ROCKET LARKSPUR CONSOLIDA AJACIS

ROCKET LARKSPUR (Consolida ajacis (L.) Schur) X

Synonyms :
Consolida ambigua auct., Delphinium ajacis L., D. ambiguum auct.

I hope the nonbotanists who wrote Commission E and the Herbal PDR have figured out the larkspurs better than I have. Otherwise, they know not of which larkspur they speak. There are more than a dozen Consolidas and Delphiniums, many called larkspurs. And don’t forget the pediculicide stavesacre, D. staphisagria L. After wasting a day with the nomenclatorial nuances, I feel I should treat three species or lump them all into one, larkspur, Consolida regalis Gray (formerly Delphinium consolida L.); this the slightly different rocket larkspur, Consolida ajacis; and finally the stavesacre, Delphinium staphisagria, not covered by the USDA. All are poisonous and dangerous, and probably not reliably distinguished by nonbotanists. So it is, methinks, a bit optimistic to assume the data in the literature have been based on positive identification (i.e., better speculations than mine).

Activities (Rocket Larkspur) :
Emetic (f; CRC); Insecticide (f; CRC); Laxative (f; CRC); Parasiticide (f; CRC); Pediculicide (f; CRC); Poison (f; CRC); Tonic (f; CRC).

Indications (Rocket Larkspur) :
Constipation (f; CRC); Debility (f; CRC); Hemorrhoid (f; CRC); Parasite (f; CRC); Scorpion Sting (f; CRC); Toothache (f; CRC).

Contraindications, Interactions, and Side Effects (Rocket Larkspur) :
Not covered (AHP; KOM; PHR). “Seed and leaf can induce dermatosis. Alkaloids ajacine and delphinine, occurring in seed and young plants of most Delphinium spp. Ingestion may cause stomach upset and nervous symptoms; death may occur if the plant is eaten in large quantities, especially by children. In Asia the seeds are reported to poison cattle; still they are used as cathartic and emetic” (CRC).