Actaea racemosa

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Actaea racemosa
• black baneberry
• black cohosh
• black snakeroot

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Trautvetteria caroliniensis f. breviloba
• Trautvetteria caroliniensis f. japonica
• Trautvetteria palmata var. japonica
• Trautvetteria palmata var. minor
• Trautvetteria caroliniensis var. japonica
• Actaea pentagyna
• Ranunculus pleurocarpus
• Trautvetteria japonica f. breviloba
• Thalictrum ranunculinum
• Trautvetteria japonica

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Ranunculales and the family Ranunculaceae, it is classified under the genus Trautvetteria. Specifically, this medicinal variety is identified as Trautvetteria palmata var. palmata.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant is native to several distinct regions within the Russian Far East. Its presence is well-documented across the Primorye territory and the Magadan region. Additionally, it can be found growing in the Khabarovsk area. The species also extends its range to the island territories of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. Together, these locations define the specific geographical distribution of this variety.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Trautvetteria palmata var. palmata is characterized by a perennial lifecycle, allowing the plant to persist in its habitat over multiple growing seasons. As a perennial species, it avoids the complete die-back associated with annuals, instead establishing a stable presence that can endure seasonal fluctuations. Throughout its life, the plant undergoes cyclic developmental stages, focusing energy on vegetative growth and structural establishment during favorable periods before transitioning into reproductive phases. This long-term survival strategy enables the plant to maintain a consistent presence within its ecological niche, contributing to its sustained availability in medicinal contexts.

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

Morphologically, Tautvetteia palmata var. palmata is characterized as a non-woody herb with a forb-like growth form. This plant is primarily terrestrial in its ecological niche, rather than being aquatic or epiphytic, and it functions as an independent organism without parasitic tendencies. It is a self-supporting species, lacking the climbing or vining habits of lianas. In terms of stature, it is a relatively small plant, maintaining a height that typically ranges from a minimum of 0.25 meters to a maximum of 0.6 meters.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

0.6 m

Plant height min:

0.25 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Trautvetteria palmata var. palmata is characterized by its reliance on the C3 photosynthetic pathway, a metabolic process where carbon dioxide is fixed directly into a three-carbon compound during the initial stages of the Calvin cycle. This biochemical mechanism dictates the plant's carbon assimilation efficiency and its water-use strategy, as the absence of specialized CO2-concentrating mechanisms found in C4 or CAM species makes the plant more susceptible to photorespiration under high-temperature or high-light intensity conditions. Consequently, its physiological performance is closely linked to its environmental niche, where moisture availability and ambient temperature influence the rate of stomatal conductance and the overall efficiency of gas exchange required to support its metabolic demands.

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Trautvetteria palmata var. palmata is characterized by a specific seasonal flowering window and the production of minute seeds. The flowering period typically commences in April and concludes in June, though the timing can be variable throughout the year. Following successful pollination, the plant produces seeds that exhibit a highly consistent mass; the seed mass is measured at a constant 0.0028 g, with the mean, maximum, and minimum values all aligning at this specific measurement.

Flowering time :

Apr

Flowering time :

Jun

Seed mass mean:

0.0028 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Trautvetteria palmata var. palmata has 2 reported plant parts identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include rhizome, root.

Rhizome

1. Planta medica
2. Journal of natural products

Root

1. Journal of natural products
2. Recent advances in phytochemistry

Chemicals

Trautvetteria palmata var. palmata has 65 reported phytochemicals identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Fukinolic acid, Actein, Cimicifugoside, Isoferulic acid, caffeic acid.

Fukinolic acid

1. Journal of natural products
2. Planta medica
3. Chemical research in toxicology

Actein

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Cimicifugoside

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Isoferulic acid

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of natural products

caffeic acid

1. Journal of natural products
2. Chemical research in toxicology

polyphenols

1. Planta medica
2. Phytochemical analysis : PCA

23-EPI-26-Deoxyactein

1. Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics

27-Deoxyactein

1. Dr. Duke

AFLATOXINS

1. Journal of AOAC International

ALUMINUM

1. Dr. Duke

Activities

Trautvetteria palmata var. palmata has 415 reported activities identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Analgesic, Estrogenic, Neuroprotective, 5-Alpha-Reductase-Inhibitor, ACE-Inhibitor.

Analgesic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Estrogenic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Frontiers in pharmacology

Neuroprotective

1. Dr. Duke
2. BioFactors (Oxford, England)

5-Alpha-Reductase-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

ACE-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

AP-1-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

Abortifacient

1. Dr. Duke

Absorbent

1. Dr. Duke

Acaricide

1. Dr. Duke

Acidulant

1. Dr. Duke

Preparations

Trautvetteria palmata var. palmata has 2 reported preparations identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include black cohosh rhizome, rhizome extract.

Black cohosh rhizome

1. Planta medica

Rhizome extract

1. Journal of natural products