Consolida ajacis (L.) SchurSynonym: Delphinium ajacis L.
Family: Ranunculaceae
- Common name: Larkspur, rocket larkspur, annual delphinium, doubtful knight's-spur
- Chinese: 飞燕草
- Dutch: Valse ridderspoor
- Finnish: Tarhakukonkannus
- French: Dauphinelle des jardins
- Italian: calcitrappa, fiorcappuccia
- Picard: Pyidaloehéte
- Portuguese: Esporinha
- Swedish: romersk riddarsporre
Description: Stems 3-8(-10) dm, glabrous to sparsely puberulent. Leaves 5-20 or more. Leaf blade orbiculate, 12-60-lobed or more, 1-5 cm wide, glabrous to puberulent, lobes less than 1.5 mm wide. Inflorescences 6-30(-75)-flowered, simple or with 3 or fewer branches; bracts (at least lowermost 2) with 5 or more lobes; pedicel ascending-spreading, 1-3(-5) cm, ± puberulent; bracteoles not touching sepals, 4-20mm from flower, ± linear, 1-3mm, ± puberulent. Flowers: sepals blue to purple, rarely pink or white, nearly glabrous, lower sepal 8-18 × 4-8mm, lateral sepals 8-18 × 6-14 mm, spur 12-20 mm; petals of same color as sepals or whiter, lateral lobes 3-6mm, terminal lobes 5-8 × 2-4 mm, sinus 0.2-1 mm. Follicles 12-25 mm, puberulent.
Whole plant very poisonous, parasiticide, insecticidal. Toxic, cattle are the primary animals affected, toxin can also affect other ruminants as well as horses. Dangerous all parts, especially seeds and young leaves; roots believed to kill cows. Used in infusions to treat heart problems, wounds. [CRC World Dictionary of Medicinal and Poisonous Plants]
Seed and leaf can induce dermatosis. Alkaloids ajacine and delphinine, occurring in seed and young plants of most Delphinium spp. Ingestion may cause stomach upset and nervous symptoms; death may occur if the plant is eaten in large quantities, especially by children. In Asia the seeds are reported to poison cattle; still they are used as cathartic and emetic. [Handbook of Medicinal Herbs]
60 Published articles of Consolida ajacis
