Snakeroot
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- The related genus Eupatorium also contains plants called "snakeroot". Virginia Snakeroot (Aristolochia serpentaria) and Canadian Snakeroot (Asarum canadense) are unrelated plants.
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 Sticky Snakeroot (Ageratina adenophora)
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About 250, see text |
Snakeroot (Ageratina) is a genus of about 250[1][2]–290[3] perennials and rounded shrubs from the Sunflower family (Asteraceae).
These plants grow mainly in the warmer regions of the Americas. However, some flourish in the cooler areas of the eastern United States. Two Mexican species have become a pest in parts of Australia and Taiwan[3]. Ageratina used to belong to the genus Eupatorium, but it has been reclassified.
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[edit] Description
The inflorescence consists of multiple fluffy, red or pinkish-white capitula in clusters. These lack the typical ray flowers of the composites.
They have multiple, much-branched woody stems. The petioles are rather long. The leaves are triangular, serrate and opposite with a foul-smelling, musky scent.
[edit] Species
- Ageratina adenophora (Spreng.) R.M. King & H. Rob. (syn. Eupatorium glandulosum) :Sticky Snakeroot, Sticky Thoroughwort, Crofton Weed, Mexican Devil, Maui pamakani. An antibacterial perennial shrub.[4]
- Ageratina altissima : White Snakeroot.
- Ageratina aromatica (syn Eupatorium aromaticum L.: Scented Hemp-agrimony, Lesser Snakeroot, Aromatic Thoroughwort
- Ageratina havanensis : Havana Snakeroot, Mistflower, Shrubby Boneset, White Mistflower
- Ageratina herbacea : Fragrant Snakeroot, Herbaceous Joepieweed.
- Ageratina heterophylla : Milk weed
- Ageratina jucunda : Hammock Snakeroot.
- Ageratina lemmonii : Lemmon's Snakeroot.
- Ageratina luciae brauniae : Lucy Braun's Snakeroot.
- Ageratina occidentalis : Western Snakeroot, boneset, Western Eupatorium, Western Joepiweed
- Ageratina paupercula : Santa Rita Snakeroot
- Ageratina pseudochilca
- Ageratina resiniflua : Resinous Snakeroot.
- Ageratina riparia : Spreading Snakeroot, Spreading Mistflower, Creeping Croftonweed
- Ageratina rothrockii : Rothrock's Snakeroot .
- Ageratina shastensis : Shasta Snakeroot., : Shasta Eupatorium
- Ageratina wrightii : Wright's Snakeroot
- Ageratina amblyolepis, Ageratina areolaris, Ageratina atrocordata, Ageratina beamanii, Ageratina bellidifolia, Ageratina blepharilepis, Ageratina brandegeana, Ageratina brevipes, Ageratina calaminthifolia, Ageratina calophylla, Ageratina campylocladia, Ageratina capillipes, Ageratina cardiophylla, Ageratina cerifera, Ageratina chazaroana, Ageratina chiapensis, Ageratina choricephala, Ageratina collodes, Ageratina conspicua, Ageratina crassiramea, Ageratina cremastra, Ageratina cronquistii, Ageratina cylindrica, Ageratina deltoidea, Ageratina dolichobasis, Ageratina enixa, Ageratina espinosarum, Ageratina etlensis, Ageratina flourensifolia, Ageratina geminata, Ageratina gentryana, Ageratina glabrata, Ageratina glauca, Ageratina glischra, Ageratina gonzalezorum, Ageratina grashoffii, Ageratina gypsophila, Ageratina halbertiana, Ageratina helenae, Ageratina henzium, Ageratina hyssopina, Ageratina irrasa, Ageratina isolepis, Ageratina jaliscensis, Ageratina jalpana, Ageratina jolotepecana, Ageratina josepaneroi, Ageratina kochiana, Ageratina lasia, Ageratina lasioneura, Ageratina leiocarpa, Ageratina leptodictyon, Ageratina liebmannii, Ageratina ligustrina, Ageratina lucida, Ageratina macdonaldii, Ageratina macvaughii, Ageratina mairetiana, Ageratina malacolepis, Ageratina manantlana, Ageratina miahuatlana, Ageratina moorei, Ageratina muelleri, Ageratina neohintonorium, Ageratina nesomii, Ageratina oaxacana, Ageratina oligocephala, Ageratina oreithales, Ageratina ovilla, Ageratina palmeri, Ageratina parayana, Ageratina pazcuarensis, Ageratina pendula, Ageratina pelotropha, Ageratina petiolaris, Ageratina photina, Ageratina pichinchensis, Ageratina potosina, Ageratina pringlei, Ageratina prunellifolia, Ageratina queretaroana, Ageratina ramireziorum, Ageratina ramonensis, Ageratina rhomboidea, Ageratina robinsoniana, Ageratina rubicaulis, Ageratina salicifolia, Ageratina saltillensis, Ageratina sandersii, Ageratina scordonioides, Ageratina sousae, Ageratina stricta, Ageratina sundbergii, Ageratina thyrsiflora, Ageratina tomentella, Ageratina triangulata, Ageratina triniona, Ageratina venulosa, Ageratina vernalis, Ageratina viburnoides, Ageratina viejoana, Ageratina viscosissima, Ageratina warnockii, Ageratina yecorana, Ageratina zunilana
[edit] Other references to Snakeroot
The herbs are used in the novels of P.K. Wolf to combat the poison delivered by vampires. They are also used in the Warriors series by Erin Hunter to counter poison. In The Earth's Children novels, Jean M Auel references that snakeroot aids in preventing miscarriage [5]
[edit] Toxic properties
Milk from cows that have eaten snakeroot can cause illness if ingested because the milk becomes toxic.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Ageratina. Flora of North America.
- ^ Carmen Ulloa Ulloa and Peter Møller Jørgensen. Ageratina Spach. Arboles y arbustos de los Andes del Ecuador (Trees and shrubs of the Andes of Ecuador).
- ^ a b Ageratina Spach. Flora of Taiwan.
- ^ Ageratina adenophora
- ^ Nature's Bounty
[edit] External links
The Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ageratina.
