Plantae > Tracheophyta > Magnoliopsida > Ranunculales > Ranunculaceae > Actaea > Actaea spicataActaea spicata (baneberry)Synonyms: Actaea christophoriana; Actaea corymbosa; Actaea densiflora; Actaea nigra (homotypic); Actaea racemosa (heterotypic); Actaea spicata f. colorata; Actaea spicata nigra; Actaea spicata var. alpina; Actaea spicata var. aquilegiifolia; Actaea spicata var. melanocarpa; Actaea spicata var. nigra; Actaea vulgaris; Christophoriana spicata (homotypic); Christophoriana vulgaris Actaea spicata (baneberry, Eurasian baneberry, or herb Christopher) is a species of flowering plant in the genus Actaea, native to Eastern Europe and western Asia. It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing 30-60 cm tall. It has toothed, bipinnate compound leaves up to 40 cm long and 30 cm broad. The flowers are white, with 4-6 petaloid sepals, and are produced in an erect raceme about 10 cm long. The fruit is an oval glossy black berry, 10-11 mm long and 8 mm diameter. There are two varieties: |
| Flower Type [1] | Hermaphrodite | | Hazards [1] | All parts of plant are poisonous but rarely fatal; | | Lifespan [1] | Perennial | | Pollinators [1] | Beetles, Flies | | Structure [3] | Herb | | Usage [1] | The smell of the plant is reputed to drive away vermin;
A black dye is obtained from the berries when alum is used as a mordant; The seeds contain tannin; |  | | Height [1] | 20 inches (0.5 m) | | Width [1] | 20 inches (0.5 m) | | | Light Preference [2] | Mostly Shady | | Soil Acidity [2] | Neutral | | Soil Fertility [2] | Intermediate | | Soil Moisture [2] | Moist |
View Plants For A Future Record : Actaea spicata |
Species taxanomy provided by GBIF Secretariat (2022). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org on 2023-06-13; License: CC BY 4.0
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