Actaea rubra
Actaea pachypoda
actée rouge, baneberry, doll's eye, red baneberry, western red baneberry
actée à gros pédicelles, doll's-eyes, white baneberry
blade: leaflets abaxially glabrous or pubescent.
blade: leaflets abaxially ± glabrous.
at anthesis often as long as wide, pyramidal.
at anthesis often longer than wide, short-cylindric.
petals acute to obtuse at apex;
stigma nearly sessile, 0.7-1.2 mm diam. during anthesis, much narrower than ovary.
petals truncate or cleft, often antherlike at apex;
stigma sessile, 1.5-2.8 mm diam. during anthesis, as broad as or broader than ovary.
red or white, widely ellipsoid, 5-11 mm;
pedicel dull green or brown, slender, 0.3-0.7 mm diam., thinner than axis of raceme.
white, very rarely red, widely ellipsoid to nearly globose, 6.5-9 mm;
pedicel bright red, stout, (0.7-)0.9-2.2(-3) mm diam., ± as thick as axis of raceme.
2.9-3.6 mm.
3.4-4.5 mm.
= 16.
= 16.
Actaea rubra
Actaea pachypoda
The "eye" formed by the persistent stigma in Actaea rubra is smaller than that in A.pachypoda.
Actaea rubra is part of a circumboreal complex and is very similar to the black-fruited European species A. spicata Linnaeus, with which it is sometimes considered conspecific. The western North American plants of A. rubra have been called A. arguta and were distinguished on the basis of their smaller berries, more pubescent leaves, and narrow, more dissected leaflets. Those distinctions, however, are weak; specimens from the West often have fruits and leaves similar to those of plants from the East. A thorough study of A.spicata in the broad sense, on a worldwide scale, is needed to resolve the delimitation of taxa within this complex.
Plants with white fruit, sometimes distinguished as Actaea rubra forma neglecta (Gillman) H. Robinson, are frequent and are more common than the red-fruited form in many localities.
Native Americans used various preparations made from the roots of Actaea rubra medicinally to treat coughs and colds, sores, hemorrhages, stomachaches, syphilis, and emaciations; preparations from the entire plant as a purgative; and infusions from the stems to increase milk flow. It was also used in various ceremonies (D. E. Moerman 1986).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
The "eye" formed by the persistent stigma in Actaea pachypoda is larger than that in A. rubra.
Red- and pink-berried plants have been called Actaea pachypoda forma rubrocarpa (Killip) Fernald or A. ludovicii Boivin. Some of these plants are intermediate in morphology between A. pachypoda and A. rubra; they may be of hybrid origin. The sterility of fruits in many such plants lends support to this theory (R. S. Mitchell and J. K. Dean 1982).
Actaea pachypoda has been called A. alba (Linnaeus) Miller in some manuals (e.g., H. A. Gleason and A. Cronquist 1991; S. M. Walters et al. 1984+, vol. 3; Great Plains Flora Association 1986). Other authors (e.g., M. L. Fernald 1940; C. S. Keener 1977) have argued that the name A. alba is based on an illustration that is conspecific with the type of the European A. spicata Linnaeus and does not apply to plants here called A. pachypoda.
Native Americans prepared infusions from Actaea pachypoda to use medicinally as a gargle or throat aid (D. E. Moerman 1986).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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