Wrestler, Or Aconite Northern

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Wrestler, or Northern Aconite (lat. Aconitum septentrionale) - a herbaceous shade-tolerant plant from the genus Aconite (Latin Aconitum), belonging to the Buttercup family (Latin Ranunculaceae). Aconite northern maintains its reputation as a plant of the genus, melting in all its parts toxic substances that are dangerous to animals and humans. Traditional healers have learned to use the poisonous properties of Aconite for the benefit of humans, treating various ailments with drugs prepared from the roots and herbs of the plant. The poisonousness does not frighten gardeners, who decorate the shady places of their plots with spectacular herbaceous bushes of the Northern Aconite.

Numerous titles

The wide area of distribution of the Northern Aconite contributes to the variety of names, since people who do not read botanical literature assign their names to plants, reflecting their abilities or habits.

So, having met on its way a tall and powerful herbaceous bush with carved spectacular leaves and loose brushes of grayish-purple inflorescences somewhere in the Central or Arctic part of Europe, in the Siberian expanses or on the lands of Central Asia, you can hear that this is the "ordinary fighter", "High fighter", and even "Northern wolfsbane" ("Northern wolf death (poison)").

Description

Long-term "Aconite of the North" is supported by a branched long root of cord-like lobes that have grown together with each other. At the root, nutrients are accumulated for the aerial parts of the plant, which humans also use for medicinal purposes.

From the roots to the surface of the earth, there are powerful ribbed stems, the height of which varies from half a meter to two and a half meters, depending on living conditions. The surface of the stem is protected from pests and bad weather by hairy pubescence.

Pubescence also protects large palmate-divided picturesque leaves, which have a kidney-rounded or heart-shaped leaf plate, reaching a width of twenty-five and a length of fifteen centimeters. The sturdy stem with spectacular openwork leaves adorns the shady places of the wilderness.

The ribbed stem is crowned with a racemose inflorescence formed by grayish-violet flowers with a traditional helmet petal covered with hairs. Flowers are located on short arched peduncles.

Healing abilities

"Aconite northern" owes its healing abilities to its roots, which can extract from the soil, transform and accumulate alkaloids and organic acids in their "pantries". The same substances are present in aerial stems, leaves, flowers, additionally containing flavonoids and fatty oil (in seeds).

The versatility of the medicinal abilities of the roots and the herb Aconite of the North delights people, and therefore, for example, in Mongolia, the plant is called the "king of medicines" and all kinds of abscesses and even the centuries-old plague - syphilis are treated with it.

With a decoction from the roots, they fight infectious diseases of the digestive system, the skin, calm toothache and joint pain, treat rheumatism, and use it as a pain reliever.

When self-medication, one should not forget about the toxicity of the plant, so that instead of a positive effect, one should not get a negative effect on the human body. Indeed, in especially sensitive people, even with a simple contact with the leaves of a plant, at least skin irritation occurs.

The toxicity of the plant is used by the local population in the fight against flies, the most ancient human companions - cockroaches, as well as all kinds of rodents and predatory animals, claiming the food reserves of the community.

Garden plant

Not fearing the poisonousness of the plant, gardeners willingly plant a spectacular and frost-resistant "Aconite northern" in shaded areas of their areas, where the soils have good drainage, while maintaining high humidity.