Actaea rubifolia

Last updated

Actaea rubifolia
Appalachian-black-cohosh.jpg
Status TNC G3.svg
Vulnerable  (NatureServe) [1]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Ranunculales
Family: Ranunculaceae
Genus: Actaea
Species:
A. rubifolia
Binomial name
Actaea rubifolia
(Kearney) Kartesz
Synonyms
  • Cimicifuga rubifoliaKearney

Actaea rubifolia, commonly known as Appalachian black cohosh or Appalachian bugbane, is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family. The plant does well in alkaline soils [2] and mature forests. [1] The "bugbane" in the name refers to its flowers' unpleasant smell, which can repel insects. It is poisonous if consumed by humans. [3]

The plant produces flowers in the early fall from August to October, [1] and is distinctly identifiable by its large stamens and reduced white petals. [4]

The species is vulnerable to extinction; small populations exist in Tennessee, Virginia, Alabama, and the lower Ohio River Valley. [3]

Both Actaea rubifolia and Actaea podocarpa bear resemblance to black cohosh, which, due to its vasodilation properties, is valuable for the treatment of menopause symptoms; harvesters of black cohosh sometimes mistake A. podocarpa for black cohosh, accidentally harvesting it. [5]

Related Research Articles

<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>Actaea</i> (plant) Genus of plants

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.

<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".

Bugbane is a common name for several plants and may refer to:

<i>Caulophyllum thalictroides</i> Species of flowering plant

Caulophyllum thalictroides, the blue cohosh, is a species of flowering plant in the Berberidaceae (barberry) family. It is a medium-tall perennial with blue berry-like fruits and bluish-green foliage. The common name cohosh is probably from an Algonquian word meaning "rough". The Greek-derived genus name Caulophyllum signifies "stem-leaf", while the specific name thalictroides references the similarity between the large highly divided, multiple-compound leaves of meadow-rues and those of blue cohosh.

<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.

<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.

Black snakeroot may refer to:

Cohosh is a common name in the English language for several loosely related woodland herbs. The name may derive from Algonquian '*kkwὰhas', meaning 'rough', possibly describing leaves or compound flowers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Appalachian azure</span> Species of butterfly

The Appalachian azure is a butterfly in the gossamer wings family Lycaenidae. The male is light blue on the upperwing with a narrow, dark line running along the edge of the forewing. The underwing is chalky white and is dotted with small, pale dark spots. The very back of the hindwing has a row of dark spots running along the edge and contained by a faint zigzagging band. Females are similar to the males but have broad dark wing borders instead of the male's narrow ones. The adult butterfly has a 1.1–1.4-inch (2.8–3.6 cm) wingspan. It is the largest azure in the area.

<i>N</i>-Methylserotonin Chemical compound

N-Methylserotonin is a tryptamine alkaloid. Chemically, it is a derivative of serotonin in which a methyl group resides at its alkyl amine. It is also called Nω-methylserotonin (Nω-methyl-5-hydroxytryptamine) to distinguish it from tryptamine-derived compounds in which a methyl group is bonded to the nitrogen atom of the indole group.

<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 podocarpa</i> Species of plant

Actaea podocarpa, the mountain bugbane or mountain black-cohosh, is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family. It is native to the eastern United States, where it is found in the Appalachian Mountains, with a disjunct population in Illinois. It is found in rich, mesic forests often in boulder-strewn coves.

<i>Orbexilum pedunculatum</i> Species of legume

Orbexilum pedunculatum, commonly known as Sampson's snakeroot, is a species of flowering plant in the legume family. It is native primarily to the Southeastern United States where it is found in prairies and savannas, often in acidic soil. It is a perennial that produces racemes of flowers in early summer.

<i>Hypericum buckleyi</i> Species of flowering plant

Hypericum buckleyi, known as Blue Ride St. John's wort and Buckley's St. Johnswort, is a rare species of flowering plant in the family Hypericaceae found only in the Appalachian Mountains of the southeastern United States. The species is listed in the state of Georgia (S1), South Carolina (SX), and North Carolina (S3).

The Hunting Camp Creek Wilderness is an area protected by the Eastern Wilderness Act of Congress to maintain its present, natural condition. As part of the wilderness system, it helps to preserve a variety of natural life forms and contributes to a diversity of plant and animal gene pools. Over half of the ecosystems in the United States exist within designated wilderness.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garden Mountain Cluster</span> Protected natural area in Virginia, United States

The Garden Mountain Cluster is a region in the Jefferson National Forest recognized by The Wilderness Society for its diversity of habitats extending along the east, south and west of Burke's Garden. The cluster, part of the Appalachian Mountains in southwest Virginia, connects wildlands in the high country of Garden Mountain and adjacent streams and ridges in one of the most remote areas of Virginia.

<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

  1. 1 2 3 "NatureServe Explorer 2.0". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  2. "Actaea rubifolia". Native Plant Trust.
  3. 1 2 "Actaea rubifolia (Appalachian bugbane)". florafinder.org. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  4. "Cimicifuga rubifolia". illinoisbotanizer.com. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  5. Churchill, John B.; Brosi, Sunshine; Howell, James. "Risk Assessment to State Rare Mountain Bugbane in Western Maryland" (PDF).