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Actaea racemosa - Black cohosh

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Actaea racemosa inflorescence, Black cohosh

Black Cohosh Actaea racemosa [1] has been used by Native Americans for more than two hundred years, after they discovered the root of the plant helped relieve menstrual cramps and symptoms of menopause. These days it is still used for menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes/flushes, irritability, mood swings and sleep disturbances.

Uses

Parts Used

Chemical Composition

Analysis has shown a brown, resinous, acrid substance, insoluble in potassium hydroxide and probably containing pelletonin, two oils soluble in potassium hydroxide - one dark brown and acrid, the other yellow - tannin, gum, potassium sulphate and carbonate, potassium chloride, calcium phosphate and carbonate, silica, alumina, lignin, etc. An alkaloid, Pyrethrine, yielding pyrethric acid, is stated to be the active principle.[2]

Common names

Language Common name
Kannada
Hindi Akarkara
Malayalam Akkarakaaram
Tamil
Telugu
Marathi NA
Gujarathi NA
Punjabi NA
Kashmiri NA
Sanskrit Akarkarabh
English Pellitory


Habit

Identification

Leaf

Kind Shape Feature
Smooth Alternate, Pinnate The leaves are with deeply-cut segments

[3]

Flower

Type Size Color and composition Stamen More information
Unisexual 14-18cm long Yellow, Circular Each bears one large flower the disk being yellow and the rays white, tinged with purple beneath.

Fruit

Type Size Mass Appearance Seeds More information
Syncarp (sorosis), subglobose or ellipsoid with long echinate processes, orange when ripe seeds many, ovoid. {{{6}}}

Other features

List of Ayurvedic medicine in which the herb is used

Where to get the saplings

Mode of Propagation

How to plant/cultivate

Aracemosa grows in dependably moist, fairly heavy soil. It bears tall tapering racemes of white midsummer flowers on wiry black-purple stems, whose mildly unpleasant, medicinal smell at close range gives it the common name "Bugbane"[4]

Commonly seen growing in areas

Photo Gallery

References

  1. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Actaea racemosa
  2. "dabur medicinal plants"
  3. "Bimbima"
  4. "Anacyclus pyrithum"

External Links