Korean Monkshood

Aconitum coreanum is a perennial shrub with thickened roots growing to 100 centimetres (39 in) in height. It prefers a soil slightly retentive of moisture, such as a moist loam. The shade side of mountain valleys is preferred. Its stems are glabrous and strict. The plant is simple or branched with the leaves crowded. These leaves are alternate and palmately cleft 3-5 and long-petioled and upper leaves shorter almost sessile. Proximal cauline leaves are withered at anthesis. Its leaver are deeply divided again to lanceolate and sharply acuminate. The roots are poisonous. The flower's color is pale yellow or sometimes purplish tint. The flowers bloom from July to August. Its pedicels are short and has 5 petal-like sepals; the upper one clearly hooded, the others flat, the lower 2 narrower than the others. The entire plant is 30 centimetres (12 in) -100 centimetres (39 in) in height.

Habitat: Grassy areas in mountain valleys or on slopes. Distribution: Korea, China, Mongolia, Far eastern Russia.

The root is traditionally used in Korea to treat chills in legs and arms and articular pain. In China, It has been used in immortal tonic among the folk remedies. However, its general uses in traditional Chinese medicine are for diuresis, cardiotonic, analgesia, neuralgia, gout and, furthermore, even neoplastic effect.

Side effects: cardiotoxic, causing arrhythmia and hypotension if not processed to degrade ester-type alkaloids like aconitine. Caffeoyl derivatives from the roots of Aconitum coreanum have been shown to have at least some anti-inflammatory effect in vitro.

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