Aconitum ranunculoides Turcz.

A closely related species is A. ajanense Steinb., from the Far East. It differs in its larger pale yellow flowers to 6.5 cm. Z 4. New.

Plant taprooted. Flower stem simple, erect 70 cm. Leaves 2 to 4, long-petiolate, palmately 3-5-lobed to the middle or deeper, the lobes trilobulate. Inflorescence a loose terminal raceme of 7 to 10 flowers. Flowers large, 5 cm across, yellow. V - April to October. Fl - June-July, for one month. Fr - August-September. P - by seed or division. Does best in semishade, on moist soil. Z 4 (3). New.

Rhizome unknown. Stem to 70 cm tall, erect, simple, glabrous or apically retrorse pubescent. Basal leaves several, long petiolate; petiole to 15 cm, cauline leaves with petiole ca. 3.5 cm; leaf blade suborbicular, ca. 5 × 8 cm, abaxially glabrous or sparsely pubescent at veins, adaxially sparsely appressed pubescent, densely pubescent at veins, palmately 3--5-parted; central lobe rhombic or broadly rhombic, margin with orbicular teeth; lateral lobes obliquely flabellate, unequally 2- or 3-parted. Inflorescence terminal, 4--10-flowered; rachis and pedicels retrorse pubescent; bracts leaflike to lanceolate. Pedicels 4--8 mm, with 2 bracteoles at middle or above; bracteoles lanceolate to linear. Sepals yellow, abaxially retrorse pubescent; lower sepals oblong, 6--7 × 2--3 mm; lateral sepals suborbicular, 7--10 × 7--10 mm, adaxially middle and margin yellow villous; upper sepal cylindric, 1--1.3 cm high, middle 4--5 mm in diam., beaked, lower margin ca. 1 cm. Petals glabrous; lip linear, conspicuous; spur circinate, slightly longer than lip. Carpels 3, glabrous. Fl. Jul--Aug.

Eastern Siberia (southern and eastern regions, adjacent to the Far East). In coniferous forests.

Grasslands. Nei Mongol (Ergun Zuoqi) [Russia (Far East, Siberia)].