70 



llANUNCULACE^. 



Actaea alba Bigelow. — While Baneberry. 



Description. — Calyx : sepals 4, oblong, white. Corolla : petals 4 to 8, as 

 long as the stamens, slender, mostly truncate at the ends, stamen-like, 

 white ; filaments shorter than in the preceding species. Ovary and stigma 

 like those of the preceding. Berries white, tipped with red, about 8-seed- 

 ed, on thickened, red pedicels the size of the common peduncle. Stem and 

 leaves larger and rather smoother than the preceding. Ithizome similar. 



Fro. "J!).— Actaea nlba. 



Racemes oblong, the flowers appearing a week or two later than those of 

 the otliGi" species. 



Habitat. — Rich woods from Canada to Georgia and westward to the 

 Mississippi. 



Parts Used, — The rhizome and roots — not official. 



Gonslituents. — Nothing definite is known as to the composition of these 

 plants, though they are supposed to possess proijerties similar to those of 

 cimicifuga. 



rreparations. — There are no commercial pre^^arations of the American 



