Caulophyllum
Encyclopedia
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 fruit
s. Unlike many spring wildflowers, it is not an ephemeral plant
and persists throughout much of the summer. Common names for plants in this genus include Blue Cohosh, Squaw Root, and Papoose Root. As hinted at by its common names, this plant is well known as an alternative medicine
for inducing childbirth
and menstrual
flow; it is also considered a poison
ous plant.
s with each stem bearing normally one, but on large stems two, large triple-compound leafs which the casual observer might assume to be several smaller leaves arranged on three separate branches. Each leaflet ends in three to five distinct tips. Plants produce under ground stems called rhizome
s that give rise to the leaves each spring and in the fall when the foliage dies back a scar is left on the rhizome and a new bud is formed that will grow into the foliage next spring. Plants are long lived and can live for more than 50 years, they are found in wooded locations with moisture retentive soils.
In April or May, each mature stem bears a spike of flower
s. Each flower has six petal-like sepal
s which range from greenish-yellow to purple. The different rates of maturity between the stamen
s and the pistil insures cross pollination
. There are six fleshy nectar glands at the base of each sepal
which attract pollinator
s. Each fertilized flower matures into a large (1 cm) deep-blue berry-like fruit which houses two bitter seed
s. The large seeds are covered with a characteristic blue coat and the fruits remain on the plants until fall. Seed germination can take a few years and the seedlings are hypogeal, the cotyledons remaining underground after germination and seedling emergence, the seedlings need a few years of growth before they are large enough to flower.
recognizes Caulophyllum giganteum, as a distinct species rather than a subspecies of Caulophyllum thalictroides. Caulophyllum giganteum is slightly larger, has a more northerly (but overlapping) distribution, and blooms two weeks earlier than Caulophyllum thalictroides. Caulophyllum giganteum also has fewer flowers, that are consistently purplish.
damage. The powdered roots have been shown to cause dermatitis
and irritation of the mucus membranes.
substitute; this beverage does not contain caffeine
.
Historically the root of Caulophyllum has been used as a medicine for: cancer
, internal parasites
, smooth muscle
function, spasm
s, diuretic
, menstruation
, and childbirth
. It is best known for the latter two uses. Various Native American
tribes are also recorded as having used this plant for similar medicinal purposes. While no current widely marketed medicines are based on this plant, modern herbalist
s and practitioners of alternative medicine
still utilize this plant as a natural therapy. Research on the medicinal potentials of this plant are ongoing.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of perennial herbs in the 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...
. It is native to eastern Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and 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...
. 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 fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
s. Unlike many spring wildflowers, it is not an ephemeral plant
Ephemeral Plant
An ephemeral plant is one marked by short life cycles, usually six to eight weeks. The word ephemeral means transitory or quickly fading. In regards to plants, it refers to several distinct growth strategies...
and persists throughout much of the summer. Common names for plants in this genus include Blue Cohosh, Squaw Root, and Papoose Root. As hinted at by its common names, this plant is well known as an alternative medicine
Alternative medicine
Alternative medicine is any healing practice, "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine." It is based on historical or cultural traditions, rather than on scientific evidence....
for inducing childbirth
Childbirth
Childbirth is the culmination of a human pregnancy or gestation period with the birth of one or more newborn infants from a woman's uterus...
and menstrual
Menstruation
Menstruation is the shedding of the uterine lining . It occurs on a regular basis in sexually reproductive-age females of certain mammal species. This article focuses on human menstruation.-Overview:...
flow; it is also considered a poison
Poison
In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
ous plant.
Description
These large, smooth plants (0.3–0.9 m tall) have a single to few stemPlant stem
A stem is one of two main structural axes of a vascular plant. The stem is normally divided into nodes and internodes, the nodes hold buds which grow into one or more leaves, inflorescence , conifer cones, roots, other stems etc. The internodes distance one node from another...
s with each stem bearing normally one, but on large stems two, large triple-compound leafs which the casual observer might assume to be several smaller leaves arranged on three separate branches. Each leaflet ends in three to five distinct tips. Plants produce under ground stems called rhizome
Rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
s that give rise to the leaves each spring and in the fall when the foliage dies back a scar is left on the rhizome and a new bud is formed that will grow into the foliage next spring. Plants are long lived and can live for more than 50 years, they are found in wooded locations with moisture retentive soils.
In April or May, each mature stem bears a spike of flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s. Each flower has six petal-like sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s which range from greenish-yellow to purple. The different rates of maturity between the stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s and the pistil insures cross pollination
Pollination
Pollination is the process by which pollen is transferred in plants, thereby enabling fertilisation and sexual reproduction. Pollen grains transport the male gametes to where the female gamete are contained within the carpel; in gymnosperms the pollen is directly applied to the ovule itself...
. There are six fleshy nectar glands at the base of each sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
which attract pollinator
Pollinator
A pollinator is the biotic agent that moves pollen from the male anthers of a flower to the female stigma of a flower to accomplish fertilization or syngamy of the female gamete in the ovule of the flower by the male gamete from the pollen grain...
s. Each fertilized flower matures into a large (1 cm) deep-blue berry-like fruit which houses two bitter seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s. The large seeds are covered with a characteristic blue coat and the fruits remain on the plants until fall. Seed germination can take a few years and the seedlings are hypogeal, the cotyledons remaining underground after germination and seedling emergence, the seedlings need a few years of growth before they are large enough to flower.
Species
All species in this genus are very similar. Until recently, this genus was considered to be composed of only two species, however the Flora of North AmericaFlora of North America
The Flora of North America North of Mexico is a multivolume work describing the native plants of North America. These days much of the Flora is available . The work is expected to fill 30 volumes when completed...
recognizes Caulophyllum giganteum, as a distinct species rather than a subspecies of Caulophyllum thalictroides. Caulophyllum giganteum is slightly larger, has a more northerly (but overlapping) distribution, and blooms two weeks earlier than Caulophyllum thalictroides. Caulophyllum giganteum also has fewer flowers, that are consistently purplish.
- Caulophyllum thalictroides -Blue CohoshBlue CohoshBlue cohosh a species of Caulophyllum and family Berberidaceae, also called squaw root or papoose root, is a flowering plant in the Berberidaceae family...
(E. North America) - Caulophyllum giganteum -Giant Blue Cohosh (E. North America)
- Caulophyllum robustum -Asian Blue Cohosh (Japan, E. Asia)
Uses
These poisonous plants has been used for many things throughout history, the three similar species generally have similar properties and uses. This plant is occasionally used in woodland gardens as an ornamental. Children should not be allowed to eat the attractive blue fruits, as these plants contain chemicals that are known to cause cellCell (biology)
The cell is the basic structural and functional unit of all known living organisms. It is the smallest unit of life that is classified as a living thing, and is often called the building block of life. The Alberts text discusses how the "cellular building blocks" move to shape developing embryos....
damage. The powdered roots have been shown to cause dermatitis
Dermatitis
-Etymology:Dermatitis derives from Greek derma "skin" + -itis "inflammation" and genetic disorder.-Terminology:There are several different types of dermatitis. The different kinds usually have in common an allergic reaction to specific allergens. The term may describe eczema, which is also called...
and irritation of the mucus membranes.
Food
Historically, the roasted seeds have been used as a coffeeCoffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
substitute; this beverage does not contain caffeine
Caffeine
Caffeine is a bitter, white crystalline xanthine alkaloid that acts as a stimulant drug. Caffeine is found in varying quantities in the seeds, leaves, and fruit of some plants, where it acts as a natural pesticide that paralyzes and kills certain insects feeding on the plants...
.
Medicine
WARNING: This plants should not be used by pregnant women. As this is a known poisonous plant, care should be taken by anyone using this plant.Historically the root of Caulophyllum has been used as a medicine for: cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, internal parasites
Parasitism
Parasitism is a type of symbiotic relationship between organisms of different species where one organism, the parasite, benefits at the expense of the other, the host. Traditionally parasite referred to organisms with lifestages that needed more than one host . These are now called macroparasites...
, smooth muscle
Smooth muscle
Smooth muscle is an involuntary non-striated muscle. It is divided into two sub-groups; the single-unit and multiunit smooth muscle. Within single-unit smooth muscle tissues, the autonomic nervous system innervates a single cell within a sheet or bundle and the action potential is propagated by...
function, spasm
Spasm
In medicine a spasm is a sudden, involuntary contraction of a muscle, a group of muscles, or a hollow organ, or a similarly sudden contraction of an orifice. It is sometimes accompanied by a sudden burst of pain, but is usually harmless and ceases after a few minutes...
s, diuretic
Diuretic
A diuretic provides a means of forced diuresis which elevates the rate of urination. There are several categories of diuretics. All diuretics increase the excretion of water from bodies, although each class does so in a distinct way.- Medical uses :...
, menstruation
Menstruation
Menstruation is the shedding of the uterine lining . It occurs on a regular basis in sexually reproductive-age females of certain mammal species. This article focuses on human menstruation.-Overview:...
, and childbirth
Childbirth
Childbirth is the culmination of a human pregnancy or gestation period with the birth of one or more newborn infants from a woman's uterus...
. It is best known for the latter two uses. Various Native American
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...
tribes are also recorded as having used this plant for similar medicinal purposes. While no current widely marketed medicines are based on this plant, modern herbalist
Herbalist
An herbalist is:#A person whose life is dedicated to the economic or medicinal uses of plants.#One skilled in the harvesting and collection of medicinal plants ....
s and practitioners of alternative medicine
Alternative medicine
Alternative medicine is any healing practice, "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine." It is based on historical or cultural traditions, rather than on scientific evidence....
still utilize this plant as a natural therapy. Research on the medicinal potentials of this plant are ongoing.