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Delphinium cashmerianum

Common name:		Family:	Ranunculaceae
Author:	Royle.	Botanical references:	200
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	All parts of the plant are toxic[65, 172]. The plant is most toxic when it is young[200].
Range:	E. Asia - Western Himalayas in Kashmir and Tibet.
Habitat:	Alpine areas from 3000 to 4800 metres[240].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	0	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	1

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	D. cashmirianum[E]
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Ranunculales. Buttercup family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	Nepal

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 0.45m by 0.3m . It is hardy to zone 5. It is in flower from June to July, and the seeds ripen from July to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). We rate it 0/5 for edibility and 1/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Cultivated Beds.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Miscellany.

One report says that the roots are used medicinally, but gives no further details[240].

Other Uses

Oil Parasiticide.

The following uses are for the closely related D. brunonianum. They probably also apply for this species:-

A parasiticide is obtained from the leaves[51, 61]. It is quite toxic and so is for external use only. In the Himalayas it is only used to destroy ticks on animals[51, 240].
The seed contains 30% of an oil that has industrial uses[91]. The seed is very small, however, and it would require a large area of plants to obtain reasonable yields.

Cultivation details

Prefers a rich well-drained soil that stays moist in the summer[111, 187]. Dislikes water-logged soils[200], it is liable to die out in heavy soils over winter[111]. Requires an open sunny position[188].
Plants are generally hardy to about -20° c[187].
A greedy plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants, especially legumes[54].
Grows well in the rock garden[188].
This species is closely related to C. brunonianum[200].

Propagation

Seed - sow March/April in a cold frame or May outdoors[111]. Keep moist and in a shady position until germination takes place[175]. The seed has a limited viability so it should be stored in a sealed container at about 3° c[200]. Temperatures above 15° c inhibit germination[175]. The seed usually germinates in 2 - 9 weeks at 15° c[175]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer.
Cuttings of basal shoots in April/May, taken before they become hollow at the base, and planted in a cold frame[111].
Division in spring[111] or early autumn[200].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for Delphinium cashmirianum (a possible synonym).

[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.

References for the family Ranunculaceae.

[CHINA] Data Very detailed botanical/identification info. from the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[51] Polunin. O. and Stainton. A. Flowers of the Himalayas. Oxford Universtiy Press 1984
A very readable and good pocket guide (if you have a very large pocket!) to many of the wild plants in the Himalayas. Gives many examples of plant uses.

[54] Hatfield. A. W. How to Enjoy your Weeds. Frederick Muller Ltd 1977 ISBN 0-584-10141-4
Interesting reading.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[65] Frohne. D. and Pfänder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Wolfe 1984 ISBN 0723408394
Brilliant. Goes into technical details but in a very readable way. The best work on the subject that I've come across so far.

[91] Zhang Jingwei. Alpine Plants of China. Gordon & Breach. New York. 1982 ISBN 0-677-60190-5
A lovely book with nice pictures. Gives habitats and some details of plant uses.

[111] Sanders. T. W. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge 1926
A fairly wide range of perennial plants that can be grown in Britain and how to grow them.

[172] Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.
A nice guide to some useful plants in that area.

[175] Bird. R. (Editor) Focus on Plants. Volume 5. (formerly 'Growing from seed') Thompson and Morgan. 1991
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. A good article on Corydalis spp.

[187] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991 ISBN 0-330-30936-9
Photographs of over 3,000 species and cultivars of ornamental plants together with brief cultivation notes, details of habitat etc.

[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[240] Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986
Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
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