Aruncus
Encyclopedia
Aruncus is a genus of herbaceous
plants in the Rosaceae
, subfamily Spiraeoideae
. Botanical opinion of the number of species differs, with from one to four species accepted.
The genus was formerly treated as part of the related genus Spiraea
.
4-9 in almost any soil, in sun, or light shade. Set plants approximately 18 - 24 inches apart. To get new plants, divide clumps in spring or fall; otherwise clumps can remain undisturbed indefinitely.
Medical uses: A poultice from the root is applied to bee stings. A tea made from the roots is used to allay bleeding after child birth, to reduce profuse urination and to treat stomach pains, diarrhea, gonorrhea, fevers and internal bleeding. Use the root tea externally to bathe swollen feet and rheumatic joints. A salve made from the root ashes can be rubbed onto sores.
Herbaceous
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
plants in the Rosaceae
Rosaceae
Rosaceae are a medium-sized family of flowering plants, including about 2830 species in 95 genera. The name is derived from the type genus Rosa. Among the largest genera are Alchemilla , Sorbus , Crataegus , Cotoneaster , and Rubus...
, subfamily Spiraeoideae
Spiraeoideae
The subfamily Spiraeoideae was traditionally a subfamily of flowering plants within family Rosaceae. The taxonomy of this subfamily has changed several times in the last century as more detailed studies have been carried out...
. Botanical opinion of the number of species differs, with from one to four species accepted.
- Aruncus dioicusAruncus dioicusAruncus dioicus is a plant in the rose family, Rosaceae. It is a herbaceous plant with alternate, pinnately compound leaves, on thin, stiff stems. The flowers are white, borne in summer. This plant can be found throughout Europe, Asia, and eastern and western North America...
(Goatsbeard) is native to the temperate Northern HemisphereNorthern HemisphereThe Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
, occurring throughout the cooler parts of EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, AsiaAsiaAsia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and North AmericaNorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. In the broad sense, this is the only species in the genus, with the species below treated as synonyms or varietiesVariety (biology)In botanical nomenclature, variety is a taxonomic rank below that of species: as such, it gets a three-part infraspecific name....
of it by some botanists.
- Aruncus aethusifolius (Dwarf Goatsbeard or Korean Goatsbeard) has a restricted range, limited to KoreaKoreaKorea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
in eastern Asia.
- Aruncus gombalanus (Yunnan Goatsbeard) occurs in the mountainMountainImage:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
s of northwest YunnanYunnanYunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
and adjacent TibetTibetTibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
.
- Aruncus sylvester (Asian Goatsbeard) covers the widespread Asian forms of A. dioicus.
The genus was formerly treated as part of the related genus Spiraea
Spiraea
Spiraea , is a genus of about 80-100 species of shrubs in the family Rosaceae, subfamily Spiraeoideae. They are native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere, with the greatest diversity in eastern Asia....
.
Cultivation
Goatsbeard does well in USDA Plant Hardiness ZonesHardiness zone
A hardiness zone is a geographically defined area in which a specific category of plant life is capable of growing, as defined by climatic conditions, including its ability to withstand the minimum temperatures of the zone...
4-9 in almost any soil, in sun, or light shade. Set plants approximately 18 - 24 inches apart. To get new plants, divide clumps in spring or fall; otherwise clumps can remain undisturbed indefinitely.
Medical uses: A poultice from the root is applied to bee stings. A tea made from the roots is used to allay bleeding after child birth, to reduce profuse urination and to treat stomach pains, diarrhea, gonorrhea, fevers and internal bleeding. Use the root tea externally to bathe swollen feet and rheumatic joints. A salve made from the root ashes can be rubbed onto sores.