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Actaea rubra (Aiton) Willd.

Western red baneberry (en)

Species

Angiosperms > Ranunculales > Ranunculaceae > Actaea

Characteristics

Much like no. 2 [Actaea alba (L.) Mill.]; lfls commonly hairy at least on the veins beneath; pet spatulate to obovate; ovary wider than the stigma, narrowed above to a short beak; fruiting pedicels slender, 0.4-0.7 mm thick; fr red, rarely white; 2n=16. Rich woods; circumboreal, in Amer. from Lab. and Nf. to Alas., s. to Conn., n. N.J., n. Ind., Io., and Ariz. May-July. (A. eburnea; A. erythrocarpa; A. spicata var. rubra; A. alba of some authors, misapplied)
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Leaf blade: leaflets abaxially glabrous or pubescent. Inflorescences at anthesis often as long as wide, pyramidal. Flowers: petals acute to obtuse at apex; stigma nearly sessile, 0.7-1.2 mm diam. during anthesis, much narrower than ovary. Berries red or white, widely ellipsoid, 5-11 mm; pedicel dull green or brown, slender, 0.3-0.7 mm diam., thinner than axis of raceme. Seeds 2.9-3.6 mm. 2 n = 16.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) 0.1 - 0.5
Mature height (meter) 0.45 - 0.5
Root system fibrous-root rhizome
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 shady areas, mostly in deciduous forests but also in mixed coniferous forests, open pine or spruce woodlands, swales, stream banks and swamps from sea level to 3,500 metres.
Light 4-6
Soil humidity 5-7
Soil texture 2-5
Soil acidity 2-7
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 3-7

Usage

Uses environmental use medicinal poison
Edible -
Therapeutic use Poison (fruit), Dermatological Aid (leaf), Cold Remedy (root), Cough Medicine (root), Veterinary Aid (root), Ceremonial Medicine (root), Dermatological Aid (root), Dietary Aid (root), Gynecological Aid (root), Gastrointestinal Aid (root), Analgesic (root), Antirheumatic (Internal) (root), Blood Medicine (root), Poison (root), Venereal Aid (root), Antihemorrhagic (root), Antirheumatic (External) (root), Analgesic (unspecified), Gynecological Aid (unspecified), Cathartic (unspecified), Poison (unspecified), Pulmonary Aid (unspecified), Psychological Aid (unspecified), Cough (unspecified), Cold (unspecified), Diarrhea (unspecified), Laxative (unspecified), Rheumatism (unspecified)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by divisions or seedlings. Seeds needs stratification.
Mode divisions seedlings
Germination duration (days) 30 - 365
Germination temperacture (C°) 17 - 21
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment stratification
Minimum temperature (C°) -40
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Habit

Actaea rubra habit picture by PT (cc-by-sa)
Actaea rubra habit picture by Berthelot Chantal Marie (cc-by-sa)
Actaea rubra habit picture by Louise Guenette (cc-by-sa)

Leaf

Actaea rubra leaf picture by Lynda (cc-by-sa)
Actaea rubra leaf picture by Riley L (cc-by-sa)
Actaea rubra leaf picture by Benjamin Goron (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Actaea rubra flower picture by Gayle Bates (cc-by-sa)
Actaea rubra flower picture by heather alapi (cc-by-sa)
Actaea rubra flower picture by Eric Larsen (cc-by-sa)

Fruit

Actaea rubra fruit picture by Savannah (cc-by-sa)
Actaea rubra fruit picture by Samuel Mercier (cc-by-sa)
Actaea rubra fruit picture by Christine Wilson (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Actaea rubra world distribution map, present in Canada, China, Estonia, Finland, Japan, Kazakhstan, Liberia, Mongolia, Norway, Korea (Democratic People's Republic of), Russian Federation, Sweden, and United States of America

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:1082557-2
WFO ID wfo-0000519118
COL ID 9S54
BDTFX ID 164624
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Actaea erythrocarpa f. kamtschatika Actaea arguta Actaea aspleniifolia Actaea brachypetala Actaea californica Actaea caudata Actaea erythrocarpa Christophoriana rubra Actaea americana Actaea longipes Christophoriana alba Christophoriana arguta Dipleina umbellata Actaea rubra f. rubra Actaea alba Actaea spicata f. arguta Actaea viridiflora Actaea americana var. alba Actaea americana var. rubra Actaea arguta var. pauciflora Actaea arguta var. viridiflora Actaea brachypetala var. alba Actaea rubra var. arguta Actaea rubra subsp. arguta Actaea rubra var. dissecta Actaea rubra var. gigantea Actaea spicata var. arguta Actaea spicata subsp. arguta Actaea spicata var. dissecta Actaea spicata var. erythrocarpa Actaea spicata subsp. erythrocarpa Actaea spicata subsp. rubra Actaea viridiflora var. clementiorum Christophoriana arguta var. alabastrina Actaea spicata var. alba Actaea spicata var. rubra Actaea vulgaris var. erythrocarpa Actaea brachypetala var. rubra Actaea rubra f. arguta Actaea rubra subsp. rubra Actaea rubra var. rubra Actaea rubra var. arguta Actaea spicata subsp. arguta Actaea rubra
WorldFloraDB 2024