Snakeroot
Snakeroot, a common name for various plants, most of which are unrelated. Some of the plants are named for their snakelike roots; others, for the use of their roots as a folk remedy for snakebite. The roots or rhizomes (underground stems) of several species of snakeroot yield important drugs that are used in medicine.
White snakeroot, a species found in North America, is a poisonous plant that grows in pastures and fields. When eaten by grazing animals, such as cattle, it can produce a disease called the trembles. Humans can contract a fatal disease called milk sickness by drinking milk of cows that have eaten this plant.
Indian snakeroot is a climbing shrub found in southeastern Asia and India. It is grown commercially for its rhizomes, which yield reserpine, a drug used to treat hypertension. In India, the rhizomes have been used for centuries to treat mental disorders and snakebite, to reduce fevers, and to induce childbirth.
North American species of snakeroots that have medicinal properties include the black snakeroot, or black cohosh, Cimicifuga racemosa; the button snakeroot, Eryngium yuccifolium; the Seneca snake-root, Polygala senega; and the Virginia snakeroot, Aristolochia serpentaria. The white snakeroot is Eupatorium rugosum. The Indian snakeroot is Rauwolfia serpentina.
Some snakeroots are named for their snakelike roots; others, for their use as a folk remedy for snakebite.