22 RANUNCULACE^. Act^a. 



2. AcT^A ALBA, Bigel. ^' hite CoJiosh. 



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

 truncate at the apex, siiorter than the stamens; fruit roundish-ovoid, (white.) — Bigel. f. 

 Bost. p. 21 1 ; Ilook.fl. Bor.-A?n. l.p.27 ; Torr. ^ Gr.fl. N. Am. \.p. 35. A. Americana, 

 var. alba, Pursh,fl. 2. p. 336. A. spicata, var. alba, Midix.fl. I. p. 308. A. brachypetala, 

 var. a. & S. DC. j)rodr. l.^j. 65. 



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

 Petals often cmarginate 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-while, and often tipped with purj)le. 



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

 Aug. - Sept. A mild astringent and tonic (See Wood <J- Bache's U. S. Dispcns. 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 Aetata with thick peduncles and red berries. He did not find it in flower. 



13. CIMICIFUGA. Linn. ; Juss. gen. p. 234:. BUGBANE. 



[From the Latin, cimex, a bug, unifugo, to drive 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-lriternately divided; 

 segments incisely serrate. Flowers in virgate racemes, white. 



&. Macrotys, Raf. Monogynous: carpels suh globose: seeds compressed, smooth, horizontal : stami- 

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



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



Racemes very long ; leaflets ovate-oblong, incisely-tootlied ; 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. ammn. acad. 7. p. 193. t. 4; Michx. fl. l.p. 308; DC. prodr. l.p. 64 ; Hook, 

 fl. Bor.-Am. 1. p. 27. Macrotys actaeoides, Raf. in Desv. jour. hot. 2. p. 170. Botrophis 

 serpentaria, Raf. med. fl. I. p. 85. B. actasoides, Fischer <^ Meyer, ind. scm. 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. 



