Aconitum uncinatum
L.
Blue Monkshood
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
MediumThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.135272
Element CodePDRAN010A0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderRanunculales
FamilyRanunculaceae
GenusAconitum
Other Common Names
southern blue monkshood (EN) Southern Blue Monkshood (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2023-09-25
Change Date1991-05-09
Edition Date2023-09-25
Edition AuthorsBroaddus, Lynn (1991), rev. C. Nordman (2023).
Threat ImpactMedium
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 - 300
Rank Reasons
Blue Monkshood occurs in the eastern United States, in the Appalachians, Piedmont, and rarely in the Coastal Plain from Maryland and southwestern Pennsylvania, south to Georgia and northern Alabama, with disjunct occurrences in Illinois and in the Ozarks of Missouri. It is rare in much of its range, but is considered just uncommon in the center of its range, in the Appalachians and Piedmont of West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, and east Tennessee. There are between 81 and 300 occurrences rangewide, which are threatened by forest management practices, competition from invasive exotic species, and to a lesser extent by land-use conversion and habitat fragmentation.
Range Extent Comments
Blue Monkshood occurs in the eastern United States, in the Appalachians, Piedmont, and rarely in the Coastal Plain from Maryland and southwestern Pennsylvania, south to Georgia and northern Alabama, with disjunct occurrences in Illinois and in the Ozarks of Missouri. Range extent was estimated to be 650,000 square kilometers, using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data collected between 1992 and 2023 (GBIF 2023, iNaturalist 2023, NatureServe 2023).
Occurrences Comments
Based on NatureServe Network occurrence data, herbarium records, and photo-based observations documented between 1992 and 2023, and anecdotal evidence, there are between 81 and 300 occurrences of Blue Monkshood rangewide (GBIF 2023, iNaturalist 2023, NatureServe 2023).
Threat Impact Comments
This species is threatened by forest management practices, competition from invasive exotic species, and to a lesser extent by land-use conversion and habitat fragmentation (NatureServe 2023, Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project 2002).
Ecology & Habitat
Diagnostic Characteristics
Flowers deep blue, leaves deeply cleft, but not to the base, hooded sepal higher than long, 1.5-1.8 cm high with a 5.0-7.0 mm beak.
Habitat
Rich shady soil along streams, especially in mountainous areas, cove forests, seepages, and saturated swamps (NatureServe 2023, Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2023).
Ecology
This species prefers rich, moist, shaded sites often in floodplain thickets and artificial openings such as railroad right of ways where low air flow and surface temperatures persist. Alteration of drainage, overshading, and digging or picking are the major threats to this species.
Reproduction
n=8. Some plants have been reported to produce bulbils.
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandForest - Hardwood
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN4
| Province | Rank | Native |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia | S3 | Yes |
| North Carolina | S3 | Yes |
| Pennsylvania | S2 | Yes |
| Illinois | S1 | Yes |
| New Hampshire | SNA | No |
| District of Columbia | SX | Yes |
| Ohio | S1 | Yes |
| Tennessee | S3 | Yes |
| Alabama | S1 | Yes |
| West Virginia | S4 | Yes |
| Missouri | S1 | Yes |
| Maryland | S1 | Yes |
| Virginia | S4 | Yes |
| Indiana | S1 | Yes |
| Kentucky | S1 | Yes |
| South Carolina | S2 | Yes |
Threat Assessments
| Threat | Scope | Severity | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - Residential & commercial development | Small (1-10%) | Serious or 31-70% pop. decline | High (continuing) |
| 1.1 - Housing & urban areas | Small (1-10%) | Serious or 31-70% pop. decline | High (continuing) |
| 5 - Biological resource use | Restricted (11-30%) | Serious or 31-70% pop. decline | High (continuing) |
| 5.3 - Logging & wood harvesting | Restricted (11-30%) | Serious or 31-70% pop. decline | High (continuing) |
| 8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Restricted (11-30%) | Serious or 31-70% pop. decline | High (continuing) |
| 8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Restricted (11-30%) | Serious or 31-70% pop. decline | High (continuing) |
Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (23)
Georgia (1)
| Area | Forest | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| Lance Creek | Chattahoochee National Forest | 9,025 |
North Carolina (9)
| Area | Forest | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| Bearwallow | Pisgah National Forest | 4,113 |
| Big Indian (addition) | Nantahala National Forest | 1,155 |
| Chunky Gal (addition) | Nantahala National Forest | 3,336 |
| Graveyard Ridge (addition) | Pisgah National Forest | 1,958 |
| Little Indian (addition) | Nantahala National Forest | 640 |
| Lost Cove | Pisgah National Forest | 5,944 |
| Sam Knob (addition) | Pisgah National Forest | 2,576 |
| Tusquitee Bald | Nantahala National Forest | 13,670 |
| Wilson Creek | Pisgah National Forest | 4,863 |
Tennessee (1)
| Area | Forest | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| Bald Mountain | Cherokee National Forest | 11,743 |
Virginia (6)
| Area | Forest | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| Adams Peak | George Washington National Forest | 7,135 |
| Crawford Mountain | George Washington National Forest | 9,892 |
| Jerkemtight | George Washington National Forest | 16,687 |
| Mt. Pleasant | George Washington National Forest | 8,933 |
| Ramseys Draft Addition | George Washington National Forest | 12,781 |
| The Priest | George Washington National Forest | 5,737 |
West Virginia (6)
| Area | Forest | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| Cranberry Addition | Monongahela National Forest | 11,123 |
| Cranberry Glades Botanical Area | Monongahela National Forest | 785 |
| East Fork Of Greenbrier | Monongahela National Forest | 7,167 |
| Falls Of Hills Creek | Monongahela National Forest | 6,925 |
| Little Mountain | Monongahela National Forest | 8,172 |
| Marlin Mountain | Monongahela National Forest | 9,344 |
References (15)
- Brink, D. 1982. Tuberous <i>Aconitum </i>(Ranunculaceae) of the continental United States: Morphological variation, taxonomy and disjunction. Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 109(1):13-23.
- Britton, N. L. and A. Brown. 1913. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada. 3 vol. Dover Publications, Inc., N. Y. 2052 pp.
- Cusick, A. W. 1983. <i>Aconitum uncinatum</i> L. (Ranunculaceae) discovered in Ohio. Castanea 48(3):209-211.
- Fernald, M.L. 1950 Gray's Manual of Botany, 8th ed. American Book Company, New York. 1632 pp.
- Gleason, H.A., and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York. 910 pp.
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2023. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2023).
- Hardin, J.W. 1964. Variation in <i>Aconitum</i> of eastern United States. Brittonia 16:80-94.
- Henry, L.K. and W.E. Buker. 1958. The Ranunculaceae in western Pennsylvania. Castanea 23(2):33-45.
- iNaturalist. 2023. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2023).
- Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
- Keener, C.S. 1976. Studies in the Ranunculaceae of the southeastern United States. IV. Genera with zygomorphic flowers. Castanea 41:12-20.
- NatureServe. 2023. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
- Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project. 2002. A partnership between the U.S. Forest Service-Region 8, Natural Heritage Programs in the Southeast, NatureServe, and independent scientists to develop and review data on 1300+ regionally and locally rare species in the Southern Appalachian and Alabama region. Database (Access 97) provided to the U.S. Forest Service by NatureServe, Durham, North Carolina.
- Strausbaugh, P.D. and E.L. Core. 1964. Flora of West Virginia, Series 65, No 3-2. West Virginia University Bulletin.
- Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2023. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of April 14, 2023. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2105 pp.