October, 2003 SE
October, 2003 GJ
October, 2003 SE
October, 2003 SE
October, 2003 GJ
October, 2003 GJ
Leaf: Opposite, simple; oval, longer than broad, sometimes rather heart-shaped, with acuminate tips, larger leaves being 5 to 18 cm long and 3 to12 cm wide; coarsely or sometimes sharply toothed, teeth pointing toward leaf tip; leafstalks conspicuous and slender, often 1/4 to 1/3 the length of the leaf blade.
Flower: Showy, snow white, composed of 10 to 30 flowers on a head in terminal, rounded clusters; blooming late July to October; each flower tubular, small, with many petals, 4 mm across.
Fruit: Tiny achene, seed-like, containing a single black, angular seed with a tuft of white hairs.
Stem:
Opposite-branching, upright, slender, round, usually smooth except near the flowers;
0.3 to 1.5
m tall.
Form:
Perennial, branched forb.
Discussion
The genus name Eupatorium refers to the Greek name "Mithridates Eupator" who was king of Pontus circa 115 BC. According to lore, King Eupator discovered an antidote to the poison made from a plant in this genus. The species name rugosum means "wrinkled".
White snakeroot's common name makes us think that it was used as a remedy for snakebite, but that use has not been documented. "Fall poison" refers to its toxicity. "White sanicle" and "Indian sanicle" are names derived from its medicinal uses among Native Americans, as "sanicle" means "healing".
White snakeroot is native in the United States, and is quite common in wooded areas. Cattle usually choose other plants over white snakeroot, but in the days of the pioneers it was a different story. Settlers had to clear out trees to make room for their cabins, but they usually left the vegetation alone. For the next couple of years, white snakeroot took advantage of the open space and grew abundantly, often covering much of the land. Cattle ate too much of the snakeroot and passed its toxin, tremetone, along in its milk. Settlers who drank the milk soon experienced weakness, abdominal pain, and vomiting. If the poisoning was bad enough, the victims progressed to delirium and death. This was the dreaded "milk sickness". Abraham Lincoln's mother Nancy died of milk sickness just two years after the family moved to Indiana and began clearing the forest from their 160-acre farm.
Cattle that are poisoned by eating white snakeroot develop a condition called the "trembles". Symptoms include difficulty swallowing, sweating, muscle tremors, weakness, and a distinctive breath odor.
Distinguishing Characteristics
White snakeroot is distinguished by the combination of opposite, petioled leaves with coarsely serrate margins and flat-topped inflorescences of small, white flower heads.
Associated Plants
Associated plants at our location included gooseberry, wild grape, tall goldenrod, yellow woodsorrel, brown-eyed Susan, blackberry, raspberry, sycamore, osage orange, honey locust, and giant ragweed.
Distribution
White snakeroot is found over most of
east-central and eastern North America. It occurs in woods and
thickets, along streams in wooded pastures, and in borders between forests and
fields.
Images
Click each small picture to see a larger image.
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Location
N 39.26908º
W -89.89110º
Multiple examples along the western end of the fitness trail in Loveless park,
South Locust Street, Carlinville, Macoupin County, IL.
Copyright
Photos © 2003 Shawn Evans and Grant Jacobsen, Carlinville High School, linke@carlinvilleschools.net
References
North Carolina State University, Department of Horticultural
Science (accessed 12/03)
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/poison/Eupatru.htm
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food (accessed 12/03)
http://www.gov.on.ca/OMAFRA/english/crops/facts/ontweeds/white_snakeroot.htm
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (accessed 12/03)
http://door.library.uiuc.edu/vex//toxic/snkroot/wksroot0.htm
University of Georgia, Poisonous Plants of Georgia Website
(accessed 12/03)
http://daffodil.plantbio.uga.edu/PPG/Plant%20Summary%20Pages/eupatorium_rugosum.htm
Werner, Jr., William E. 1988. Life and lore of Illinois wildflowers. Illinois State Museum, Springfield. 238 pp.
Editorial Subcommittee of the Regional Technical Committee of Project NC-10, K.P. Buchhotz, Chairman. 1954. Weeds of the north central states {North Central Regional Publication No. 36, Circular 718 Feb. 1954}. University of Illinois, Urbana. 239 pp.