Blue Cohosh
Encyclopedia
Blue cohosh a species of Caulophyllum
and family Berberidaceae
, also called squaw root (a name often used for the parasitic flowering plant, Conopholis americana
) or papoose root, is a flowering plant
in the Berberidaceae
(barberry
) family. It is a medium-tall perennial
with blue berry-like fruits and bluish-green foliage.
by American Indians
. Many Native American tribes and later European herbologists and mid-wives would use this herb in conjunction with other herbs and fluids for abortive and contraceptive purposes.
) and those of Blue Cohosh.
It is found in hardwood forest of the eastern United States
, and favors moist coves and hillsides, generally in shady locations, in rich soil.
Black Cohosh (Actaea racemosa), although similarly named, is actually a plant in a separate genus.
Blue Cohosh grows in eastern North America
, from Manitoba
and Oklahoma
east to the Atlantic Ocean
.
Caulophyllum
Caulophyllum is a small genus of perennial herbs in the family Berberidaceae. It is native to eastern Asia and eastern North America. These plants are distinctive spring wildflowers, which grow in moist, rich woodland, it is known for its large triple-compound leaf, and large blue, berry-like fruits...
and family Berberidaceae
Berberidaceae
Berberidaceae are a family of 15 genera flowering plants commonly called the barberry family. This family is in the order Ranunculales. The family contains about 570 species, of which the majority are in Berberis...
, also called squaw root (a name often used for the parasitic flowering plant, Conopholis americana
Conopholis americana
Conopholis americana, American cancer-root or squawroot or bear corn, is a perennial, non-photosynthesizing parasitic plant, from the family Orobanchaceae and more recently from the genus Conopholis but also listed as Orobanche, native but not endemic to North America and when blooming, resembles...
) or papoose root, is a flowering plant
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
in the Berberidaceae
Berberidaceae
Berberidaceae are a family of 15 genera flowering plants commonly called the barberry family. This family is in the order Ranunculales. The family contains about 570 species, of which the majority are in Berberis...
(barberry
Berberis
Berberis , the barberries or pepperidge bushes, is a genus of about 450-500 species of deciduous and evergreen shrubs from 1-5 m tall with thorny shoots, native to the temperate and subtropical regions of Europe, Asia, Africa, North America and South America. They are closely related to the genus...
) family. It is a medium-tall perennial
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
with blue berry-like fruits and bluish-green foliage.
Uses
It was used as a medicinal herbHerbalism
Herbalism is a traditional medicinal or folk medicine practice based on the use of plants and plant extracts. Herbalism is also known as botanical medicine, medical herbalism, herbal medicine, herbology, herblore, and phytotherapy...
by American Indians
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
. Many Native American tribes and later European herbologists and mid-wives would use this herb in conjunction with other herbs and fluids for abortive and contraceptive purposes.
Characteristics
From the single stalk rising from the ground, there is a single, large, three-branched leaf plus a fruiting stalk. The bluish-green leaflets are tulip-shaped, entire at the base but serrate at the tip. Its species name, thalictroides, comes from the similarity between the large highly divided, multiple-compound leaves of Meadow-rue (ThalictrumThalictrum
Thalictrum is a genus of 120-200 species of herbaceous perennial flowering plants in the buttercup family native mostly to temperate regions....
) and those of Blue Cohosh.
It is found in hardwood forest of the eastern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and favors moist coves and hillsides, generally in shady locations, in rich soil.
Black Cohosh (Actaea racemosa), although similarly named, is actually a plant in a separate genus.
Blue Cohosh grows in eastern North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, from Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
and Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
east to the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
.
External links
- USDA page for Caulophyllum thalictroides
- Blue Cohosh page from eFloras site