Actaea (plant)

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Actaea
Actaea erythrocarpa0.jpg
Actaea rubra
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Ranunculales
Family: Ranunculaceae
Subfamily: Ranunculoideae
Tribe: Cimicifugeae
Genus: Actaea
L.
Species

See text

Synonyms [1]
  • Actinospora Turcz. ex Fisch. & C.A.Mey.
  • Actinospora Turcz.
  • Botrophis Raf.
  • Christophoriana Mill.
  • Cimicifuga Wernisch.
  • Dipleina Raf.
  • Macrotrys Raf.
  • Megotrys Raf.
  • Pityrosperma Siebold & Zucc.
  • Souliea Franch.
  • Thalictrodes Kuntze

Actaea, commonly called baneberry, bugbane and cohosh, is a genus of flowering plants of the family Ranunculaceae, native to subtropical, temperate and subarctic regions of Europe, Asia and North America.

Contents

Taxonomy

The genus was redefined to include Cimicifuga and Souliea in the 1990s [2] (Compton et al. 1998, Compton & Culham 2002, Gao et al. 2006, RHS Plant Finder, 2007) based on combined evidence from DNA sequence data, similarity in biochemical constituents and on morphology returning it to the original Linnean concept of the genus. [3] The number of species in Actaea is to 25–30 using this concept. Other botanists (e.g., Hoffman 1999, Wang et al. 1999, Lee & Park 2004, Wang et al. 2009 [4] ) reject this merger because only one group (Actaea) have fleshy fruit while the remainder have dry fruit. However, this narrower generic concept works for only a single morphological character and other characters such as number of carpels moves the generic boundary. The genus is treated here in its broader sense.

Species

Cimicifuga Brunette or "Brunette bugbane" is a variety of A. simplex (U.K.) Actaea Brunette cohosh September 2014 U.K.JPG
Cimicifuga Brunette or "Brunette bugbane" is a variety of A. simplex (U.K.)

Plants of the World Online currently (2023) includes: [5]

  1. Actaea arizonica (S.Watson) J.Compton Arizona bugbane
  2. Actaea asiatica H.Hara
  3. Actaea austrokoreana (H.W.Lee & C.W.Park) Cubey
  4. Actaea bifida (Nakai) J.Compton
  5. Actaea biternata (Siebold & Zucc.) Prantl
  6. Actaea brachycarpa (P.K.Hsiao) J.Compton
  7. Actaea cimicifuga L.
  8. Actaea cordifolia DC.
  9. Actaea dahurica (Turcz. ex Fisch. & C.A.Mey.) Franch. (syn. Cimicifuga dahurica) - Sheng ma in Chinese (Chinese :升麻; pinyin :Sheng ma)
  10. Actaea elata (Nutt.) Prantl
  11. Actaea erythrocarpa (Fisch.) Kom.
  12. Actaea europaea (Schipcz.) J.Compton
  13. Actaea frigida (Royle) Prantl
  14. Actaea heracleifolia (Kom.) J.Compton
  15. Actaea japonica Thunb.
  16. Actaea kashmiriana (J.Compton & Hedd.) J.Compton
  17. Actaea laciniata (S.Watson) J.Compton
  18. Actaea lancifoliolata (X.F.Pu & M.R.Jia) J.P.Luo, Q.Yuan & Q.E.Yang
  19. Actaea × ludovicii B.Boivin
  20. Actaea matsumurae (Nakai) J.Compton & Hedd. Kamchatka bugbane, Japanese bugbane
  21. Actaea muliensis J.P.Luo, Q.E.Yang & Q.Yuan
  22. Actaea nanchuanensis (P.K.Hsiao) J.P.Luo, Q.Yuan & Q.E.Yang
  23. Actaea pachypoda Elliott white baneberry, white cohosh, doll's eyes
  24. Actaea podocarpa DC.
  25. Actaea purpurea (P.K.Hsiao) J.Compton
  26. Actaea racemosa L. black cohosh, black bugbane
  27. Actaea rubifolia (Kearney) Kartesz
  28. Actaea rubra (Aiton) Willd. (syn. Actaea erythrocarpa) red baneberry
  29. Actaea simplex (DC.) Wormsk. ex Prantl
  30. Actaea spicata L. (syn. Actaea alba) baneberry, herb christopher - type species
  31. Actaea taiwanensis J.Compton, Hedd. & T.Y.Yang
  32. Actaea vaginata (Maxim.) J.Compton
  33. Actaea yunnanensis (P.K.Hsiao) J.Compton

Etymology

Actaea is derived from the Greek name for elder ( Sambucus ); it was named by Pliny because the leaves of Actaea and Sambucus are similar in appearance. [6]

The name Actaea alba (L.) Mill. is a confused one (Fernald 1940); although described as an American species (now named A. pachypoda), the illustration on which the description was based was actually a picture of the European A. spicata, and strictly, the name is therefore a synonym of the European species. Some texts, however, still treat A. pachypoda under this name.[ citation needed ]

Use and toxicity

White baneberry (Actaea pachypoda) in Canada Glen Major Trail in East Duffins Headwaters - 13.jpg
White baneberry (Actaea pachypoda) in Canada

Baneberry contains cardiac toxins that can have an immediate sedative effect on human cardiac muscle. The berries are the most poisonous part of the plant (hence the name baneberry). Children have been poisoned by eating the waxy, shiny red or white berries. Ingestion of the berries can lead to cardiac arrest and death. It is toxic to rabbits. [7] The berries are harmless to birds, the plant's primary seed disperser.

The synonym Cimicifuga, meaning 'bed bug repellent', has traditional uses: for example, in pharmacology, Cimicifugae rhizoma is a herbal medicine Sheng ma, a Chinese preparation which may be extracted from the roots of A. dahurica and A. heracleifolia. The roots of A. rubra contain β-sitosterol glucoside. [8]

Actaea species are in the same subfamily as plants in the genus Aconitum , a highly toxic plant genus which contains wolfbane and several varieties of monkshood. [9]

Related Research Articles

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Anemone is a genus of flowering plants in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. Plants of the genus are commonly called windflowers. They are native to the temperate and subtropical regions of all regions except Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica and the Middle East. The genus is closely related to several other genera including Anemonoides, Anemonastrum, Hepatica, and Pulsatilla. Some botanists include these genera within Anemone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Araliaceae</span> Family of flowering plants

The Araliaceae are a family of flowering plants composed of about 43 genera and around 1500 species consisting of primarily woody plants and some herbaceous plants commonly called the ginseng family. The morphology of Araliaceae varies widely, but it is predominantly distinguishable based on its woody habit, tropical distribution, and the presence of simple umbels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ranunculales</span> Basal order of flowering plants in the eudicots

Ranunculales is an order of flowering plants. Of necessity it contains the family Ranunculaceae, the buttercup family, because the name of the order is based on the name of a genus in that family. Ranunculales belongs to a paraphyletic group known as the basal eudicots. It is the most basal clade in this group; in other words, it is sister to the remaining eudicots. Widely known members include poppies, barberries, hellebores, and buttercups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ranunculaceae</span> Family of eudicot flowering plants

Ranunculaceae is a family of over 2,000 known species of flowering plants in 43 genera, distributed worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Celastrales</span> Order of flowering plants, mostly from tropics and subtropics

The Celastrales are an order of flowering plants found throughout the tropics and subtropics, with only a few species extending far into the temperate regions. The 1200 to 1350 species are in about 100 genera. All but seven of these genera are in the large family Celastraceae. Until recently, the composition of the order and its division into families varied greatly from one author to another.

<i>Actaea racemosa</i> Species of plant

Actaea racemosa, the black cohosh, black bugbane, black snakeroot, rattle-top, or fairy candle, is a species of flowering plant of the family Ranunculaceae. It is native to eastern North America from the extreme south of Ontario to central Georgia, and west to Missouri and Arkansas. It grows in a variety of woodland habitats, and is often found in small woodland openings.

<i>Pulsatilla</i> Genus of flowering plants in the buttercup family

The genus Pulsatilla contains about 40 species of herbaceous perennial plants native to meadows and prairies of North America, Europe, and Asia. Derived from the Hebrew word for Passover, "pasakh", the common name pasque flower refers to the Easter (Passover) flowering period, in the spring. Common names include pasque flower, wind flower, prairie crocus, Easter flower, and meadow anemone. Several species are valued ornamentals because of their finely-dissected leaves, solitary bell-shaped flowers, and plumed seed heads. The showy part of the flower consists of sepals, not petals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Limnanthaceae</span> Family of flowering plants

The Limnanthaceae are a small family of annual herbs occurring throughout temperate North America. There are eight species and nineteen taxa currently recognized. Members of this family are prominent in vernal pool communities of California. Some taxa have been domesticated for use as an oil seed crop. Some members are listed as threatened or endangered and have been the focus of disputes over development plans

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parnassiaceae</span> Family of flowering plants

Parnassiaceae Gray were a family of flowering plants in the eudicot order Celastrales. The family is not recognized in the APG III system of plant classification. When that system was published in 2009, Parnassiaceae were treated as subfamily Parnassioideae of an expanded family Celastraceae.

<i>Actaea spicata</i> Species of plant

Actaea spicata, the baneberry or herb Christopher, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Actaea, native from Europe to western Siberia and northern Iran. It is often found on limestone edges and in deciduous woodland; key factors are shade, low competition, and a cool, protected root run.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cimicifugeae</span> Invalidated genus of flowering plants

The Cimicifugeae are a tribe of flowering plants belonging to the family Ranunculaceae, based on the now obsolete genus Cimicifuga. The name Cimicifuga means "bed bug repeller".

<i>Actaea pachypoda</i> Species of plant

Actaea pachypoda, the white baneberry or doll's-eyes, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Actaea, of the family Ranunculaceae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huerteales</span> Order of flowering plants

Huerteales is the botanical name for an order of flowering plants. It is one of the 17 orders that make up the large eudicot group known as the rosids in the APG III system of plant classification. Within the rosids, it is one of the orders in Malvidae, a group formerly known as eurosids II and now known informally as the malvids. This is true whether Malvidae is circumscribed broadly to include eight orders as in APG III, or more narrowly to include only four orders. Huerteales consists of four small families, Petenaeaceae, Gerrardinaceae, Tapisciaceae, and Dipentodontaceae.

<i>Actaea rubra</i> Species of flowering plant

Actaea rubra, the red baneberry or chinaberry, is a poisonous herbaceous flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, native to North America.

<i>Beesia</i> Genus of flowering plants

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sophoreae</span> Tribe of legumes

The tribe Sophoreae is one of the subdivisions of the plant family Fabaceae. Traditionally this tribe has been used as a wastebasket taxon to accommodate genera of Faboideae which exhibit actinomorphic, rather than zygomorphic floral symmetry and/or incompletely differentiated petals and free stamens. Various morphological and molecular analyses indicated that Sophoreae as traditionally circumscribed was polyphyletic. This led to a re-circumscription of Sophoreae, which resulted in the transfer of many genera to other tribes. This also necessitated the inclusion of two former tribes, Euchresteae and Thermopsideae, in the new definition of Sophoreae. Tribe Sophoreae, as currently circumscribed, consistently forms a monophyletic clade in molecular phylogenetic analyses. The Sophoreae arose 40.8 ± 2.4 million years ago.

Alastair Culham is an English botanist. He is a member of the staff of the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Reading and Curator of the University of Reading Herbarium (RNG). He specialises in plant taxonomy, biosystematics and applications of techniques from molecular biology, phytogeography and phylogenetics. He focuses on broad-based research in biodiversity and taxonomy.

<i>Actaea elata</i> Species of flowering plant

Actaea elata is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family known by the common name tall bugbane. It is native to the Pacific Northwest of North America, where it can be found in British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon.

<i>Actaea simplex</i> Species of plant

Actaea simplex, the baneberry or bugbane, is a flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. A clump-forming rhizomatous herbaceous perennial, its native range includes the Kamchatka, Sakhalin and Siberian regions of Russia, western China, Manchuria, Mongolia, Korea and Japan. Plants may be harmful if eaten, and the sap may irritate the skin. The genus name Actaea is the Latin name adopted by Linnaeus from Pliny. The specific epithet simplex means simple or unbranched. The common name "bugbane" refers to the fact that the leaves' scent repels insects.

<i>Actaea matsumurae</i> Species of flowering plant

Actaea matsumurae, the Kamchatka bugbane or Japanese bugbane, is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, that is native to Japan, Mongolia and Eastern Russia. Other common names include baneberry, which is also applied to other Actaea species.

References

References

  1. "Actaea L." Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  2. Compton, James A.; Culham, Alastair; Jury, Stephen L. (1998). "Reclassification of Actaea to include Cimicifuga and Souliea (Ranunculaceae): Phytogeny inferred from morphology, nrDNA ITS, and cpDNA trnL-F sequence variation". Taxon. 47 (3): 593–634. doi: 10.2307/1223580 . JSTOR   1223580.
  3. Compton, James A.; Culham, Alastair (2002). "Phylogeny and Circumscription of Tribe Actaeeae (Ranunculaceae)". Systematic Botany. 27 (3): 502–511. doi:10.1043/0363-6445-27.3.502 (inactive 2024-09-12). JSTOR   3093958.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of September 2024 (link)
  4. Wang et al 2009.
  5. Plants of the World Online: Actaea L. (retrieved 7 October 2023)
  6. Gledhill, David (2008). "The Names of Plants". Cambridge University Press. ISBN   9780521866453 (hardback), ISBN   9780521685535 (paperback). p 35
  7. Camilla Bergstrøm. Feeding rabbits: Toxic plants
  8. Ali, Zulfiqar; Khan, Shabana; Khan, Ikhlas (2006). "Phytochemical Study of Actaea rubra and Biological Screenings of Isolates". Planta Medica. 72 (14): 1350–2. doi:10.1055/s-2006-951696. PMID   17024608. S2CID   31141951.
  9. Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West, Gregory L. Tilford, ISBN   0-87842-359-1 [ page needed ]

Bibliography

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