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Article: Black Cohosh
- Article from:
- Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 The Gale Group, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Black cohosh
Description
Black cohosh (
Cimicufuga racemosa
) is a member of the Ranunculaceae family. Its nicknames of squawroot and snakeroot denote its Algonquian heritage and differentiate it from the common snake root plant (
Aristolochia serpentaria
). It should also not be confused
with
blue cohosh
(
Caulophyllum thalictroides
); their only similarity is that both are roots.
Black cohosh grows from a gnarled black root, hence its name; it has a smooth stem and big multiple leaves with jagged edges. In summer, white flowers develop from what are called racemes. These flowers emit a stinky odor. The plant, which can grow to 9 ft (1 m) tall, is a native North American plant ...