White Aconite, a traditional Chinese medicine, is used for stroke with phlegm obstruction, deviation of mouth and eyes, speech difficulty, phlegm-induced headache, unilateral headache, throat pain, and tetanus. It is also used externally for treating swollen lymph nodes and snake bites. It is prohibited for use in cases of blood deficiency causing wind, internal heat causing convulsions, and pregnant women.
White Aconite is a perennial herb with tall plants. The underground tubers resemble taro and are oval to elliptical in shape, covered with dark brown scales. The leaves range from 1 to 7, depending on the age of the plant. The leaf stalks are thick and fleshy, often pale pink or purple with stripes, reaching up to 40cm long.
The leaf blades are triangular-ovate, lanceolate, or broadly elliptical, measuring 10-40cm long and 7-30cm wide. When young, the leaves curl inward like horns and then unfold, gradually tapering at the tip. The flower stalk emerges from the tuber, green with red patches. The bracts are purplish-red, with a cylindrical or elongated oval tube at the top, gradually tapering and curving, and an oval limb, reaching up to 15cm long. The inflorescence is located inside the bracts, about 14cm long.
The female inflorescence and the bisexual inflorescence are approximately 3cm long, while the male inflorescence is about 2cm long. The accessory organ is cylindrical, erect, about 6cm long, and purple in color, not extending beyond the bracts. The male flowers are golden yellow, with 2 anthers and cracked apical pores. The bisexual flowers are linear, drooping, and pale yellow. The female flowers are brownish-red.
The berries turn red when ripe. The flowering period is from June to August, and the fruiting period is from July to October.
White Aconite prefers a cool and moist climate and a damp environment. It is best cultivated on fertile and moist sandy loam.
