Actaea pachypoda

Elliott

Sketch. Bot. S. Carolina 2: 15. 1821.

Common names: Doll's-eyes actée &agrave gros pédicelles
EndemicIllustrated
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 3.

Leaf-blade: leaflets abaxially ± glabrous. Inflorescences at anthesis often longer than wide, short-cylindric. Flowers: 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. Berries 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. Seeds 3.4-4.5 mm. 2n = 16.


Phenology: Flowering spring–early summer.
Habitat: Deciduous forests, less often with pines, junipers, or other conifers
Elevation: 0-1200 m

Distribution

V3 476-distribution-map.gif

N.B., N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que., Ala., Ark., Conn., Del., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Nebr., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Okla., Pa., R.I., S.C., Tenn., Vt., Va., W.Va., Wis.

Discussion

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).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Actaea pachypoda"
Bruce A. Ford +
Elliott +
cuneate +, truncate +  and cordate +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
red +  and white +
widely ellipsoid;nearly globose +
0.65 cm6.5 mm <br />0.0065 m <br /> (0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br />) +
globose;cylindric +
Doll's-eyes +, actée &agrave +  and gros pédicelles +
N.B. +, N.S. +, Ont. +, P.E.I. +, Que. +, Ala. +, Ark. +, Conn. +, Del. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Kans. +, Ky. +, La. +, Maine +, Md. +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Miss. +, Mo. +, Nebr. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, Ohio +, Okla. +, Pa. +, R.I. +, S.C. +, Tenn. +, Vt. +, Va. +, W.Va. +  and Wis. +
0-1200 m +
sessile +  and pedicellate +
showy +  and inconspicuous +
broadly ellipsoid;nearly globose +
Deciduous forests, less often with pines, junipers, or other conifers +
often longer than wide +
axillary +  and terminal +
short-cylindric +
ovate +  and narrowly elliptic unlobed +
palmate +  and pinnate +
dentate +  and cleft +
incised;toothed;incised;toothed;entire +
broader +
0.09 cm0.9 mm <br />9.0e-4 m <br /> (0.22 cm2.2 mm <br />0.0022 m <br />) +
cleft +  and truncate +
cream colored +
distinct +
conspicuous +
clawed +, spatulate +  and obovate +
reduced +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.45 cm4.5 mm <br />0.0045 m <br />) +
Flowering spring–early summer. +
Sketch. Bot. S. Carolina +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (17 cm170 mm <br />0.17 m <br />) +
not arillate +  and stalked +
dark-brown +  and reddish-brown +
rugulose +
obconic +  and wedge-shaped +
0.34 cm3.4 mm <br />0.0034 m <br /> (0.45 cm4.5 mm <br />0.0045 m <br />) +
whitish green +
not persistent +
distinct +
3 +  and 6 +
orbiculate +  and plane +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.45 cm4.5 mm <br />0.0045 m <br />) +
Endemic +  and Illustrated +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.28 cm2.8 mm <br />0.0028 m <br />) +
persistent +
Actaea pachypoda +
species +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
herbaceous +  and woody +