OF THE CAROLINAS & GEORGIA

Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Ranunculales

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Actaea racemosa   FAMILY Ranunculaceae   Go to FSUS key



SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Actaea racemosa   FAMILY Ranunculaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)

Actaea racemosa

INCLUDING Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)

Actaea racemosa var. dissecta

INCLUDING Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)

Actaea racemosa var. racemosa

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 3 (1997)

Cimicifuga racemosa

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 076-09-001:

Cimicifuga racemosa   FAMILY Ranunculaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Cimicifuga racemosa

 

COMMON NAME:
Common Black Cohosh, Early Black Cohosh, Black Snakeroot, black bugbane


         To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.

image of Actaea racemosa, Common Black Cohosh, Early Black Cohosh, Black Snakeroot, black bugbane

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913    pnd_cira_001_lvd

        

image of Actaea racemosa, Common Black Cohosh, Early Black Cohosh, Black Snakeroot, black bugbane

JK Marlow    jkm120330_277

March    Pickens County    SC

Terminal leaflet with 3 major veins arising from the base, per Weakley's Flora.

image of Actaea racemosa, Common Black Cohosh, Early Black Cohosh, Black Snakeroot, black bugbane

JK Marlow    jkm110415_580

April    Carroll County    GA

image of Actaea racemosa, Common Black Cohosh, Early Black Cohosh, Black Snakeroot, black bugbane

JK Marlow    jkm160421_352

April    Sevier County    TN

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

image of Actaea racemosa, Common Black Cohosh, Early Black Cohosh, Black Snakeroot, black bugbane

JK Marlow    jkm060508_087

May    Macon County    NC

Nantahala National Forest: Wayah Ranger District

Black Cohosh on the left; Blue Cohosh on the right.

image of Actaea racemosa, Common Black Cohosh, Early Black Cohosh, Black Snakeroot, black bugbane

JK Marlow    jkm070526_087

May    Polk County    NC

image of Actaea racemosa, Common Black Cohosh, Early Black Cohosh, Black Snakeroot, black bugbane

JK Marlow    jkm070526_089

May    Polk County    NC

Black Cohosh on the left; False Goatsbeard on the right.

image of Actaea racemosa, Common Black Cohosh, Early Black Cohosh, Black Snakeroot, black bugbane

JK Marlow    jkm110513_474

May    Greenville County    SC

Camp Old Indian

image of Actaea racemosa, Common Black Cohosh, Early Black Cohosh, Black Snakeroot, black bugbane

JK Marlow    jkm0506e_15

June    Rutherford County    NC

Chimney Rock Park

Leaflets broad, coarsely toothed; terminal leaflet generally 3-lobed, per Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005).


click here to see other plants that look similar to this COMPARE compound leaves of woodland herbs, with toothed margins

image of Actaea racemosa, Common Black Cohosh, Early Black Cohosh, Black Snakeroot, black bugbane

JK Marlow    jkm120617_980

June    Spartanburg County    SC

image of Actaea racemosa, Common Black Cohosh, Early Black Cohosh, Black Snakeroot, black bugbane

JK Marlow    jkm120617_982

June    Spartanburg County    SC

image of Actaea racemosa, Common Black Cohosh, Early Black Cohosh, Black Snakeroot, black bugbane

JK Marlow    jkm210619_1417

June    Greenville County    SC

Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area

The petals are absent, but the flowers have numerous showy white stamens, per Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005).

image of Actaea racemosa, Common Black Cohosh, Early Black Cohosh, Black Snakeroot, black bugbane

JK Marlow    jkm210619_1431

June    Greenville County    SC

Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area

Flower stalks 3-8' tall w tassel-like flowers in long narrow arching racemes, per Wildflowers & Plant Communities of the Southern Appalachian Mountains and Piedmont (Spira, 2011).


click here to see other plants that look similar to this COMPARE Cohosh, Doll's-eyes, and Goatsbeard

image of Actaea racemosa, Common Black Cohosh, Early Black Cohosh, Black Snakeroot, black bugbane

Jerry Bright    jeb_mg_5426

July    Haywood County    NC

Pisgah National Forest: Pisgah Ranger District

image of Actaea racemosa, Common Black Cohosh, Early Black Cohosh, Black Snakeroot, black bugbane

JK Marlow    jkm200717_6611

July    Jackson County    NC

Nantahala National Forest

The numerous stamens give the long narrow inflorescence its fuzzy appearance, per Wildflowers & Plant Communities of the Southern Appalachian Mountains and Piedmont (Spira, 2011).

image of Actaea racemosa, Common Black Cohosh, Early Black Cohosh, Black Snakeroot, black bugbane

JK Marlow    jkm230720_4652

July    Greenville County    SC

Chestnut Ridge Heritage Preserve

image of Actaea racemosa, Common Black Cohosh, Early Black Cohosh, Black Snakeroot, black bugbane

JK Marlow    jkm210824_3016

August    Greenville County    SC

Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area

Follicles 5-8mm long, 4-5mm broad, broadly ellipsoid, pubescent, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).

image of Actaea racemosa, Common Black Cohosh, Early Black Cohosh, Black Snakeroot, black bugbane

JK Marlow    jkm0509f_32

September    Greenville County    SC

SC Native Plant Society Plant Sale

The sepals fall off as the flower opens, per Wildflowers & Plant Communities of the Southern Appalachian Mountains and Piedmont (Spira, 2011).

image of Actaea racemosa, Common Black Cohosh, Early Black Cohosh, Black Snakeroot, black bugbane

JK Marlow    jkm111008_940

October    Jackson County    NC

Balsam Mountain Preserve

Petiole of basal leaves terete, not grooved (or with an early shallow groove), per Weakley's Flora.

image of Actaea racemosa, Common Black Cohosh, Early Black Cohosh, Black Snakeroot, black bugbane

JK Marlow    jkm211106_4767

November    Pickens County    SC

Palmetto Trail

image of Actaea racemosa, Common Black Cohosh, Early Black Cohosh, Black Snakeroot, black bugbane

JK Marlow    jkm221103_0549

November    Pickens County    SC

Nine Times Preserve

 

 

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Actaea racemosa   FAMILY Ranunculaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Actaea racemosa   FAMILY Ranunculaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Actaea racemosa

INCLUDING Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Actaea racemosa var. dissecta

INCLUDING Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Actaea racemosa var. racemosa

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 3
Cimicifuga racemosa

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 076-09-001:
Cimicifuga racemosa   FAMILY Ranunculaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Cimicifuga racemosa

 

Find by SCIENTIFIC NAME:

328

Forb
Perennial

Habitat: Rich cove forests, other mesic and moderately to very fertile forests, per Weakley's Flora

Native to the Carolinas & Georgia

Common (rare in Coastal Plain)

map
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.

Click here to see a map showing all occurrences known to SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria. (Zoom in to see more detail.)

LEAVES:
Complexly compound, with 2+ levels of pinnate and/or ternate compoundness
Alternate & basal

FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
White
4 sepals (usually)
Petals absent
Superior ovary

FRUIT:
Spring/Summer
Follicle

 

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!



 


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