Actaea rubra cv. ‘Filkins’ (Red baneberry)

Red baneberry is called baneberry because of its poisonous nature. It is a North American native. This is a cultivated variety of Actaea rubra.

Leaves: On all of the baneberries, leaves often occur in groups of three, on thin stems, and are saw-toothed.

Flowers: Flowerheads (racemes) of small white flowers ¼″ (6.3 mm) across have a roselike odor.

Fruits: Berries are oval when green, becoming rounder and bright or dark red when ripe.

Edibility: Skull & Crossbones

All parts of this plant are poisonous. Causes burning of the mouth and throat, salivation, stomach cramps, headache, diarrhea, dizziness, and hallucinations. Berries have caused fatalities in children.

9/14/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 8″ (15 × 19 cm)

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin)
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Magnoliidae	Includes magnolias, nutmeg, bay laurel, cinnamon, avocado, black pepper, and many others
Order	Ranunculales	Basal (evolved earlier) eudicots, also called “true dicots”
Family	Ranunculaceae	Buttercup family
Genus	Actaea	From ancient Greek, signifying a wet habitat and its leaves’ similarity to Sambucus leaves
Species	rubra	From the Latin ruber or rubra meaning “red”

About plant names...