia ) is only known in Germany from the Berchtesgaden Alps . In Austria , both subspecies occur frequently to scattered from the colline to alpine altitude .

The Wolfs-Eisenhut thrives in Central Europe in lowland forests, ravine forests in moist places in sparse deciduous forests and Hochstaudenfluren , Karfluren and wet meadows of the Alps and the higher mountain range. It grows at lower altitudes in societies of the Tilio-Acerion, Fagion or Alno-Ulmion associations, and in higher altitudes in those of the Adenostylion association.

The wolf monkshood thrives best on moist, nutrient-rich, well-infiltrated, mull or humus-containing loam or clay soils that are not heated too much, even in summer.

In the Allgäu Alps, it rises on Himmeleck in Bavaria up to 2000 m above sea level.

pharmacology

Like all aconite species, the wolf monkshood is very poisonous due to its alkaloids content . The alkaloid content is around 0.94%. The pharmacologically active ingredients are the nor- diterpenes lycaconitin and lycoctonin . In contrast to many other species of the plant genus, Aconitum vulparia does not produce aconitine . Similar to aconitine, the alkaloids have a neurotoxic effect through various mechanisms . After an initial increase in reflex excitability with cramps , paralysis occurs . The death can through respiratory paralysis occur. The plant used to provide poison bait for wolves and foxes. The plant name Wolfswurz , mentioned in 1544, arose from the use of monkshood as a wolf poison.

Systematics and distribution

Aconitum lycoctonum was first published by Carl von Linné . The specific epithet lycoctonum means wolf-killing.

In Europe there are five subspecies:

  • Aconitum lycoctonum subsp. lasiostomum (Rchb.) Warncke ; occurs only in Romania, the Baltic States, Ukraine, and western Russia
  • Wolf's monkshood ( Aconitum lycoctonum subsp. Lycoctonum , Syn .: Aconitum septentrionale Koelle , Aconitum excelsum Rchb. ) - with crooked flower stalks; occurs in Central, North and Northeast Europe as well as in Asia
  • Aconitum lycoctonum subsp. moldavicum (Hacq.) Jalas : occurs only in the Carpathian region in Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, western Ukraine and western Russia
  • Aconitum lycocotonum subsp. neapolitanum (Ten.) Nyman , occurs only in southern and central Europe, but is absent in Germany
  • Fox monkshood ( Aconitum lycoctonum subsp. Vulparia (Rchb.) Nyman , Syn .: A. vulparia Rchb. ) - with straight, hairy flower stalks; occurs only in central and northern southern Europe from the Pyrenees to the Carpathian Mountains
  • Foliage leaves
  • A. lycoctonum subsp. lycoctonum (flower)
  • A. lycoctonum subsp. vulparia (flower)
  • Follicles and seeds

Common names

The common names Gäli Fuchswürz ( Bern ), Yellow Gelstern ( Zillertal ), Hundsgift, Hundstod, Narrenkappen, Wolfseisenhütli (Bern), Wolfskraut, Wolfswurzel ( Austria , Pinzgau , Carinthia ) and White Wolfswurzel (Pinzgau) are only used regionally .

literature

  • Manfred A. Fischer, Wolfgang Adler, Karl Oswald: Excursion flora for Austria, Liechtenstein and South Tyrol . 2nd, improved and enlarged edition. State of Upper Austria, Biology Center of the Upper Austrian State Museums, Linz 2005, ISBN 3-85474-140-5 .
  • Xaver Finkenzeller, Jürke Grau: Alpine flowers. Recognize and determine (=  Steinbach's natural guide ). Mosaik, Munich 2002, ISBN 3-576-11482-3 .
  • Oskar Angerer, Thomas Muer: Alpine plants (=  Ulm nature guide ). Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 2004, ISBN 3-8001-3374-1 .
  • Dieter Heß: Alpine flowers - recognition - understanding - protection , Eugen Ulmer publishing house, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-8001-3243-5 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Erich Oberdorfer : Plant-sociological excursion flora for Germany and neighboring areas . 8th edition. Page 400. Stuttgart, Verlag Eugen Ulmer, 2001. ISBN 3-8001-3131-5
  2. ↑ a b c Dietmar Aichele, Heinz-Werner Schwegler: The flowering plants of Central Europe . 2nd Edition. tape 2 : Yew family to butterfly family . Franckh-Kosmos, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-440-08048-X .
  3. ↑ Erhard Dörr, Wolfgang Lippert : Flora of the Allgäu and its surroundings. Volume 1, IHW, Eching 2001, ISBN 3-930167-50-6 , p. 524.
  4. ↑ Roth, Daunderer & Kormann: Toxic Plants - Plant Poisons, 5th edition, Nikol Verlag.
  5. ↑ Wolf (Ed.): Hagers Handbook of Pharmaceutical Practice - Vol. 3, Gifte, 1992, Springer Verlag.
  6. ↑ Yellow monkshood in What is blooming there? The photo volume (Kosmos-Naturführer) Franckh Kosmos Verlag; 1st edition, ISBN 3-440-14383-X , page 350
  7. ^ Walther Hermann Ryff : Confect Büchlin and Hausz Apoteck. Frankfurt am Main 1544, b.2 v ("Luparia, Wolffswurtz, blawe und yellow Ysenhuetlin, a poisonous root that is used to award Wolffen and Fuechsen").
  8. ↑ Jaakko Jalas, Juha Suominen: Atlas florae europaeae . Volume 8 (Nymphaeaceae to Ranunculaceae). Pages 43-47, Helsinki 1989. ISBN 951-9108-07-6
  9. ^ Carl Jessen : The German folk names of plants , published by Philipp Cohen Hannover 1882, page 8.

Web links

Commons : Wolfs-Eisenhut ( Aconitum lycoctonum )  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files