Sanguinaria canadensis
Bloodroot
Sanguinaria canadensis, commonly known as bloodroot, is a perennial herb native to eastern North America. Characterized by its distinct bright red sap, this plant has a long history in traditional medicine. While used historically for skin conditions and respiratory issues, its potent alkaloids require cautious, expert application.
- Scientific name: Sanguinaria canadensis
- Family: Papaveraceae
- Native range: Northern America
Taxonomical Classification
This plant, known scientifically as Sanguinaria canadensis, belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. Within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae, it is categorized under the order Ranunculales. Finally, it is classified under the family Papaveraceae and the genus Sanguinaria.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Ranunculales | WCVP |
| Family | Papaveraceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Sanguinaria | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, scientifically known as Sanguinaria canadensis, is recognized by various common names across different languages and regions. In Portuguese, it is referred to as Sanguinaria, while in Polish, it is known as Sangwinaria kanadyjska. Its names in Chinese also reflect its distinctive red sap; in Simplified Chinese (zh-hans), Traditional Chinese (zh-hant), and the Cantonese usage in Hong Kong (zh-hk), it is called 血根草.| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| pt | Sanguinaria | Wikidata |
| zh-hans | 血根草 | Wikidata |
| zh-hant | 血根草 | Wikidata |
| zh-hk | 血根草 | Wikidata |
| pl | Sangwinaria kanadyjska | Wikidata |
| fr | Sanguinaire du Canada | Wikidata |
| ca | sanguinària del Canadà | Wikidata |
| lt | Kanadinė sangvinarija | Wikidata |
| sv | Blodört | Wikidata |
| da | Canadisk Blodurt | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a wide range of habitats across several Canadian provinces. In Western Canada, its presence is specifically noted in Manitoba. Moving toward the east, it can be found throughout Ontario and Québec. The distribution continues further east into the Atlantic provinces, including New Brunswick. Finally, its range extends to the coastal province of Nova Scotia.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Western Canada | Manitoba | WCVP |
| Eastern Canada | New Brunswick | WCVP |
| Eastern Canada | Nova Scotia | WCVP |
| Eastern Canada | Ontario | WCVP |
| Eastern Canada | Québec | WCVP |
| North-Central U.S.A. | Illinois | WCVP |
| North-Central U.S.A. | Iowa | WCVP |
| North-Central U.S.A. | Kansas | WCVP |
| North-Central U.S.A. | Minnesota | WCVP |
| North-Central U.S.A. | Missouri | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, commonly known as bloodroot, derives its primary medicinal potency from its underground structures. The most significant parts utilized for therapeutic purposes are the thick, fleshy rhizomes, which contain high concentrations of alkaloids. Whether harvested as individual rhizomes or collected from the sprawling network of rhizomes, these parts are carefully processed to extract their bioactive compounds.- Total parts
- 2
- Scientific sources
- 3
| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| rhizomes | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| rhizome | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Sanguinaria canadensis has 25 reported phytochemicals identified across 40 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include sanguinarine, chelerythrine, Sanguinarine, benzophenanthridine alkaloid, chelilutine.
- Total chemicals
- 25
- Scientific sources
- 40
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| sanguinarine | 6 | ★★★☆☆ |
| chelerythrine | 5 | ★★★☆☆ |
| Sanguinarine | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| benzophenanthridine alkaloid | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| chelilutine | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| chelirubine | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| sanguilutine | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| sanguirubine | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Chelirubine | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| allocryptopine | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Sanguinaria canadensis has 1 reported activities identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antibacterial.
- Total activities
- 1
- Scientific sources
- 1
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Antibacterial | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Sanguinaria canadensis has 14 reported medicinal uses identified across 17 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include moles, skin cancer, skin cancers, actinic keratoses, asthma.
- Total uses
- 14
- Scientific sources
- 17
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| moles | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| skin cancer | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| skin cancers | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| actinic keratoses | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| asthma | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cancer | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| colorectal cancer | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| fever | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| lung cancer | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| melanoma | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |