Actaea spicata

Actaea spicata, the baneberry or herb Christopher, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Actaea, native from Europe to western Siberia and northern Iran. It is often found on limestone edges and in deciduous woodland; key factors are shade, low competition, and a cool, protected root run.

Description

Actaea spicata is a herbaceous perennial plant growing up to tall. The basal leaves are large, biternate or bipinnate. The leaflets are more-or-less toothed. The flowers are white, with 3–6 petaloid sepals, and are produced in an erect raceme. The fruit is a berry, black when ripe and across. Its fruit persists for an average of 57.5 days, and bears an average of 11.4 seeds per fruit. Fruits average 90.7% water, and their dry weight includes 2.4% carbohydrates and 1.0% lipids.

Taxonomy

Actaea spicata was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. Two varieties have been recognized:

Actaea spicata var. spicata. Europe, northwestern Asia.
Actaea spicata var. acuminata. Pakistan, India and the Himalayas, above 2000 m altitude.

Ecology

Granivorous rodents sometimes remove the fruits, consuming most of the seeds but only a small proportion of the fruit's pulp. As some seeds inevitably escape predation, they also act as seed dispersers.

Cultivation

Actaea spicata is cultivated as an ornamental plant. It is toxic by ingestion, and is also an irritant, so requires careful handling. It has been used as a homeopathic remedy for arthritis and joint pain.