Actaea

Actaea is a botanical kind of the family of the Ranunculaceae , which includes/understands between 20 and 30 species.

Like others Ranunculaceae , Actaea spicata , also called “grass of Saint-Christophe”, was formerly used in application like treatment of the scale and other skin troubles, with sometimes disastrous consequences.

Linné named another plant of the eurasiatic forests, Actaea cimicifuga . This name “ cimicifuga ” - which drives out the bugs - is to be put in relation to its use of antan. This malodorous plant, called “cimicaire”, was indeed placed in the bed linen to drive out the bugs. It was then renamed Cimicifuga foetida , because its fruits are not dry bays, but follicules, like those of the aconites and the dauphinelles ones. Recent studies of the DNA showed that these two kinds had been in fact unduly separate. The cimicaires thus again joined the kind Actaea .

The Grass of Saint-Christophe

The grass of Saint-Christophe is a plant of intermediate size to sheets ternées, often bi- or triternate, which resembles those of the astilbes or the anemones of Japan. The tiny flowers of white color or cream, similar to those of the meadow rues, are grouped in short bunches. The period of flowering is spread out May at July. The various species are very similar and the color of bays is variable inside the same species. The nomenclature is consequently confused, the number of species varying from 4 to 8 according to the authors.

Species of the old world

Actaea spicata L., the grass of Saint-Christophe, is a plant 40 height cm calciphile, which are originating in the montueux wood of Europe and Asia. It has sheets bi- or triternate. Its spring inflorescence, rather not very spectacular, is followed of a bunch of bays luisantes of black color. The variety alba has white bays. The dwarf alternative of the Far East to simple ternées sheets is called Actaea asiatica H. Hara.
Actaea erythrocarpa L. is another very similar species of the old world, It is distinguished from the preceding one by more divided sheets and smaller bays of red color. `Alba' has white bays.

American species

Actaea pachypoda Elliott, a species of the east of Canada and the United States, which reaches 80 cm in height. It has pretty white bays at black end, in the shape of eye of headstock, on red pedicels. Actaea pachypoda F. rubrocarpa has red bays
Actaea will rubra (Has.) Willd., a species which reaches 40 cm, pushes in the same areas. It has bays bright red. In the west of the continent, it is replaced by Actaea will rubra subsp. arguta , a more robust subspecies, which reaches 90 cm in height. Actaea will rubra F. neglecta has white bays.

Actaea ×ludovici B.Boivin is a natural hybrid found in the North-East of the United States. It is about a crossing of Actaea will rubra with Actaea pachypoda .

Cimicaire

The cimicaire is a large plant with sheets similar to the preceding ones. The tiny flowers are grouped on long narrow bunches of generally white color, from where its other vernacular name “Candle-D' money”. The period of flowering is spread out July at October. The species are very similar, reason for which them number varies largely according to the authors (from 15 to 24).

European species

Actaea europaea (Schipcz.) J. Compton (Syn. Actaea cimicifuga ), the only eurasiatic species, flowers in July. It has a malodorous inflorescence little ramified in loose candles pale yellow. It is cultivated in China like plants medicinal.

American species

Actaea racemosa L., of the plains of the east of North America, is the generally cultivated American species. This species, which flowers in July, has sheets bi- or triternate. Its malodorous inflorescence of white, little ramified and slightly leaning color reaches 2 m in height. This species, which supports best the estival dryness, was used by the Amerindians to facilitate the childbirth and to fight the dysmenorrhoea. It was shown recently that it contains a substance for estrogen purpose. It is currently included in various preparations used to fight the symptoms of the menopause.
Actaea americana (Michx.) Prantl, originating in the mountains of the same areas, which flowers in August, has an elegant drawn up inflorescence and little ramified, of white color, which reaches 1,5 Mr.
Actaea rubifolia (Kearney) Kartesz, endemic of the mountains of Tennessee, flowers at the end of August. Its less divided sheets, resemble those of brambles ( Rubus ) or of the Virginia creeper.

Species originating in the west of North America: Actaea elata (Nutt.) Prantl, Actaea laciniata (S. Wats.) J. Compton and Actaea arizonica (S. Wats.) J. Compton only are seldom cultivated.

Asian species

The following species originating in the Far East (is of China, Japan and Korea) are often cultivated.

Actaea biternata (Siebold & Zucc.) Prantl (Syn. A. acerina ), which flowers of at the end of August at September, has large biternées sheets. The washed of pink, odorless and little ramified white inflorescence reached 1,2 m in height.
Actaea dahurica (Turcz. ex Fisch. & A.C. Mey) Franch., which flowers in August, is dioïque. The male plants have a inflorescence very spread out, white pure and scented, which reaches 2 m in height and resembles that of the goat's-beard curiously ( Aruncus dioicus ). The female plants are less spectacular.
Actaea heracleifolia (Kom.) J. Compton flowers at the end of September. The drawn up, white pure and little ramified inflorescence can reach 2,4 m in height. The sheets of the variety bifida have generally only three leaflets.
Actaea japonica Thunb., a dwarf species, flowers from August at September.
Actaea simplex (cd.) Prantl flowers in September - October. The slightly leaning, dense and scented inflorescence, of white color or cream can reach 2 m in height.

Species of central China: Actaea mairei (H. Lév.) J. Compton which reaches 2,5 m, A.brachycarpa (P.K. Hsiao) J. Compton and A. yunnanensis (P.K. Hsiao) J. Compton with yellow flowers, and A. purpurea (P.K. Hsiao) J. Compton with purple flowers, only are seldom cultivated.

Culture

The Actaea are perfectly rustic. They are plants of shade or semi-shade, which fear the sun burning and the prolonged dryness. They are liked thus among the rhododendrons and can be associated with other ombrophilous plants, like the ferns, the anemones of Japan, Aconitum , Uvularia , Jeffersonia , Maianthemum , etc

The grasses of Saint-Christophe are appreciated for their foliage, which forms a cover in underwood and their bays. Actaea pachypoda has the most decorative bays. The Americans call it “ Doll' S eyes ” by allusion to its bays which resemble in eyes of headstock. Actaea will rubra has bays, which resemble if to mistake with red currants. Not to plant where young children play!

The cimicaires, especially those with late flowering like Actaea simplex , of course bring out a bottom of colors of autumn, when almost nothing any more flowers. They are to be preferred with the species with estival flowering, whose candles arise less and are sometimes malodorous.

Some cultivars

Actaea rubifolia `Blickfang' is a selection of excellent behavior.
Actaea ramosa `Atropurpurea' has a purple foliage, `Brunette' a purple brown foliage, `Pink Spike' a inflorescence dew and a foliage bronzes.
Actaea simplex `Elstead' has purplished floral buttons. `White Pearl', a selection with flowering late, larger and is ramified. `Pritchard Giant' resembles the preceding one, in larger. `James Compton' is a vigorous cultivar with dark sheets and long candles. `Hillside Black Beauty' has a foliage crimson noirâtre throughout the season. `Frau Herms' flowers later in the year.

Etymology of the name of kind

Linné would have taken as a starting point the legend of Actéon - a hunter having surprised Diane with the bath, which was changed into stag, then devoured by its own dogs - when it named a plant of our montueuses forests Actaea spicata . The black bays of this plant, as dangerous for that which consumes them as the dogs for the unfortunate hunter, indeed contain proto-anémonine, a violent poison which involves a paralysis of breathing. According to other sources, the name Actaea would be a Latinization of the Greek “ aktê ” (elder tree), by the resemblance of its sheets and its bays to those of the elder tree.

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