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mountain bugbane
Scientific Name: Actaea podocarpa
Family: Ranunculaceae
Category: Dicot
Growth: Forb/herb
Duration: Perennial
Other Names:
Mountain Bugbane (Actaea podocarpa)
Actaea podocarpa, commonly known as mountain bugbane or mountain black-cohosh, is a perennial herb belonging to the Buttercup family (Ranunculaceae). Other common names include American bugbane, bugbane, mountain rattle-top, and summer cohosh.
Considerations for Pets
- The plant has been referred to as "bugbane," which, although aimed at insects, may indicate the presence of substances with a strong odor or taste.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Scientific Name: Actaea podocarpa DC.
- Family: Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family)
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Synonyms:
- Actaea cordifolia
- Cimicifuga americana Michx.
- Cimicifuga cordifolia
Distribution and Habitat
- Native to the Appalachian region.
- Found on northern slopes, such as those in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.
- Also found in Garrett County, Maryland, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Morphological Characteristics
- Perennial herb that grows up to 1.5 meters tall.
- Leaves are compound, toothed, and deeply cleft.
- Produces vertical wands of white flowers.
- Can reach a size of 8 x 3.3 feet, but rarely over 6.5 feet.
- Ridge on stem used to disambiguate A. podocarpa from Black cohosh (Actaea racemosa).