White Snakeroot

White Snakeroot

Taxobox |

image_width = 310px
image_caption = White Snakeroot ("Eupatorium rugosum").
name = White Snakeroot
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Asterales
familia = Asteraceae
tribus = Eupatorieae
genus = "Ageratina"
species = "A. altissima"
binomial = "Ageratina altissima"
binomial_authority = (L.) King & H.E.Robins.
synonyms ="Eupatorium rugosum" Houttuyn.

White Snakeroot ("Ageratina altissima"), also known as White Sanicle or Tall Boneset, is a poisonous perennial herb in the family Asteraceae, native to eastern North America. An older binomial name for this species was "Eupatorium rugosum", but the genus "Eupatorium" has undergone taxonomic revision by botanists and a number of the species once included there have been moved to other genera.

Plants are upright or sometimes ascending, growing to 1.5 meters tall, producing single or multi-stemmed clumps. They are found in woods and brush thickets were they bloom mid to late summer or fall. The flowers are a clean white color and after blooming small seeds with fluffy white tails are released to blow in the wind. This species is adaptive to different growing conditions and can be found in open shady areas with open bare ground, it can be weedy in shady landscapes and in hedgerows. There are two different varieties "Ageratina altissima" var. "angustata" and "Ageratina altissima" var. "roanensis" (Appalachian white snakeroot); they differ in the length of the flower phyllaries and shape of the apices. [cite web | url = http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=250068005 | title = Ageratina altissima (Linnaeus) R. M. King & H. Robinson var. roanensis (Small) Clewell & Wooten | work = Flora of North America] [cite web | url = http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=250068004 | title = Ageratina altissima (Linnaeus) R. M. King & H. Robinson var. altissima | work = Flora of North America]

Toxicity

White Snakeroot contains the toxin tremetol and when consumed by cattle the meat and milk become contaminated. When milk or meat from cattle feeding on White Snakeroot is consumed by humans, the poison is passed onto humans and can result in tremetol poisoning called milk sickness (notably the cause of death of Nancy Hanks, mother of Abraham Lincoln). It is also poisonous to horses, goats, and sheep. Signs of poisoning in these animals include depression and lethargy, hind feet placed close together (horses, goats, cattle) or held far apart (sheep), nasal discharge, excessive salivation, arched body posture, and rapid or difficult breathing.

Cultivation

An asexual propagated cultivar, sold under the name "Eupatorium rugosum" 'Chocolate', is grown in gardens for its dark tinted foliage. The darkest color, which is a chocolaty black, occurs in a sunny position, the plants grow best in moisture retentive soils and are shade tolerant. [cite web | url = http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Plant.asp?code=V230 | title = Eupatorium rugosum 'Chocolate' | publisher = Missouri Botanical Garden] More recently the plant can be found under the correct species name and is listed as "Ageratina altissima" 'Chocolate'.

ee also

* List of plants poisonous to equines

References

External links

* [http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=AGALA White Snakeroot on the PLANTS database]
* [http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/species/frame/agal5.htm "Ageratina altissima" images at bioimages.vanderbilt.edu]
* [http://biology.missouristate.edu/Herbarium/Plants%20of%20the%20Interior%20Highlands/Flowers/Eupatorium%20rugosum%20-%20N1.jpgPicture of "Eupatorium rugosum"]


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • white snakeroot — n a poisonous No. American herb of the genus Eupatorium (E. rugosum) that is a cause of trembles and milk sickness …   Medical dictionary

  • white snakeroot — a North American boneset, Eupatorium rugosum, that has heads of white flowers and causes trembles and milk sickness. Also called Indian sanicle. [1810 20, Amer.] * * * ▪ plant also called  White Sanicle        (Eupatorium rugosum), poisonous… …   Universalium

  • white snakeroot — noun American herb having flat topped clusters of small white flower heads; reputedly a cause of trembles and milk sickness; sometimes placed in genus Eupatorium • Syn: ↑white sanicle, ↑Ageratina altissima, ↑Eupatorium rugosum • Hypernyms: ↑herb …   Useful english dictionary

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  • snakeroot — ☆ snakeroot [snākro͞ot΄, snākroot΄ ] n. 1. any of a number of plants reputed to be remedies for snakebites, as the black snakeroot (genus Sanicula) of the umbel family or the white snakeroot ( Eupatorium rugosum) of the composite family 2. the… …   English World dictionary

  • white sanicle — noun American herb having flat topped clusters of small white flower heads; reputedly a cause of trembles and milk sickness; sometimes placed in genus Eupatorium • Syn: ↑white snakeroot, ↑Ageratina altissima, ↑Eupatorium rugosum • Hypernyms:… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Snakeroot — The related genus Eupatorium also contains plants called snakeroot . Virginia Snakeroot ( Aristolochia serpentaria ) and Canadian Snakeroot ( Asarum canadense ) are unrelated plants.Taxobox name = Snakeroot image width = 200px image caption =… …   Wikipedia

  • snakeroot — /snayk rooht , root /, n. 1. any of various plants whose roots have been regarded as a remedy for snakebites, as the herb Aristolochia serpentaria (Virginia snakeroot), having a medicinal rhizome and rootlets, and the white flowered Polygala… …   Universalium

  • white lettuce — Rattlesnake Rat tle*snake (r[a^]t t l*sn[=a]k ), n. (Zo[ o]l.) Any one of several species of venomous American snakes belonging to the genera {Crotalus} and {Caudisona}, or {Sistrurus}; sometimes also called {rattler}. They have a series of horny …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Seneca snakeroot — noun eastern North American plant having a terminal cluster of small white flowers and medicinal roots • Syn: ↑Seneka snakeroot, ↑senga root, ↑senega root, ↑senega snakeroot, ↑Polygala senega • Hypernyms: ↑milkwort …   Useful english dictionary

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