''Aruncus dioicus'', known as goat's beard, buck's-beard or bride's feathers, is a flowering

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition ...

perennial plant A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Rosaceae Rosaceae (), the rose family, is a medium-sized family of flowering plants that includes 4,828 known species in 91 genera. The name is derived from the type genus ''Rosa''. Among the most species-rich genera are '' Alchemilla'' (270), '' Sorbu ...

, found in Europe, Asia, and eastern and western North America. It is the

type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen( ...

of the

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

Aruncus ''Aruncus'' is a genus of clump-forming herbaceous perennial plants in the family Rosaceae. Botanical opinion of the number of species differs, with from one to four species accepted. They are closely related to the genera ''Filipendula'' and ...

''. It has alternate, pinnately compound leaves, on thin, stiff stems, with plumes of feathery white or cream flowers borne in summer. The Latin specific epithet ''dioicus'' means "having the male reproductive organs on one plant, and the female on another".

Description

The species is from tall, with

compound leaves A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, ste ...

consisting of 3 or 5 leaflets. Very small, 5-petaled white or cream flowers are displayed in showy

panicles A panicle is a much-branched inflorescence. (softcover ). Some authors distinguish it from a compound spike inflorescence, by requiring that the flowers (and fruit) be pedicellate (having a single stem per flower). The branches of a panicle are ...

, blooming in late spring to early summer. Male and female flowers are borne on different plants. The flower spikes rise high above the plant, adding to the showiness of the species. Plants with male flowers have a showier bloom than the ones with female flowers.

Varieties

* ''Aruncus dioicus'' var. ''aethusifolius'' (H.Lév.) H.Hara – Korean goatsbeard

Distribution and Habitat

This plant can be found in moist woodland, often at higher altitudes, throughout

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...

areas of Europe, Asia, and eastern and western North America. In the UK it is considered suitable for planting in and around water areas, and has gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (No ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

. Goat's beard prefers humus-rich soil and shade or partial shade. It can be grown in full sun if it has consistent moisture.

Ecology

''Aruncus dioicus'' is the host plant for the dusky azure butterfly.

Uses

In Italy the young shoots are eaten, usually boiled briefly in herb infused water, and then cooked with eggs and cheese. In

Friuli Friuli ( fur, Friûl, sl, Furlanija, german: Friaul) is an area of Northeast Italy with its own particular cultural and historical identity containing 1,000,000 Friulians. It comprises the major part of the autonomous region Friuli Venezia Giul ...

it is one of the ingredients in the local home-made soup based on wild greens called 'pistic'. ''Aruncus dioicus'' var. ''kamtschaticus'' has shown potent cytotoxicity against Jurkat T cells. Native Americans in the Northwest used the plant medicinally as a diuretic, as a poultice, and to treat blood diseases, smallpox, and sore throats.

References

External links

* * dioicus Flora of Europe Flora of temperate Asia Flora of North America {{amygdaloideae-stub