Aconitum heterophyllum Wall.

Common Names

in English: atis root

in India: aatish, adhividayam, adivitaiyam, akuculapu, alakavetam, alecuveppam, alecuveppu, alecuvitaiyam, alecuvitayam, amrita, arand, ariyan, ariyavitaiyam, ariyavitayam, arttiram, aruna, arunai, ataicha, atavish, atees, ateesh, ateicha, athibaje, athivaasa, athividayam, athividyam, athivish, athivisha, ati-vadayam, ati-vidayam, ati vitayam, atibaje, aticaracuracamaraci, aticarakkini, atirasa, atis, atis kadavi kashmiri, atis kadavi kullu, atis kashmiri, atis kullu, atis meethi, atis shirin, atisaraghni, atish, atish kadavi, ativacam, ativacampu, ativadayam, ativaka, ativasa, ativasu, atividyam, ativis kulu, ativis mitha, ativisa, ativisha, ativitai, ativitaiyam, ativitam, ativitayam, attakatitam, attam, attatam, attiranam, atvika, atvisha, avirukam, bhangura, bhringi, bikh, boa, bona-karpo, cattivinacini, cinki, cirinki, conga, cukkilakentam, cukkulakantam, ghuna-priya, ghunaisa, kalacu, kalacuvetam, kalacuvitaiyam, kalakavetam, kalarcipatam, kalarcupatam, kalarcuvatam, kantacukkilam, kashmira, kasmira, kauri patis, kenta, kukkilam, kunakkacikam, kunapalam, kunapalan, kunattam, kunavallapai, kunetakam, kunettam, madri, mahoshadha, mamche menthok, mantiri, matiri, matirivitaiyam, mitha bish, mohra, mridvi, nattuativitaiyam, padish, pankaram, pankura, pankurai, pankuram, patis, patish, ponkar, prativisa, prativisha, pravisha, shishubhaishyajja, shokapaha, shringi, shringika, shuklakanda, shveta, shvetakanda, shvetavacha, shyamkanda, sisubhaisajya, sitashringi, suklakanda, surala, upavishaaka, upavitai, upavitam, upvisha, vajje-turki, vajjeturki, vallabha, vicu, vicuvacan, vicuvam, vicuvankatti, vicuvatikkam, vira, virupa, visakhya, visapaka, visha, visharupa, vishva, vitam, vitaru, vitayam, yankura

in Nepal: atis

in Tibet: bon na, bon na dkar po, bon-na-dkar-po

Scientific Names(Synonyms)

Aconitum heterophyllum Wall. ex Royle

Aconitum heterophyllum var. bracteatum Stapf

Aconitum heterophyllum var. heterophyllum

Aconitum heterophyllum var. roylei L.B.Chaudhary & R.R.Rao

Floral Description

Biennial with 2 tubers.

Stem (l5-)25-70(-90) cm high, simple or with a few branches in the lower part, glabrous with a few very short crispate hairs above. Lower most leaves with long petioles, orbicular-cordate to ovate-cordate in outline, usually deeply 5-lobed with crenate lobes, the others with short petioles or sessile, semi-amplexicaul, irregularly crenate-dentate, rarely lobate.

Inflorescence a loose raceme, rarely subpaniculate. Lower bracts similar to upper leaves, the others ovate to lanceolate, crenate or entire. In the longer peduncles the bracteoles are elliptical or usually entire.

Sepals blue to violet, glabrous. Lateral sepals obliquely obovate with dark tips, 14-20 x 12-20 mm, not stipitate, lower ones narrower.

Petals (nectaries) with a long (16-18 mm) claw and short (4 mm) very wide hood, lobed or entire.

Filaments winged above the middle, 6-8 mm long.

Carpels 5, oblong-elliptical, pubescent, abruptly contracted to the style of about equal length.

Follicles straight, 16-18 mm, glabrescent or glabrous.

 Seeds obpyramidate, 3-4 mm long with almost winged angles.

Chemicals:

Atisine, Heteratisine, Hetisine, Hetisinone, Atidine, Atisenol, Dihydroatisine, Heterophylloidine, Hetidine, Isoatisine

Pharmacology

Roots chewed as aphrodisiac, antiperiodic, vermifuge, anthelmintic, stomachic, astringent, bitter tonic, febrifuge, used in cough, cold, headache, fevers, dyspepsia, gastric pain, dysentery and diarrhea, for intestinal worms, administered to infants for stomach troubles, fever and vomiting; root powder given against toothache, high fever, stomach disorders, headache; root paste given in diarrhea.