Actaea racemosa L.

Black cohosh (en)

Species

Angiosperms > Ranunculales > Ranunculaceae > Actaea

Characteristics

A perennial hermaphrodite deciduous herb. It grows 1.5m high.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support -
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) 0.5 - 0.6
Mature height (meter) 1.5
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color
Fruiting months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

Moist, mixed deciduous forests, wooded slopes, ravines, creek margins, thickets, moist meadowlands, forest margins, and especially mountainous terrain from sea level to 1,500 metres.
Light 4-6
Soil humidity 4-7
Soil texture 1-4
Soil acidity 3-8
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 4-7

Usage

Uses environmental use material medicinal poison
Edible leaves
Therapeutic use Angina pectoris, variant (root), Meningitis (root), Sciatica (root), Uterine diseases (root), Ataxia (root), Alterative (unspecified), Aphrodisiac (unspecified), Astringent (unspecified), Diuretic (unspecified), Emmenagogue (unspecified), Expectorant (unspecified), Nervine (unspecified), Sedative (unspecified), Stomachic (unspecified), Sudorific (unspecified), Spasm (unspecified), Bite(Snake) (unspecified), Bronchitis (unspecified), Cancer(Tongue) (unspecified), Chorea (unspecified), Dysmenorrhea (unspecified), Female (unspecified), Malaise (unspecified), Malaria (unspecified), Medicine (unspecified), Nerves (unspecified), Rheumatism (unspecified), Sore(Throat) (unspecified), Uterus (unspecified), Yellow Fever (unspecified), Kidney (unspecified), Tonic (unspecified), Itch (unspecified), Parturition (unspecified), Tumor (unspecified), Anodyne (unspecified), Hysteria (unspecified), Inflammation (unspecified), Skin (unspecified), Repellant(Insect) (unspecified), Lung (unspecified), Rash (unspecified), Antirheumatic agents (unspecified)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by divisions or seedlings. Seeds needs stratification.
Mode divisions seedlings
Germination duration (days) 36 - 204
Germination temperacture (C°) 17 - 18
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment stratification
Minimum temperature (C°) -35
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Habit

Actaea racemosa habit picture by Serena boettcher (cc-by-sa)

Leaf

Actaea racemosa leaf picture by Lynn Terrell-Stone (cc-by-sa)
Actaea racemosa leaf picture by Jesse Corriveau (cc-by-sa)
Actaea racemosa leaf picture by Coco (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Actaea racemosa flower picture by William Coville (cc-by-sa)
Actaea racemosa flower picture by Serena boettcher (cc-by-sa)
Actaea racemosa flower picture by Mimi Toohey (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Actaea racemosa world distribution map, present in Canada and United States of America

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:316204-2
WFO ID wfo-0000519114
COL ID 9S4V
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Actaea orthostachya Macrotrys actaeoides Macrotrys racemosa Actaea gyrostachya Actaea monogyna Botrophis actaeoides Botrophis pumila Botrophis serpentaria Cimicifuga americana Cimicifuga serpentaria Thalictrodes racemosa Cimicifuga serpentaria var. orthostachya Cimicifuga racemosa Actaea racemosa

Lower taxons

Actaea racemosa var. dissecta