Black Cohosh - Non-Timber Forest Products

Foster, S.; Duke, J.A. 2000. A field guide to medicinal plants and herbs of
Eastern and Central North America. 2d ed. National Audubon Society,
National Wildlife Federation, and the Roger Tory Peterson Institute. New
York: Houghton Mifflin Co. 411 p.
Summarizes medicinal uses of black cohosh. Black cohosh is a perennial
which grows 3 to 8 feet in height, with sharply toothed, thrice-divided
leaves. Long spiked flowers appear from May through September. Rhizomes
were used by Native Americans for menstrual problems and childbirth.
In the 19th century, black cohosh was also used as an anti-inflammatory
and treatment for bronchitis, chorea, fever, nervousness, and snakebite.
Medicinal actions are hypoglycemic, sedative, and anti-inflammatory. Black
cohosh is a popular herb for treating menopausal symptoms such as hot
flashes, with several clinical studies supporting its efficacy.
Keywords: Botanical description, medicinal uses, Native American uses,
range.
Harding, A.R. 1936. Ginseng and other medicinal plants. http://www.
ibiblio.org/herbmed/eclectic/harding/Cimicifuga.html. [Date accessed:
September 13, 2004]. [Scanned version by M. Moore 2002].
Presents common names, habitat and range, plant description, root
description, and harvest. The tall flower spikes make black cohosh a
conspicuous plant. This perennial herb belongs to the the Ranunculaceae
family, which also includes goldenseal. Plants reach up to eight feet in
height. Leaves have three leaflets again divided into threes. Each leaflet is
two inches long, toothed and sharply pointed at the apex, and is smooth,
thin, and dark green. The graceful raceme of flowers grows up to two feet
in length, and buds, blooms, and seeds consecutively along the same spike.
Flowers are apetalous, with numerous showy white stamens. Seed pods are
dry, ribbed, thick, and leathery. Seeds are in two rows, and rattle in the pods
when disturbed by wind. Roots are horizontal irregular knotted rhizomes.
The top of the rhizome is covered with hard stumps and scars from previous
stems, and long rootlets emerge from the bottom. Roots are dark reddish
brown externally, and white with rays of a woody texture internally. Dried
roots are dark inside and outside, but the cross of woody rays is a lighter
color and still visible. Rhizomes should be collected after the seeds have
ripened in September.
Keywords: Botanical description, common names, flowers, habitat, harvest,
medicinal uses, Ranunculaceae family, range, rhizomes, seeds.
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