Flower ID: IMG_0180.JPG-05-26-2018 Flower name (scientific): Actaea pachypoda Elliott PY: 1821. Pronunciation guide: (phonetic spelling) ak-TEE-uh pak-ee-PO-duh Flower name (common): White Baneberry Family name (common): Buttercup Family name (scientific): Ranunculaceae Scientific name origin: Genus: A name given by Pliny and derived from the Greek name for Sambucus (elder), because of the similarity of the leaves of the two species. Specific epithet: From the Ancient Greek for thick-foot, which relates to the thicker pedicels (relative to A. rubra) on which the berries develop. Common name origin: White Baneberry comes from the usual color of the toxic berries. Flower description: Size: 0.2 to 0.5 inches (5 to 13 mm) Petal count: 4 nd upto 10. Color: white Other: flower arrangement, Cluster-spherical Plant description: Size: 18 to 36 inches (46 to 91 cm) Stem hairy: glabrous. Other: Leaf description: attachment is alternate, type is compound. Lateral leaflets are short petiolulate to sessile or nearly so. Leaflet margins coarsely serrate. Size: Leaves up to 40 or more cm long and up to 30 or more cm wide. Typically the leaflets are up to about 10 cm (4 inches) long and 6 cm (2.4 inches) wide. Color: Leaves dull green. Hairy: Typically hairless on both leaflet surfaces. Other: Shape: leaf, 2-pinnate or 3-pinnate (IL), ternate (MBG), leaflet, ovate (IL), oval-oblong (FWI). Typically leafets in groups of 3 or lesss often in groups of 5. Origin (native, introduced, invasive): Native Status (common, uncommon, threatened, rare): Common Bloom time (typical): May to June Cycle (annual, biennial, perennial): Perennial Habitat: Woodlands, shade or part shade, moderate moisture. Fruit: A white berry with a black dot at the apex. One berry per flower stalk. Red berries are possible, but this color is very uncommon to rare. Pedicels are thick, about 1.5 to 2.8 mm in diameter. At the fuiting stage pedicels are red. The berries are considered toxic to humans. Seed: About 3 to 5 mm long. Importance to wildlife: Similar species (if any): Actaea rubra (Red Baneberry) is a close lookalike. The berries of A. pachypoda are white with a black dot (rarely red), whereas the berries of A. rubra are red (sometimes white) with a black dot. The simplest way to separate these two species is that A. pachypoda has thickish white to light green-colored pedicels (stalks) for the flowers and fruits, with those to the fruits turning red, whereas A. rubra has thinish stalks for the flowers and fruit. Ethnobotany: Used by the Chippewa to treat convulsions (Gilmore, p. 130, 1933). This plant also used by the Blackfoot, Cherokee, Iroquois, and Meskwaki as a medicine (Moerman, p. 48, 1998). The Meskwaki used the root as a urinary aid for men and women (Smith, p. 237, 1928). In the latter source and the Gilmore reference, the plant is referred to as Actaea alba. Latitude: 44.796220 Longitude: -91.501410 Altitude: 245.30 Distribution: In Wisconsin: (Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Brown, Buffalo, Calumet, Chippewa, Clark, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Door, Douglas, Eau Claire, Florence, Fond du Lac, Forest, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Iron, Jefferson, Kenosha, Kewaunee, La Crosse, Lafayette, Langlade, Lincoln, Manitowoc, Marathon, Marinette, Menominee, Milwaukee, Monroe, Oconto, Oneida, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Polk, Portage, Price, Racine, Richland, Rock, Rusk, Sauk, Sawyer, Shawano, Sheboygan, Taylor, Vernon, Vilas, Walworth, Washburn, Washington, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago, Wood) Click here for distribution map In US: (AL, AR, CT, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV) Click here for distribution map In Canada: (NB, NS, ON, PE, QC) Click here for distribution map References: Synonym(s): Actaea alba (Linnaeus) Miller, Actaea pachypoda f. microcarpa (DC.) Fassett Basionym: na Homotypic Synonym(s): na Heterotypic Synonym(s): na Autonym:Actaea pachypoda f. rubrocarpa (Killip) Fernald is recogized, so Actaea pachypoda f.pachypoda is the autonym. Wetland Status (NC): UPL Wetland Status (MW): FACU