Aconitum plicatum subsp. plicatum
Aconitum plicatum subsp. plicatum is a perennial flowering plant in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae. It is the nominate subspecies of Aconitum plicatum, meaning that it carries the species name again at subspecies level. Kew records it from the Sudeten and Šumava mountains of east-central Europe.[1]
Appearance and identification
A European taxonomic revision published in 2021 describes A. plicatum as a plant thirty to 150 centimetres tall, with a lightly branched flower cluster and a curved or rounded, cone-shaped floral hood. The small bracteoles beneath the flowers are triangular to linear and usually one or two millimetres long.[2]
The revision separates the nominate subspecies from A. plicatum subsp. sudeticum using details of the flower stalks and carpels. In subsp. plicatum, the flower stalks bear hairs without glands, while the carpels—the parts that contain the ovules—are hairless. In subsp. sudeticum, the carpels are hairy and the stalk hairs may include glandular hairs. These microscopic or close-up characters matter when identifying the subspecies.[2]
Names and scope
Kew places Aconitum callibotryon Rchb., published in 1821, among the synonyms of this subspecies.[1] Kew recognises two subspecies within A. plicatum: plicatum and sudeticum. Consequently, a record identified only as the parent species does not by itself establish which subspecies was found.[3]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Aconitum plicatum subsp. plicatum. Plants of the World Online. Accessed 9 October 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Mitka, J., Novikov, A. and Rottensteiner, W. K. (2021). The taxonomic circumscription of Aconitum subgenus Aconitum (Ranunculaceae) in Europe. Webbia 76(1), 11–45; pp. 23–24 and identification key. Accessed 9 October 2026.
- ↑ Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Aconitum plicatum Köhler ex Rchb. Plants of the World Online. Accessed 9 October 2026.