Consolida ajacis

Consolida ajacis (syn. Consolida ambigua, Delphinium ajacis, Delphinium ambiguum, doubtful knight's spur, rocket larkspur) is an annual flowering plant of the family Ranunculaceae native to Eurasia. It is widespread in other areas, including much of North America, where it was an introduced species. It is frequently grown in gardens as an ornamental for its spikes of blue, pink or white flowers. It may reach a meter in height. Since the aerial parts and seeds of C. ajacis have been found to contain diterpenoid alkaloids (see below), including the highly toxic methyllycaconitine, the plants should be considered as poisonous. The first alkaloid to be isolated from C. ajacis seeds was ajaconine, reported by Keller and Volker in 1914. Since that time, over thirty other structurally related diterpenoid alkaloids have been reported; these are: 14-acetylbrowniine 14-acetyldelcosine 14-acetyldelectine 13-O-acetylvakhmatine ajabicine ajacine