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Black Cohosh (Actaea racemosa)

Image ID: ar15

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Other common names: Black Bugbane
Native
Family: Ranunculaceae (Buttercup)
Height: 3 to 8 ft.
Blooms: June to September
Leaf Type: divided
Bloom Size:  0.5 in. (typical)
Flower Description: Elongate clusters, Regular blooms, 0 parts
Location: Allegheny River Trail
Date:  7/20/2002
Notes: Foul odor.
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Black Cohosh may be easily confused with:
Folklore, History, and Other Facts
Black cohosh is still used in commercially available menopause remedies.
The following information is taken from my great-grandmother's copy of The Herbalist (1918). This information is presented for historic purposes only, as many remedies recommended by this book are toxic!
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We started out as wildflowers from the bicycle trails of western Pennsylvania, but we've grown!
Meyer, Joseph E. (1918). The Herbalist and Herb Doctor. Hammond, Ind.: Indiana Herb Gardens. 400 pp.

The Herbalist