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Actaea (ancient name of the elder, transferred by Linnaeus). Ranunculaceae. Actea. Baneberry. Cohobh. Native hardy herbacous perennials. Sometimes offered in collections of hardy border plants. Not to be confounded with blue cohosh, which is Caulophyllum.

Actaea (ancient name of the elder, transferred by Linnaeus). Ranunculaceae. Actea. Baneberry. Cohobh. Native hardy herbacous perennials. Sometimes offered in collections of hardy border plants. Not to be confounded with blue cohosh, which is Caulophyllum.

Leaflets of the twice- or thrice-ter- nate lvs. ovate, sharply cleft, and cut- toothed: fls. small, white, in terminal aureum. racemes; sepals .4 or 5, falling early; petals 4-10, clawed; stamens many: fr. a many-seeded berry.

Leaflets of the twice- or thrice-ter- nate lvs. ovate, sharply cleft, and cut- toothed: fls. small, white, in terminal aureum. racemes; sepals .4 or 5, falling early; petals 4-10, clawed; stamens many: fr. a many-seeded berry.

Acteas are grown chiefly for the showy spikes of small white flowers in spring, and handsome clusters of berries in autumn. Useful for rockery and wild garden, or for clumps and borders. They thrive in rich woods and shade.

Acteas are grown chiefly for the showy spikes of small white flowers in spring, and handsome clusters of berries in autumn. Useful for rockery and wild garden, or for clumps and borders. They thrive in rich woods and shade.{{SCH}}

Propagation is by seeds sown in late fall to germinate the next spring or sown in spring. Old seed is said not to germinate well. A more satisfactory means of propagation is by root-division in spring.

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===Propagation===

Propagation is by seeds sown in late fall to germinate the next spring or sown in spring{{SCH}}. Old seed is said not to germinate well{{SCH}}. A more satisfactory means of propagation is by root-division in spring{{SCH}}.

| color = lightgreen

| name = ''Actaea''

| image = Actaea erythrocarpa0.jpg

| image_width = 240px

| image_caption = ''[[Actaea rubra]]''

| regnum = [[Plant]]ae

| genus_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]

}}

[[Image:Actaea-pachypoda.jpg|thumb|''Actaea pachypoda'' (White Baneberry)]]

'''''Actaea''''' ('''baneberry''' or '''bugbane''') is a [[genus]] of [[flowering plant]]s belonging to the family [[Ranunculaceae]], native to temperate regions of the [[Northern Hemisphere]].

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The genus is closely related to ''[[Cimicifuga]]'' and ''[[Souliea]]'', and many botanists include those genera within ''Actaea'' (e.g. Compton et al. 1998, Compton & Culham 2002, Gao et al. 2006, RHS Plant Finder, 2007) based on combined evidence from DNA sequence data, similarity in biochemical constituents and on morphology; if included, the number of species in ''Actaea'' rises to 25-30. Other botanists (e.g. Hoffman 1999, Wang et al. 1999, Lee & Park 2004) reject this merger because only one group (Actaea) have fleshy fruit while the remainder have dry fruit. The genus is treated here in its narrow sense, comprising four to eight species.

The genus is closely related to ''[[Cimicifuga]]'' and ''[[Souliea]]'', and many botanists include those genera within ''Actaea'' (e.g. Compton et al. 1998, Compton & Culham 2002, Gao et al. 2006, RHS Plant Finder, 2007) based on combined evidence from DNA sequence data, similarity in biochemical constituents and on morphology; if included, the number of species in ''Actaea'' rises to 25-30{{wp}}. Other botanists (e.g. Hoffman 1999, Wang et al. 1999, Lee & Park 2004) reject this merger because only one group (Actaea) have fleshy fruit while the remainder have dry fruit{{wp}}. The genus is treated here in its narrow sense, comprising four to eight species{{wp}}.

;Selected species

;Selected species{{wp}}

*''[[Actaea asiatica]]''  

*''[[Actaea asiatica]]''  

*''[[Actaea pachypoda]]'' - White Baneberry, White Cohosh, Doll's Eyes

*''[[Actaea pachypoda]]'' - White Baneberry{{SSN}}, White Cohosh, Doll's Eyes{{SSN}}

*''[[Actaea rubra]]'' (syn. ''Actaea erythrocarpa'') - Red Baneberry

*''[[Actaea rubra]]'' (syn. ''Actaea erythrocarpa'') - Red Baneberry{{SSN}}

*''[[Actaea spicata]]'' (syn. ''Actaea alba'') - Baneberry, Herb Christopher

*''[[Actaea spicata]]'' (syn. ''Actaea alba'') - Baneberry, Herb Christopher

The name ''Actaea alba'' (L.) Mill. is a confused one (Fernald 1940); although described as an American species (now named ''A. pachypoda''), the illustration on which the description was based was actually a picture of the European ''A. spicata'', and strictly, the name is therefore a [[synonymy|synonym]] of the European species. Some texts however still treat ''A. pachypoda'' under this name.

The name ''Actaea alba'' (L.) Mill. is a confused one (Fernald 1940); although described as an American species (now named ''A. pachypoda''), the illustration on which the description was based was actually a picture of the European ''A. spicata'', and strictly, the name is therefore a [[synonymy|synonym]] of the European species{{wp}}. Some texts however still treat ''A. pachypoda'' under this name{{wp}}.

 

''Actaea'' is recorded as a food plant for the [[larva]] of the [[Dot Moth]].  

Image:Upload.png| photo 1

==References==

==References==

* Compton, J. A., Culham, A. & Jury, S. L. (1998). Reclassification of Actaea to include Cimicifuga and Souliea (Ranunculaceae): Phylogeny inferred from morphology, nrDNA ITS, and cpDNA trnL-F sequence variation. ''Taxon'' 47: 593–634.

*[[Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture]], by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

* Compton, JA & Culham, A., 2002. Phylogeny and circumscription of tribe Actaeeae (Ranunculaceae). Syst. Bot., 27(3): 502-511

<!--- xxxxx  *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381  -->

* Fernald, M. L. 1940. What is Actaea alba? ''Rhodora'' 42: 260-265.

<!--- xxxxx  *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432  -->

* Gao, J-C., Zhang, J-C., Lu, Z-J, Zhu G-Y, Yang, M-S & Xiao, P-G, 2006. Chemical constituents of Actaea asiatica Hara and their anti-osteoporosis activities Biochemical Systematics and Ecology, 34(9): 710-713

<!--- xxxxx  *Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608  -->

* Hoffman, M. H. 1999. The phylogeny of Actaea (Ranunculaceae): a biogeographical approach. ''Pl. Syst. Evol''. 216: 251–263.

* Lee, H.-W. & Park, C.-W. (2004). New Taxa of Cimicifuga (Ranunculaceae) from Korea and the United States. ''Novon'' 14: 180–184 (available [http://www.fna.org/china/novon/novo-14-02-180.pdf online (pdf file)].

* RHS Plant Finder http://www.rhs.org.uk/rhsplantfinder/plantfinder.asp

* Wang, W. T., Li, L.-Q. & Wang, Z. (1999). Notulae de Ran-unculaceis Sinensibus XXIII. ''Acta Phytotax. Sin''. 37: 209–219.

* [http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/genus.pl?146 Germplasm Resources Information Network: ''Actaea''] (treats genus in broad sense)

{{commonscat|Actaea}}

*{{wplink}}

[[Category:Ranunculaceae]]

[[Category:Categorize]]

{{Ranunculales-stub}}

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