# Veratrum

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{{Short description|Genus of plants}}
{{Automatic taxobox
|image = Veratrum_lobelianum_-_Köhler–s_Medizinal-Pflanzen-279.jpg
|image_caption = ''Veratrum album''<ref>1897 illustration from Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen</ref>
|taxon = Veratrum
|authority = [L.](/source/Carl_Linnaeus) 1753
|synonyms_ref = <ref name=e/>
|synonyms = *''Melanthium'' <small>J.Clayton ex L.</small>
*''Helleborus'' <small>Gueldenst. 1791, illegitimate homonym not L. 1753 ([Ranunculaceae](/source/Ranunculaceae))</small>
*''Leimanthium'' <small>Willd.</small>
*''Anepsa'' <small>Raf.</small>
*''Evonyxis'' <small>Raf.</small>
*''Acelidanthus'' <small>Trautv. & C.A.Mey.</small> 
}}

'''''Veratrum''''' is a [genus](/source/genus) of [flowering plant](/source/flowering_plant)s in the [family](/source/Family_(taxonomy)) [Melanthiaceae](/source/Melanthiaceae).<ref>[http://www.tropicos.org/Name/40023758 Tropicos, ''Veratrum'' L.]</ref> It occurs in damp habitats across much of temperate and subarctic [Europe](/source/Europe), [Asia](/source/Asia), and [North America](/source/North_America).<ref name=e>[http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=291270 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families]</ref><ref>[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=134473 Flora of North America, Vol. 26 Page 72, False hellebore, skunk-cabbage, corn-lily, vérâtre, varaire, ''Veratrum'' Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 1044. 1753; Gen. Pl. ed. 5: 468. 1754. ]</ref><ref>[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=134473 Flora of China Vol. 24 Page 82 <big>藜芦属</big> li lu shu ''Veratrum'' Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 1044. 1753. ]</ref><ref>[http://luirig.altervista.org/flora/taxa/floraspecie.php?genere=Veratrum Altervista Flora Italiana, genere ''Veratrum''] includes photos and European distribution maps</ref><ref>[http://bonap.net/NAPA/TaxonMaps/Genus/County/Veratrum Biota of North America Program 2013 county distribution maps]</ref>

''Veratrum'' species are vigorous [herbaceous](/source/herbaceous_plant) [perennial](/source/perennial_plant)s with highly poisonous black [rhizomes](/source/rhizomes), and panicles of white or brown flowers on erect stems.<ref name=RHSAZ>{{cite book|title=RHS A–Z encyclopedia of garden plants|year=2008|publisher=Dorling Kindersley|location=United Kingdom|isbn=978-1405332965|pages=1136}}</ref> In English they are known as '''false hellebores''', '''false helleborines,''' and '''corn lilies'''. However, ''Veratrum'' is not closely related to [hellebores](/source/hellebores), [helleborine](/source/helleborine)s, [maize](/source/maize), or [lilies](/source/lilies).

<gallery widths="200px" heights="200px">
File:Veratrum nigrum Ciemiężyca czarna flowers 01.jpg|''[Veratrum nigrum](/source/Veratrum_nigrum)'' flowers, [Poland](/source/Poland)
File:Veratrum album subsp. oxysepalum 0807.JPG|''[Veratrum album](/source/Veratrum_album)'' subsp. ''oxysepalum'', [Fukushima Prefecture](/source/Fukushima_Prefecture), Japan
File:VeratrumViride-pousses-1.jpg|''[Veratrum viride](/source/Veratrum_viride)'' shoot emerging, [Quebec](/source/Quebec), Canada
File:Veratrum stamineum 06.jpg|''[Veratrum stamineum](/source/Veratrum_stamineum)'' in the mountains of Japan
</gallery>

==Linguistics==
Veratrum is from the [Latin](/source/Latin) word for "hellebore", of uncertain origin; [Anatoly Liberman](/source/Anatoly_Liberman) believes that the reconstructed [Proto-Slavic](/source/Proto-Slavic) term for the genus ''Veratrum'', ''*čemerъ'', is probably [cognate](/source/cognate) with the English word [hemlock](/source/Conium_maculatum), a plant similarly used for poison in [antiquity](/source/Ancient_history).

==Ecology==
''Veratrum'' species are used as food plants by the [larva](/source/larva)e of some [Lepidoptera](/source/Lepidoptera) species including [Setaceous Hebrew Character](/source/Setaceous_Hebrew_Character).

==Habitat==
[[File:False hellebore (Veratrum) from Alaska.jpg|thumb|False hellebore growing in its natural habitat, in the wet soils with good drainage of mountainous, alpine-tundra/forest transition-areas, such as [Turnagain Pass](/source/Turnagain_Pass), [Alaska](/source/Alaska). This plant is roughly {{convert|5|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}} tall, but can reach over 6 feet.]]

Widely distributed in [montane habitats](/source/Montane_ecosystems) of [temperate](/source/temperateness) Northern Hemisphere, ''Veratrum'' species prefer full sunlight and deep, wet soils, and are common in wet mountain meadows, swamps, and near streambanks.

==Toxicity==
''Veratrum'' plants contain highly toxic [steroidal alkaloid](/source/steroidal_alkaloid)s (e.g. [veratridine](/source/veratridine)) that activate [sodium ion channels](/source/sodium_ion_channels) and cause potentially fatal [cardiac arrhythmia](/source/cardiac_arrhythmia)s if ingested.<ref name="Schep">{{cite journal |vauthors=Schep LJ, Schmierer DM, Fountain JS |title=Veratrum poisoning |journal=Toxicol Rev |volume=25 |issue=2 |pages=73–8 |year=2006 |pmid=16958554 |doi=10.2165/00139709-200625020-00001|s2cid=42124743 }}</ref> The teratogenic steroid [Cyclopamine](/source/Cyclopamine) is also found in these plants and is known to induce [holoprosencephaly](/source/holoprosencephaly) in farm animals.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.teratology.org/members/JMFpresentation/tsld011.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020117020821/http://teratology.org/members/JMFpresentation/tsld011.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 17, 2002|title=Teratology Society}}</ref> All parts of these plants are poisonous, with the roots and [rhizome](/source/rhizome)s being the most poisonous.<ref name="Schep"/> If ingested, symptoms, which typically occur between thirty minutes and four hours, include [nausea](/source/nausea), [vomiting](/source/vomiting), abdominal pain, numbness, [headache](/source/headache), [sweating](/source/sweating), muscle weakness, [bradycardia](/source/bradycardia), [hypotension](/source/hypotension), [cardiac arrhythmia](/source/cardiac_arrhythmia), and [seizures](/source/seizures).<ref name="Schep"/> Treatment for poisoning includes [gastrointestinal](/source/gastrointestinal) decontamination with [activated charcoal](/source/activated_charcoal) followed by supportive care including [antiemetic](/source/antiemetic)s for persistent nausea and vomiting, along with [atropine](/source/atropine) for treatment of bradycardia and [fluid replacement](/source/fluid_replacement) and [vasopressor](/source/vasopressor)s for the treatment of hypotension.<ref name="Schep"/>

The toxic alkaloids are only produced during active growth, and are degraded and metabolized during the winter months. Native Americans harvested their roots for medicinal purposes during their dormant period.

==Uses==
[Native Americans](/source/Indigenous_peoples_of_the_Americas) were well aware of ''Veratrum'''s extreme toxicity and used the roots to poison arrows before combat. The roots, when dried and ground into powder, were also used as an insecticide.<ref name="Tilford">Edible and Medicinal plants of the West, Gregory L. Tilford, {{ISBN|0-87842-359-1}}</ref> Western American Indian tribes have a long history of using these plants medicinally, and combined minute amounts of the winter-harvested root of these plants with ''[Salvia dorii](/source/Salvia_dorii)'' to potentiate the effects and reduce the herb's toxicity.<ref name="Tilford"/>

=== Medical research ===
During the 1930s ''Veratrum'' extracts were investigated in the treatment of high blood pressure in humans. While initial results were promising, many of the patients suffered side effects due to the narrow [therapeutic index](/source/therapeutic_index) of these products. Due to their toxicity and the availability of other less toxic drugs, use of ''Veratrum'' as a treatment for high blood pressure in humans was discontinued.<ref name="Schep"/>

=== Herbal medicine ===
''Veratrum'' plants are known both in western herbalism and traditional Chinese medicine as toxic herbs to be used with great caution. It is one of the medicinals (''Li lu'', 藜蘆) cited in Chinese herbal texts as incompatible with many other common herbs because of its potentiating effects. Especially, many root (and root-shaped) herbs, particularly [ginseng](/source/ginseng), [san qi](/source/Panax_notoginseng), and [hai seng](/source/Holothuroidea), will create and or exacerbate a toxic effect.<ref name="Bensky, D. 2004 p 461">Bensky, D., Clavey, S., Stoger, E. (2004). ''Materia Medica'' (3rd edition). Seattle: Eastland Press. p. 461.</ref>

The roots of ''[V. nigrum](/source/Veratrum_nigrum)'' and ''[V. schindleri](/source/Veratrum_schindleri)'' have been used in Chinese herbalism, where plants of this genus are known as ''li lu''. ''Li lu'' is used internally as a powerful emetic of last resort, and topically to kill external parasites, treat [tinea](/source/tinea) and [scabies](/source/scabies), and stop itching.<ref name="Bensky, D. 2004 p 461"/>  Some herbalists refuse to prescribe ''li lu'' internally, citing the extreme difficulty in preparing a safe and effective dosage, and that death has occurred with dosages of as little as 600 milligrams.<ref name="Bensky, D. 2004 p 461"/>

==Species==
;Accepted species<ref name=e/>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* ''[Veratrum albiflorum](/source/Veratrum_albiflorum)'': [Russian Far East](/source/Russian_Far_East)
* ''[Veratrum album](/source/Veratrum_album)'': [Europe](/source/Europe), [Siberia](/source/Siberia), [Caucasus](/source/Caucasus), [Turkey](/source/Turkey)
* ''[Veratrum alpestre](/source/Veratrum_alpestre)'': [Primorye](/source/Primorye), Korea, Japan
* ''[Veratrum anticleoides](/source/Veratrum_anticleoides)'': [Russian Far East](/source/Russian_Far_East)
* ''[Veratrum californicum](/source/Veratrum_californicum)'': western USA; Mexico ([Chihuahua](/source/Chihuahua_(state)), [Durango](/source/Durango))
* ''[Veratrum dahuricum](/source/Veratrum_dahuricum)'': [Siberia](/source/Siberia), [Russian Far East](/source/Russian_Far_East), [Korea](/source/Korea), China
* ''[Veratrum dolichopetalum](/source/Veratrum_dolichopetalum)'': [Russian Far East](/source/Russian_Far_East), [Korea](/source/Korea), China
* ''[Veratrum fimbriatum](/source/Veratrum_fimbriatum)'': [California](/source/California) ([Sonoma](/source/Sonoma_County%2C_California) + [Mendocino Cos](/source/Mendocino_County%2C_California))
* ''[Veratrum formosanum](/source/Veratrum_formosanum)'': [Taiwan](/source/Taiwan)
* ''[Veratrum grandiflorum](/source/Veratrum_grandiflorum)'': China
* ''[Veratrum hybridum](/source/Veratrum_hybridum)'' (syn ''V. latifolium)'': eastern United States 
* ''[Veratrum insolitum](/source/Veratrum_insolitum)'': [Washington](/source/Washington_(state)), [Oregon](/source/Oregon), [California](/source/California)
* ''[Veratrum lobelianum](/source/Veratrum_lobelianum)'': Russia, [Mongolia](/source/Mongolia), [Xinjiang](/source/Xinjiang), [Central Asia](/source/Central_Asia), [Caucasus](/source/Caucasus)
* ''[Veratrum longibracteatum](/source/Veratrum_longibracteatum)'': [Honshu](/source/Honshu)
* ''[Veratrum maackii](/source/Veratrum_maackii)'': [Russian Far East](/source/Russian_Far_East), China, [Korea](/source/Korea), Japan
* ''[Veratrum mengtzeanum](/source/Veratrum_mengtzeanum)'': China, [Thailand](/source/Thailand)
* ''[Veratrum micranthum](/source/Veratrum_micranthum)'': [Sichuan](/source/Sichuan), [Yunnan](/source/Yunnan)
* ''[Veratrum nigrum](/source/Veratrum_nigrum)'': [Eurasia](/source/Eurasia) from France to [Korea](/source/Korea)
* ''[Veratrum oblongum](/source/Veratrum_oblongum)'': [Sichuan](/source/Sichuan), [Hubei](/source/Hubei), [Jiangxi](/source/Jiangxi)
* ''[Veratrum oxysepalum](/source/Veratrum_oxysepalum)'': [Asiatic Russia](/source/Asiatic_Russia), China, [Korea](/source/Korea), Japan, [Alaska](/source/Alaska)
* ''[Veratrum parviflorum](/source/Veratrum_parviflorum)'': southern [Appalachians](/source/Appalachians) in eastern USA
* ''[Veratrum schindleri](/source/Veratrum_schindleri)'': China
* ''[Veratrum shanense](/source/Veratrum_shanense)'': China, [Myanmar](/source/Myanmar)
* ''[Veratrum stamineum](/source/Veratrum_stamineum)'': Japan
* ''[Veratrum taliense](/source/Veratrum_taliense)'': [Sichuan](/source/Sichuan), [Yunnan](/source/Yunnan)
* ''[Veratrum × tonussii](/source/Veratrum_%C3%97_tonussii)'': Italy
* ''[Veratrum versicolor](/source/Veratrum_versicolor)'': [Korea](/source/Korea), China
* ''[Veratrum virginicum](/source/Veratrum_virginicum)'': central and eastern United States
* ''[Veratrum viride](/source/Veratrum_viride)'': northeastern and northwestern [North America](/source/North_America) (but not central)
* ''[Veratrum woodii](/source/Melanthium_woodii)'': south-central United States
{{div col end}}

==See also==

* [List of plants known as lily](/source/List_of_plants_known_as_lily)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wiktionary|Veratrum}}
{{Commons category|Veratrum}}
* [https://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=VERAT United States Department of Agriculture Plants Profile]
* [http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?8349,8674 Jepson manual treatment]

{{Taxonbar|from=Q161870}}
{{Authority control}}

Category:Veratrum
Category:Medicinal plants
Category:Melanthiaceae genera

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Veratrum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veratrum) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veratrum?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.