Ranunculaceae

Actaea

Actaea rubra (Aiton) Willd.

First published in Enum. Pl. Hort. Berol.: 561 (1809)

This species is accepted

The native range of this species is Subarctic America to N. & W. U.S.A. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Distribution
Synonyms
Classification
Publications
Other data

Native to:

Alaska, Alberta, Arizona, British Columbia, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Labrador, Maine, Manitoba, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Brunswick, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Newfoundland, North Dakota, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ohio, Ontario, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Prince Edward I., Québec, Rhode I., Saskatchewan, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Yukon

Introduced into:

Finland, Norway

Homotypic Synonyms

Actaea americana Pursh in Fl. Amer. Sept. 1: 366 (1813), nom. superfl.
Actaea americana var. rubra (Aiton) Pursh in Fl. Amer. Sept. 2: 367 (1813)
Actaea brachypetala var. rubra (Aiton) DC. in Syst. Nat. 1: 385 (1817)
Actaea spicata subsp. rubra (Aiton) Hultén in Kongl. Svenska Vetensk. Acad. Handl., ser. 4, 13(1): 166 (1971)
Actaea spicata var. rubra Aiton in Hortus Kew. 2: 211 (1789)
Christophoriana rubra (Aiton) Nieuwl. in Amer. Midl. Naturalist 3: 326 (1914)

Heterotypic Synonyms

Actaea alba (L.) Mill. in Gard. Dict., ed. 7.: n.° 2 (1759)
Actaea americana var. alba (L.) Pursh in Fl. Amer. Sept. 2: 366 (1813)
Actaea arguta Nutt. in J.Torrey & A.Gray, Fl. N. Amer. 1: 35 (1838)
Actaea arguta var. alabastrina Lunell in Amer. Midl. Naturalist 2: 123 (1911)
Actaea arguta var. eburnea (Rydb.) Cockerell in F.P.Daniels, Fl. Boulder Colorado: 119 (1911)
Actaea arguta var. pauciflora R.R.Gates in Bot. Gaz. 61: 202 (1916)
Actaea arguta var. viridiflora (Greene) Tidestr. & Kittell in Fl. Ariz. New Mex.: 25 (1941)
Actaea asplenifolia Greene in Ottawa Naturalist 16: 35 (1902)
Actaea brachypetala DC. in Syst. Nat. 1: 385 (1817), nom. superfl.
Actaea brachypetala var. alba (L.) DC. in Syst. Nat. 1: 385 (1817), nom. superfl.
Actaea californica Greene in Ottawa Naturalist 16: 36 (1902)
Actaea caudata Greene in Ottawa Naturalist 16: 35 (1902)
Actaea eburnea Rydb. in Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 1: 153 (1900)
Actaea longipes Spach in Hist. Nat. Vég. 7: 388 (1838)
Actaea neglecta Gillmann in Drugs Med. N. Amer. 1: 235 (1885)
Actaea rubra f. arguta (Nutt.) Huth in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 16: 309 (1892)
Actaea rubra subsp. arguta (Nutt.) Hultén in Acta Univ. Lund., 2. 41(1): 217 (1945)
Actaea rubra var. arguta (Nutt.) M.A.Lawson in Rev. Canad. Ranuncul.: 84 (1884)
Actaea rubra var. dissecta Britton in N.L.Britton & A.Brown, Ill. Fl. N. U.S. 2: 55 (1897)
Actaea rubra var. gigantea R.R.Gates in Bot. Gaz. 61: 201 (1916)
Actaea rubra f. neglecta (Gillmann) B.L.Rob. in Rhodora 10: 66 (1908)
Actaea spicata var. alba L. in Sp. Pl.: 504 (1753), nom. utique rejic.
Actaea spicata f. arguta (Nutt.) Huth in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 16: 309 (1892)
Actaea spicata var. arguta (Nutt.) Torr. in Pacif. Railr. Rep. Whipple, Bot. 4(5; 4): 63 (1857)
Actaea spicata subsp. arguta (Nutt.) Hultén in Kongl. Svenska Vetensk. Acad. Handl., ser. 4, 13(1): 166 (1971)
Actaea spicata var. dissecta (Britton) K.C.Davis in Tax. Stud. N. Amer. Ranunc.: 28 (1900)
Actaea viridiflora Greene in Pittonia 2: 108 (1890)
Actaea viridiflora var. clementiorum R.R.Gates in Bot. Gaz. 61: 203 (1916)
Christophoriana alba (L.) Nieuwl. in Amer. Midl. Naturalist 3: 326 (1914)
Christophoriana arguta (Nutt.) Lunell in Amer. Midl. Naturalist 4: 362 (1916)
Christophoriana arguta var. alabastrina Lunell in Amer. Midl. Naturalist 4: 362 (1916)
Dipleina umbellata Raf. in Autik. Bot.: 54 (1840), nom. rej.

Kingdom Plantae
Phylum Streptophyta
Class Equisetopsida
Subclass Magnoliidae
Order
Ranunculales

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Family
Ranunculaceae

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Genus
Actaea

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Species
Actaea rubra

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POWO follows these authorities in accepting this name:

Abdulina, S.A. (1999). Spisok Sosudistykn Rastenii Kazakhstana: 1-187. Academy of Sciences, Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Ackerfield, J. (2015). Flora of Colorado: 1-818. BRIT Press.
Flora of North America Editorial Committee (1997). Flora of North America North of Mexico 3: 1-590. Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.
Govaerts, R. (1995). World Checklist of Seed Plants 1(1, 2): 1-483, 529. MIM, Deurne.
Jonsell, B. (ed.) (2001). Flora Nordica 2: 1-430. The Bergius Foundaton.
Meades, S.J. & Brouillet, L. (2019). Annotated Checklist of the Vascular Plants of Newfoundland and Labrador https://newfoundland-labradorflora.ca/checklist/.
Mohlenbrock, R.H. (2014). Vascular Flora of Illinois. A Field Guide, ed. 4: 1-536. Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale.

Kew Backbone Distributions

Ackerfield, J. (2015). Flora of Colorado: 1-818. BRIT Press.
Flora of North America Editorial Committee (1997). Flora of North America North of Mexico 3: 1-590. Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.
Larson, J., Reif, B., Nelson, B.E. & Hartman, R.L. (2014). Floristic studies in North Central New Mexico, U.S.A. the Sange de Cristo mountains. Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas 8: 271-303.
Mohlenbrock, R.H. (2014). Vascular Flora of Illinois. A Field Guide, ed. 4: 1-536. Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale.
von Raab-Straube, E. (ed.) (2005-2022). The Euro+Med PlantBase - the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity http://ww2.bgbm.org/EuroPlusMed/query.asp.

Other Kew resources that provide information on this taxon:

IPNI - The International Plant Names Index

Date	Reference	Identified As	Barcode	Type Status	Has image?
Jan 1, 1998	Funston, F. [14] United States		K000692609	Type	Yes
Aug 1, 1997	Fernald, M.L.; St John, H. [7500] Canada		K000692610	Type	Yes
	s.coll. [s.n.] United States		K004188936		Yes
	Vasey, G. [s.n.] United States		K004188914		Yes
	Lyall [s.n.] United States		K004188908		Yes
	Lyall [s.n.] United States		K004188899		Yes
	Shaw, C.H. [s.n.] United States		K004188901		Yes
	Hooker, J.D.; Gray, A. [s.n.] United States		K004188940		Yes
	s.coll. [s.n.]		K004188939		Yes
	Lyall [s.n.] United States		K004188935		Yes
	s.coll. [s.n.]		K004188932		Yes
	Pringle, C.G. [s.n.] United States		K004188913		Yes
	Hitchcock, C.L. [2012] United States		K004188907		Yes
	[Tolmin] [69]		K004188912		Yes
	s.coll. [s.n.] United States		K004188904		Yes
	Bourgeau, E. [s.n.] Canada		K004188938		Yes
	Nuttall [s.n.]		K004188911		Yes
	Bourgeau, E. [s.n.] United States		K004188900		Yes
	Ball, J. [s.n.] United States		K004188937		Yes
	s.coll. [s.n.] United States		K004188933		Yes
	Lapham, I.A. [s.n.] United States		K004188902		Yes
	Bourgeau [s.n.]		K004188905		Yes
	Hitchcock, C.L. [2011] United States		K000692611	Type	Yes
	s.coll. [s.n.] United States		K004188903		Yes
	Hultén, E. [7842] United States		K004188909		Yes
	Macoun, M.A. [[58]] Canada		K004188934		Yes
	[Lohbrummer Bros] [309] United States		K004188931		Yes
	{Mrs. R. M. Austin} [35] United States		K004188910		Yes
	Bourgeau [s.n.] United States		K004188906		Yes
	Bourgeau [s.n.] France	Actaea rubra f. neglecta	K004188955		Yes
	[R. Gates]; Mellanby, K. [s.n.] Canada	Actaea rubra f. neglecta	K004188949		Yes
	Leiberg, J.B. [1490] United States	Actaea rubra f. neglecta	K004188947		Yes
	MacDougal, D.T. [677] United States	Actaea rubra f. neglecta	K004188951		Yes
	Baldwin, W.K.W.; Breitung, A.J. [3261] Canada	Actaea rubra f. neglecta	K004188946		Yes
	Maclagan [s.n.]	Actaea rubra f. neglecta	K004188944		Yes
	[Maclogan] [s.n.] United States	Actaea rubra f. neglecta	K004188953		Yes
	Rowland, N. [s.n.] Canada	Actaea rubra f. neglecta	K004188942		Yes
	Schuette, J.H. [s.n.] United States	Actaea rubra f. neglecta	K004188954		Yes
	Mellanby, K.; Gates, R.R. [s.n.] Canada	Actaea rubra f. neglecta	K004188952		Yes
	Moir, T.R.G. [159] Canada	Actaea rubra f. neglecta	K004188948		Yes
	Rydberg, P.A.; Bessey, E.A. [4063] United States	Actaea rubra f. neglecta	K004188943		Yes
	Gates, R.R.; Mellanby, K. [s.n.] Canada	Actaea rubra f. neglecta	K004188950		Yes
	Bourgeau [s.n.]	Actaea rubra f. neglecta	K004188956		Yes
	Garton, C.E. [6617] Canada	Actaea rubra f. neglecta	K004188945		Yes
	Watson, G. [s.n.] United States	Actaea arguta	K004188925		Yes
	Whiting, M.M.; Stewart, K.J. [517] Canada	Actaea arguta	K004188957		Yes
	Shaw, C.H. [s.n.] Canada	Actaea arguta	K004188961		Yes
	Hamilton, C.A. [s.n.] Canada	Actaea arguta	K004188920		Yes
	Bourgeau, E. [s.n.] Canada	Actaea arguta	K004188941		Yes
	Fendler, A. [12] United States	Actaea arguta	K004188922		Yes
	s.coll. [s.n.]	Actaea arguta	K004188918		Yes
	Short, C.W. [s.n.] United States	Actaea arguta	K004188923		Yes
	Lamb, F.H. [1353] United States	Actaea arguta	K004188967		Yes
	s.coll. [s.n.] United States	Actaea arguta	K004188973		Yes
	Brewer, W.H. [934] United States	Actaea arguta	K004188929		Yes
	Looff, E.H.; Looff, H.B. [283] United States	Actaea arguta	K004188969		Yes
	Gates, R.R.; Mellanby, K. [[WS]] Canada	Actaea arguta	K004188981		Yes
	MacGregor, W. [s.n.] United States	Actaea arguta	K004188921		Yes
	Wolley-Dod, A.H. [157] United States	Actaea arguta	K004188926		Yes
	Thompson, J.W. [3466] United States	Actaea arguta	K004188978		Yes
	Cusick, W.C. [2089] United States	Actaea arguta	K004188927		Yes
	Nelson, A. [7482] United States	Actaea arguta	K004188964		Yes
	Gorman, M.W. [9] United States	Actaea arguta	K004188974		Yes
	Nuttall, T. [s.n.] United States	Actaea arguta	K000692616	Unknown Type Material	Yes
	Rydberg, P.A. [509] United States	Actaea arguta	K004188966		Yes
	Leiberg, J.B. [1263] United States	Actaea arguta	K004188959		Yes
	Gates, R.R.; Mellanby, K. [7] Canada	Actaea arguta	K004188976		Yes
	Macoun, M.A. [57] Canada	Actaea arguta	K004188930		Yes
	Thompson, J.W. [3099] United States	Actaea arguta	K004188979		Yes
	s.coll. [s.n.] United States	Actaea arguta	K004188962		Yes
	Eyerdam, W.J. [3336] United States	Actaea arguta	K004188928		Yes
	McKelvey, S.D. [s.n.] United States	Actaea arguta	K004188924		Yes
	Payne, G. [7] United States	Actaea arguta	K004188975		Yes
	Whiting, M.M.; Stewart, K.J. [561] Canada	Actaea arguta	K004188958		Yes
	Douglas [s.n.] United States	Actaea arguta	K004188917		Yes
	s.coll. [s.n.] United States	Actaea arguta	K004188963		Yes
	[Calbertson] [4257] United States	Actaea arguta	K004188972		Yes
	[Pullen] [8] United States	Actaea arguta	K004188916		Yes
	Crosswhite, F.S. [1258] United States	Actaea arguta	K004188968		Yes
	Warren, E.M. [s.n.] Canada	Actaea arguta	K004188971		Yes
	McCalla, W.C. [2101] Canada	Actaea arguta	K004188970		Yes
	Thompson, J.W. [2581] United States	Actaea arguta	K004188980		Yes
	Bigelow, J.M. [s.n.] United States	Actaea arguta	K000692613	Unknown Type Material	Yes
	s.coll. [s.n.] Canada	Actaea arguta	K004188919		Yes
	Nuttall, T. [s.n.] United States	Actaea arguta	K000692614	Unknown Type Material	Yes
	Marsh, J.W. [s.n.] United States	Actaea arguta	K004188977		Yes
	Nelson, A.; Nelson, E. [5808] United States	Actaea arguta	K004188965		Yes
	Leiberg, J.B. [2517] United States	Actaea arguta	K004188960		Yes
	Richardson [102]	Actaea arguta	K004188915		Yes
	Bigelow, J. [s.n.] United States	Actaea alba	K000692615	Unknown Type Material	Yes

Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1
- Angiosperm Threat Predictions
- http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Herbarium Catalogue Specimens
- 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
- Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Kew Backbone Distributions
- The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
- © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
Kew Living Collection Database
- Common Names from Kew's Living Collection Database
Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone
- The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
- © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
Kew Science Photographs
- Copyright applied to individual images

Actaea rubra (Aiton) Willd.

Distribution

Native to:

Introduced into:

Synonyms

Homotypic Synonyms

Heterotypic Synonyms

Classification

Kew's Tree of Life Explorer

Publications

POWO follows these authorities in accepting this name:

Kew Backbone Distributions

Other Data

Other Kew resources that provide information on this taxon:

IPNI - The International Plant Names Index

Sources

Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

Kew Backbone Distributions

Kew Living Collection Database

Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

Kew Science Photographs

Actaea rubra (Aiton) Willd.

Distribution

Native to:

Introduced into:

Synonyms

Homotypic Synonyms

Heterotypic Synonyms

Classification

Kew's Tree of Life Explorer

Publications

POWO follows these authorities in accepting this name:

Kew Backbone Distributions

Other Data

Other Kew resources that provide information on this taxon:

IPNI - The International Plant Names Index External Link

Herbarium Catalogue (90 records)

Sources

Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

Kew Backbone Distributions

Kew Living Collection Database

Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

Kew Science Photographs

IPNI - The International Plant Names Index