ABSTRACT
One of the oldest indigenous American plant drugs is blue cohosh, otherwise known as papoose root or squaw root. It consists of the underground parts (roots and rhizomes) of Caulophyllum thalictroides (L.) Michx., a perennial herb, purple when young, that has a smooth stem, one to three feet in height, terminated by a panicle of yellowish green flowers. The mature plant is a peculiar bluish green color and bears dark blue fruits-hence, the name, blue cohosh. It is a member of the family Berberidaceae.1
