''Actaea podocarpa'', the mountain bugbane or mountain black-cohosh, is a species of flowering plant in the
buttercup family
Ranunculaceae (, buttercup or crowfoot family; Latin "little frog", from "frog") is a family of over 2,000 known species of flowering plants in 43 genera, distributed worldwide.
The largest genera are ''Ranunculus'' (600 species), ''Delphinium ...
. It is native to the eastern United States, where it is found in the
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, are a mountain range in eastern to northeastern North America. The term "Appalachian" refers to several different regions associated with the mountain range, and its surrounding terrain ...
,
with a disjunct population in Illinois. It is found in rich, mesic forests often in boulder-strewn coves.
''Actaea podocarpa'' is a large perennial herb. It is one of the later flowering of the eastern ''Actaea'', producing white flowers in summer through fall.
Both it and ''
Actaea rubifolia'' bear resemblance to
black cohosh
''Actaea racemosa'', the black cohosh, black bugbane, black snakeroot, rattle-top, or fairy candle ( syn. ''Cimicifuga racemosa''), is a species of flowering plant of the family Ranunculaceae. It is native to eastern North America from the ext ...
, which, due to its vasodilation properties, is valuable for the treatment of menopause symptoms; harvesters of black cohosh sometimes mistake ''A. podocarpa'' for black cohosh, accidentally harvesting it.
References
podocarpa
Flora of the United States
{{Ranunculaceae-stub