MORPHOLOGICAL AND HISTOLOGICAL STUDIES ON THE CHINESE MEDICINAL ACONITE ROOTS, CAOWU GROUP

This paper deals with 21 species of medicinal Aconite roots from which Aconitum kusnezoffii Reichb. and A. carmechaeli Debx. have long been used in Chinese traditional medicine. The other 19 species viz., A. jaluense var. glabrescens Nakai, A. paniculgerum var. wulingense (Nakai) W. T. Wang, A. sczukinii Trucz., A. taipeicum Hand.-Mazz., A. sungpanense Hand.-Mazz., A. hicksii Lauener, A. karakolicum Rapaics, A. milinense W. T. Wang, A. franchetii Finet et Gagnep., A. kongboense Lauener, A. spicatum Stapf, A. hemsleyanum Pritz., A. crassicaule W. T. Wang, A. austroyunnanense W. T. Wang, A. vilmorinianum Kom., A. forrestii Stapf, A. transsectum Diels., A. episcopale Levl., A. pseudohuiliense Chang ex W. T. Wang are used as folk medicine.The morphological and histological characters of the roots were described. The result showed that 5 species viz., A. kongboense, A. spicatum, A. viumorinianum, A. forrestii and A. transsectum structurally belong to type Ⅱ (i. e. with a polystele), they can be distinguished by the differences in the number of steles, shape and size of stone cells and starch grains, the other 16 species structurally belong to type Ⅰ (i. e. with a single siphonostele) and can be further distinguished by the differences in the shape of cambium ring, shape and size of stone cells and starch grains. An analytical key for the identification of the 21 species of Aconite roots are provided.