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.
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 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 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
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), but all parts of the plant have some level of toxicity. Baneberries contain the glycoside ranunculin and other irritant compounds.[7] The particular Actaea species Actaea pachypoda (white baneberry or "doll’s eyes") and Actaea rubra (red baneberry) are toxic to humans primarily due to protoanemonin. Protoanemonin is produced when plant tissue is damaged, such as by chewing, and it acts as a potent irritant to the mucous membranes. When ingested, it can cause symptoms such as a burning sensation in the mouth and throat, excessive salivation, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea.[8] In addition to protoanemonin, baneberry contains other compounds with cardiotoxic effects. These can interfere with heart function, leading to symptoms such as dizziness, heart palpitations, and in severe cases, cardiac arrest and death. Poisonings in adults are rare because the berries have an extremely bitter taste that typically discourages consumption. Human or livestock fatalities associated with baneberry have not been confirmed in the United States.[9]
Children have been poisoned by eating the waxy, shiny red or white berries. It is also toxic to rabbits.[10] 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-sitosterolglucoside.[11]
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.[12]
↑ 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 11 July 2025). JSTOR3093958.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link)
↑ "Baneberry". Colorado State University. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
↑ Hack, Jason (15 December 2020). "Toxicology Answer: What Are the Side Effects of Chewing This Beautiful Bloom?". ACEP Now. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Clematis and other plants in the buttercup family contain the compound ranunculin. Ranunculin is a glycosidic precursor that gets converted to the vesicant protoanemonin by enzymes released when the plant is chewed. This toxic compound is in highest concentration in the leaves and sap and can cause irritation and skin blistering. If eaten, it will cause burning of mouth and mucous membranes, salivation, abdominal pain and cramping, nausea, and vomiting. Hematuria and renal function effects have also been described.
Compton, James A.; Culham, Alastair (2002). "Phylogeny and Circumscription of Tribe Actaeeae (Ranunculaceae)". Systematic Botany. 27 (3): 502–11. doi:10.1043/0363-6445-27.3.502 (inactive 11 July 2025). JSTOR3093958.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link)
Wang, Wei; Lu, An-Ming; Ren, Yi; Endress, Mary E.; Chen, Zhi-Duan (January 2009). "Phylogeny and classification of Ranunculales: Evidence from four molecular loci and morphological data". Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics. 11 (2): 81–110. Bibcode:2009PPEES..11...81W. doi:10.1016/j.ppees.2009.01.001.
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