22 RANUNCULACE^. Act^ea. 



2. AcTiEA ALBA, Bigcl. H kite Cohosh. 



Raceme oblong ; pedicels as long as ihe flower, much thickened in fruit ; petals oblong, 

 truncate at tlie apex, shorter than the stamens; fruit roundish-ovoid, (white.) — Bigel. ft. 

 Bost. jp. 21 1 ; Hook.fl. Bor.-Am. l.p.27 ; Torr. ^- Gr.fl. N. Am. 1. p. 35. A. Americana, 

 var. alba, Pursh,fl. 2. p. 336. A. spicata, var. alba, Michx.fl. \.p. 308. A. brachypetala, 

 var. a. & S. DC. prodr. l.p. 65. 



Plant about two feet high ; in foliage and inflorescence resembling the preceding species. 

 Petals often emarginate or two-toothed at the apex. Pedicels of the flowers nearly as thick 

 as the peduncle, at length i - 1 inch long, spreading, red. Berry about one-third of an inch 

 in diameter, milk-white, and often tipped with purple. 



Rocky woods ; more common than the preceding in the southern counties. Fl. May. Fr. 

 Aug. - Sept. A mild astringent and tonic (See Wood <^ Backers U. S. Dispens. app. 1067). 

 These two species are generally very distinct, and easily recognized by their peduncles and 

 berries ; but intermediate forms now and then occur. Dr. Knieskern found, in Cattaraugus 

 county, an Actsea with thick peduncles and red berries. He did not find it in flower. 



13. CIMICIFUGA. Linn.; Juss. gen. p. 23^. BUGBANE. 



[From the Latin, cimex, a bug, andfugo, todrive away.] 



Sepals 4-5. Petals (or staminodia) 3-5, concave or unguiculate, sometimes by abortion 

 fewer or none. Stamens numerous : anthers introrse. Style short : stigma simple. Car- 

 pels 1—8, follicular, many-seeded. — Perennial herbs. Leaves bi-triternately divided; 

 segments incisely serrate. Flowers in virgate racemes, white. 



^. Macrotys, Raf. Monogi/nous: carpels subglobose: seeds compressed, smooth, horizontal : stami- 

 nodia several, very small, with long claws. (Botrophis, Raf. ; Fisch. ^ Meyer.) 



1. CiMiciFUGA RACEMosA, Ell. (Plate IV). Block Snake-root. Rattle-weed. 



Racemes very long ; leaflets ovate-oblong, incisely-toothed ; staminodia slender, 2-forked. — 

 Ell. sk. 2. p. 16 ; Torr. compend. p. 219 ; Torr. ^ Gr. fl. N. Am. 1. p. 36. Actaea race- 

 mosa, Linn, amcen. acad. l.p. 193. t. 4; Michx. fl. l.p. 308; DC. prodr. l.p. 64 ; Hook, 

 fl. Bor.-Am. I. p. 27. Macrotys actaeoides, Raf. in Desv. jour. hot. 2. p. 170. Botrophis 

 serpentaria, Raf. med. fl. l.p. 85. B. actaeoides, Fischer <^ Meyer, ind. sem. St. Petersb. 

 1835. Christiphoriana, ^-c. Dill. Elth. 79. t. 67. f. 78. 



Root thick and knotted, with long fibres. Stem 3-8 feet high, smooth and furrowed, 

 leafy near the middle. Leaves triternate ; leaflets 2-3 inches long. Racemes compound, 

 terminal, 6-12 inches long : pedicels 3-4 lines long, bracteate. Flowers very foetid. 

 Stamens very numerous, white. Sepals roundish-ovate, very caducous, greenish white. 

 Staminodia 4-8, cleft nearly half way down. Carpels globose-ovoid, obliquely beaked 

 with the short thick persistent style. Seeds 7-8, angular. 



