Blue Cohosh

(Caulophyllum thalictroides)

Other Names:

None known

Range:

Family:

Berberidaceae - Barberry Family

Growth Type:

Perennial Herb

Height:

1-3 feet

Leaves:

Compound, alternate, pinnate

Stem/Trunk:

Erect, unbranched, green to purplish

Root:

Rhizome

Flower Season:

April to May

Flower Appearance:

Small, yellow-green, bell-shaped

Seed/Fruit:

Blue-black berries

Miscellaneous characteristics:

Contains alkaloids and glycosides

Habitat:

Moist, rich, deciduous forests

Parts Used:

Root and rhizome

Culinary Uses:

None known

Energetics

Taste: Bitter/Pungent

Thermal: Warming
Humidity: Drying

Traditional Medicinal Uses:

Colic, cramps, gastrointestinal disturbances, kidney ailments, liver ailments, parturition, pulmonary ailments, skin ailments, supressed menstruation, toothache, urinary ailments, women's ailments. Blue cohosh is used to regulate mentrual flow, particularly for supressed menstruation. It is used to induce labor, also for children's colic and for cramps. Indicated for any uterine conditions characterized by asthenic, flaccid uterine muscles, with heavy, bearing-down sensations or cervical venosities. Normally, it should be given in combination with other herbs indicated for the condition involved. Blue cohosh can be very irritating to mucous surfaces and can cause dermatitis on contact. Children have been poisoned by the fruit. Blue cohosh can be dangerous and should be used with medical supervision.

Indigenous Usage:

Appalachian, Cherokee, Chippewa, Fox, Iroquois, Menominee, Mohegan, Ojibwa, Omaha, Ponca, Potawatomi

Usage Indictions:

Amenorrhea, Cramps, Dysmenorrhea, Uterine Atony

Medicinal Actions:

Anthelmintic, Antiarthritic, Anticonvulsant, Antihemorrhagic, Antirheumatic, Antispasmodic, Diaphoretic, Emetic, Emmenagogue, Febrifuge, Oxytocic, Sedative, Tonic: Uterine

Constituents:

Plant: Arabinose, Baptifoline, Berberine, Caulosaponin, Magnoflorine, Mannose, N-Methyl-Cytisine

Root/Rhizome: (-)-Anagyrine, (-)-Baptifoline, Alkaloids, Anagyrine, Baptifoline, Campesterol, Caulophylline, Caulophyllosaponin, Caulophyllum-Saponin-1, Caulophyllum-Saponin-2, Caulophyllum-Saponin-3, Caulophyllum-Thalictroides, Caulophyllum-Thalictroides-Glycoside-G, Caulosaponin, Cerotic-Acid, Cerotinic-Acid, Citrullol, Daucosterol, Fiber(Crude), Fiber(Dietary), Gum, Hederagenin, Leontin, Magnoflorine, N-Methyl-Cytisine, Phytosterols, Saponin, Thiamine