description
Goldenseal is a small perennial herb of the Ranunculaceae family.
The plant's bright yellow root-stock is horizontal, irregularly knotted,
and grows from from 1/4 inch to
3/4 inch thick. It is marked with the previous years' flower-stem scars. Below it has
slender roots.
In the early spring the hairy, flowering stem pushes up and grows up to 6 to 12
inches in height. The stem is cylindrical and erect, with
downward-pointing hairs and is surrounded at its base with a few
short, brown scales.
The plant produces two wrinkled and prominently-veined, dark
green leaves that are also hairy. These are formed high up on the stem. The lower one is stalked; the upper
stalkless, and roundish in outline though is palmately cut into 5 to 7 lobes, with its
margins irregularly and finely toothed. Additionally one solitary, large, radical leaf
will grow on a long foot-stalk—its form similar to a larger version of the stem leaves—though when
full-grown it will reach about 9 inches across.
In April, the plant's small, solitary flower is produced. It is terminal, erect, and
has three small greenish-white sepals, which fall away immediately
after expansion. There no petals but there are numerous stamens.
Goldenseal fruit is a head of
small, oblong, fleshy, red berries that ripens in July. They are tipped with the persistent styles
and contain one or two hard black, shiny seeds. Though it resembles a raspberry
it is not edible.
common names & nomenclature
The common name Ground Raspberry refers to the fact that goldenseal fruit resembles an inedible raspberry.
Also known as:
yellow paint root, jaundice root, eye balm, ground raspberry, eye root,
orange root, yellow indian plant, turmeric root, yellow puccoon, wild
curcuma, indian dye, warnera
