ILLINOIS PLANT INFORMATION NETWORK
 
 ILPIN INFORMATION ON    Aralia racemosa
 
 
 CLASS:    DICOTYLEDENAE
 ORDER:    UMBELLALES
 FAMILY:   ARALIACEAE
 SCIENTIFIC NAME:  Aralia racemosa
 AUTHORITY:  L.
 
 COMMON NAMES:
    AMERICAN SPIKENARD
 
 SYNONOMY:   None
 
 PLANTS CODE: ARRA
 
 NATURAL COMMUNITIES:
     FOREST
       UPLAND FOREST
         MESIC
       THICKETS
     WETLAND
       SWAMP
         TYPICAL SWAMP
     PRIMARY
       BLUFF
         CLIFF (ROCKY BLUFF)
           LIMESTONE
       LISTED
         CHARACTERISTIC
 
 SAF FOREST COVER TYPE:  UNAVAILABLE
 
 NATURAL DIVISION:  UNAVAILABLE
 
 COUNTIES:
   ADAMS           ALEXANDER       BOND            BOONE           BROWN
   BUREAU          CALHOUN         CARROLL         CASS            CHAMPAIGN
   CLARK           COLES           COOK            CUMBERLAND      DEKALB
   DUPAGE          FULTON          GALLATIN        GREENE          GRUNDY
   HANCOCK         HARDIN          HENDERSON       JACKSON         JERSEY
   JO DAVIESS      JOHNSON         KANE            KANKAKEE        KENDALL
   LAKE            LASALLE         LEE             LOGAN           MCDONOUGH
   MCLEAN          MACON           MACOUPIN        MASON           MASSAC
   MENARD          MERCER          MONROE          OGLE            PEORIA
   PIATT           PIKE            POPE            RANDOLPH        RICHLAND
   ROCK ISLAND     ST. CLAIR       SALINE          SCHUYLER        SCOTT
   SHELBY          STEPHENSON      TAZEWELL        UNION           VERMILION
   WABASH          WHITESIDE       WILL            WINNEBAGO       WOODFORD
 
 
 GROWTH FORM:  Dicot-herb
 
 TAXONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS:
    ROOTS:  Primary
    LEAF ARRANGEMENT:   Alternate
    LEAF TYPE:    Compound  (pinnately)
    LEAF MARGIN:   Doubly Serrate
    LEAF VENATION:  Pinnate
    LEAF SHAPE:     Ovate
    INFLORESCENCE:   Umbel
    FLOWER STRUCTURE:   Regular
    FLOWER COLOR:   Green   White
    FLOWER PLACEMENT:  Epigynous
    FRUIT:   Berry
 
 DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTIC COMMENTS:
     Few widely spreading leaves, slightly downy;  inflorescence a large panicle
     of umbels
 
 GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION:
     ORIGIN:   Native
 
 POPULATION DYNAMICS:
     STATE STATUS: Not listed
     FEDERAL STATUS: Not listed
     COMMONNESS:  Occasional
     ENDEMIC:   NOT-ENDEMIC
 
 BIOLOGIC:
     HABIT:   Forb
     LIFE CYCLE:   Perennial
     REPRODUCTION:   Sexual
     FLOWERING PERIOD:
         MONTH BEGINNING-      6         MONTH END-      8
     TROPHIC STATUS:  Autotrophic
     C02 FIXATION:  C3
     SEX:      Perfect     Unisexual
 
 BIOLOGIC COMMENTS:
     Polygamous
 
 ECODISTRIBUTION COMMENTS:
     Dolomite cliffs;  calcareous rocky ravines, dense shade
 
 ENVIRONMENTAL RELATIONSHIPS:
     GROWTH OF SPECIES IN VARIOUS CONDITIONS:
          GRAVEL         No data entered    SAND           No data entered
          SANDY LOAM     No data entered    LOAM           No data entered
          CLAY LOAM      No data entered    CLAY           No data entered
          DENSE CLAY     No data entered    ORGANIC SOIL   No data entered
          NEUTRAL pH     No data entered    ACIDIC SOIL    No data entered
          EXTREMELY ACID No data entered    SALINE SOIL    No data entered
          SODIC SOIL     No data entered    SODIC-SALINE   No data entered
          ROCKY OUTCROPS Good               GENTLE SLOPES  Good
          MODERATE SLOPE Good               STEEP SLOPES   Good
     PREFERRED ASPECT:   North       HABITAT:   Moist
 
 FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS:    No data entered
 HUMAN RELATIONSHIP DATA:
     EDIBLE:  No
 
     WILD HERBS:   Culinary-flavor
 
 HUMAN FACTOR COMMENTS:
     Roots aromatic and spicy used as one of the ingredients in root
     beer;  fruit not condidered edible
 
 WILDLIFE AND LIVESTOCK INFORMATION:   No data entered
 
 REVEGETATION PLANTINGS:
     WEEDINESS:   Non-weedy
 
 
 
 REFERENCES:
Mohlenbrock, R. H., ed.  1975.  Guide to the vascular flora of Illinois.
     Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale.  494 pp.
Jones, G. N.  1963.  Flora of Illinois.  Third ed.  American Midland Naturalist
     Monograph 7.  University of Notre Dame, Indiana.  401 pp.
Steyermark, J. A.  1963.  Flora of Missouri.  Iowa State University Press, Ames.
     1725 pp.
Gleason, H. A., and A. Cronquist.  1963.  Manual of vascular plants of north-
     eastern United States and adjacent Canada.  Van Nostrand Reinhold Co.,
     New York.  810 pp.
Fernald, M. L.  1950.  Gray's manual of botany.  8th ed.  American Book Co.,
     New York.  1632 pp.
Swink, F., and G. S. Wilhelm.  1979.  Plants of the Chicago region.  Third ed.
     The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois.  922 pp.
White, J., and M. H. Madany.  1978.  Classification of natural communities in
     Illinois.  Pages 309-405 in J. White, ed., Illinois natural areas
     inventory technical report.  Vol. 1.  Survey methods and results.
     Illinois Natural Areas Inventory, Urbana.
Downton, W. J. S.  1975.  The occurrence of C4 photosynthesis among plants.
     Photosynthetica 9(1): 96-105.
 
 END OF DATA FOR SPECIES  Aralia racemosa
 
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ILPIN was developed by Louis Iverson*, with data compiled by David Ketzner and Jeanne Karnes
 Illinois Natural History Survey, 607 E. Peabody Dr., Champaign, IL 61820
     *currently employed by USDA Forest Service, 359 Main Rd., Delaware, OH 43015