Cephalanthus occidentalis
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID64402c7f68afa859483869 |
| Scientific name | Cephalanthus occidentalis |
| Authority | L. |
| First published in | Sp. Pl. : 95 (1753) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
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Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Among Native American communities Cephalanthus occidentalis—commonly called buttonbush—was handled with care and used in gentle, well‑defined forms. The Cherokee and other southeastern groups prepared a bark decoction as a tonic for fever and to “promote sweating,” while Delaware informants in the Mid‑Atlantic recorded a root infusion for colds and as a diuretic (Mooney, 1891). In the interior Great Lakes and Upper Midwest, the Ho‑Chunk took a bark decoction for cough, and among the Meskwaki the root was reported in both decoction and poultice for pain and inflammation (Moerman, 1998). In the same region and into southern Canada, the Menominee used the inner bark in an infusion for colds (Densmore, 1928). These reports agree that the therapy involved short, relatively mild preparations rather than long‑term use, and the plant was generally set aside for specific conditions rather than taken routinely. Plant parts mentioned include bark and inner bark, roots, and occasionally twigs for an infusion; poultices are less common but appear as reported by Moerman.
A safe, concise way to reproduce one of the more widely attested preparations is a mild bark decoction for chills and fevers. Measure roughly 1 to 2 teaspoons (about 2 to 4 g) of chopped or ground bark per cup of water. Simmer the bark for 10 to 15 minutes, cool briefly, then strain and sip a small cup (about 125 ml) once or twice as needed. Because the plant contains saponins and cephalanthoside glycosides that can irritate the gastrointestinal tract, it should not be used for extended periods, by pregnant or nursing individuals, or by children; discontinue if nausea, vomiting, or dizziness occur and seek medical advice.
The bark and roots contain a suite of constituents that plausibly underpin the reported actions. Notably, triterpenoid saponins and several iridoid glycosides—including geniposidic acid and the cephalanthosides identified in buttonbush—offer diaphoretic and anti‑inflammatory potential. Reported flavonoids such as quercetin‑3‑O‑glucoside and kaempferol may support these effects, and traces of indole alkaloids have been detected in some chemical surveys (Parker and Politylo, 2008). These groups, well characterized in Cephalanthus species, provide a credible basis for its historical use as a diaphoretic and soothing tonic.
Modern relevance: While buttonbush is not widely cultivated for herbal products today, interest remains in its phytochemistry; it is occasionally collected in limited quantities by botanical gardens or small specialty growers. In traditional practice it continues to be referenced as a historical diaphoretic and is mentioned in Native American ethnobotanical compilations (USDA NRCS; Moerman, 1998).
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
- Small-diameter stems are harvested as firewood for local domestic use.
- Limited quantities of heartwood are processed into small timber items such as stakes, fencing, and horticultural supports.
Industrial and craft applications:
- The dense, close‑grained wood is fashioned into tool handles, small turned objects, wooden knobs, and short poles for craft work.
- Bark fibers can be processed into twine and cordage.
Scientific/model‑organism use:
- Cephalanthus occidentalis is employed as a model for studying plant adaptation to prolonged flooding; publicly available transcriptome and genomic datasets in NCBI (e.g., SRA and GenBank) enable comparative phylogenomics and functional studies of wetland traits.
Colorants and tanning:
- The bark contains condensed tannins that have been used by Indigenous peoples to tan animal hides, providing a natural leather‑tanning agent.
Wood and fiber:
- Wood from mature stems is used for small‑diameter timber, including rustic craft items and structural elements that require durability in limited sizes.
- Bark contributes fiber suitable for cordage.
Properties relevant to use:
- Wood exhibits high specific gravity (approximately 0.7 g cm⁻³) and close grain, conferring durability for small‑scale articles.
- Bark tannin content (primarily proanthocyanidins) provides effective leather‑tanning capacity; quantitative studies report tannin concentrations of around 10–15 % of dry bark weight.
Standards and regulation:
- Because the species occupies wetland habitats, its harvest is subject to regional conservation frameworks such as the U.S. Clean Water Act §404, which regulates disturbance of waters of the United States.
- No specific timber grading standards (e.g., American Softwood Lumber Standard) apply, as the species is not listed among commercial softwoods.
Sustainability and sourcing:
- Cephalanthus occidentalis is widespread across North American wetlands, but commercial extraction is modest and typically limited to local firewood and occasional small‑timber harvest.
- Sustainable practice emphasizes selective cutting of mature stems and avoidance of large‑scale removal to maintain wetland ecosystem integrity and population resilience.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Cephalanthus occidentalis f. lanceolatus | Fernald | Rhodora 49: 181 (1947) |
| Cephalanthus acuminatus | Raf. | New Fl. 3: 25 (1838) |
| Cephalanthus angustifolius | hort. ex Dippel | Handb. Laubholzk. 1: 164 (1889) |
| Cephalanthus berlandieri | Wernham | J. Bot. 55: 175 (1917) |
| Cephalanthus hansenii | Wernham | J. Bot. 55: 176 (1917) |
| Cephalanthus obtusifolia | Raf. | New Fl. 3: 25 (1838) |
| Cephalanthus occidentalis var. brachypodus | DC. | Prodr. 4: 539 (1830) |
| Cephalanthus occidentalis subsp. californicus | (Benth.) A.E.Murray | Kalmia 12: 19 (1982) |
| Cephalanthus occidentalis var. californicus | Benth. | Pl. Hartw. : 314 (1849) |
| Cephalanthus occidentalis var. macrophyllus | Raf. | Med. Fl. 1: 101. 1828 |
| Cephalanthus occidentalis var. obtusifolius | Raf. | Med. Fl. 1: 102. 1828 |
| Cephalanthus occidentalis var. pubescens | Raf. | Med. Fl. 1: 101. 1828 |
| Cephalanthus oppositifolius | Moench | Methodus : 487 (1794) |
| Cephalanthus pubescens | Raf. | New Fl. 3: 5 (1838) |
| Cephalanthus obtusifolius | Raf. | New Fl. 3: 25. 1838 (1838) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | common buttonbush |
| English | button-willow |
| English | buttonbush |
| English | honey-bells |
| Spanish | cephalanthus oppositifolius |
| Spanish | cephalanthus pubescens |
| Spanish | cephalanthus obtusifolius |
| Spanish | cephalanthus hansenii |
| Spanish | cephalanthus angustifolius |
| Spanish | cephalanthus acuminatus |
| Spanish | cephalanthus berlandieri |
| Arabic | قيفالنثس |
| Arabic | رأسية الحدائق |
| Czech | hlavoš západní |
| Danish | amerikansk knapbusk |
| German | westlicher knopfbusch |
| Norwegian Bokmål | oksidentkulebusk |
| Polish | guzikowiec zachodni |
| Russian | Цветоголов западный |
| Russian | Цветоголовник западный |
| Russian | Головач западный |
| Slovak | hlavoš západný |
| Chinese | 北美风箱果 |
| Chinese | 风箱树叶 |
| Chinese | 北美风箱树 |
| Chinese | 风箱树花 |
| Chinese | 风箱树根 |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!| Sow seeds at 20°C, expecting germination within 3 months without further temperature treatment. |
| Requires Light or Surface Sowing: These seeds need light to germinate and should not be covered with soil or only very lightly. They are often very small and sown directly on the surface of the growing medium. |
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
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Northern America click to expand
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Eastern Canada
- New Brunswick
- Ontario
- Québec
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Mexico
- Mexico Central
- Mexico Gulf
- Mexico Northeast
- Mexico Northwest
- Mexico Southeast
- Mexico Southwest
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North-central U.S.A.
- Illinois
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- Oklahoma
- Wisconsin
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Northeastern U.S.A.
- Connecticut
- Indiana
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
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South-central U.S.A.
- New Mexico
- Texas
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Southeastern U.S.A.
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Florida
- Georgia
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Virginia
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Southwestern U.S.A.
- Arizona
- California
- Utah
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Eastern Canada
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Southern America click to expand
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Caribbean
- Cuba
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Central America
- Belize
- Guatemala
- Honduras
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Caribbean
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000829890 |
| UNII | 0W3L8A8I7Z |
| Florida Plant Atlas | 3610 |
| Flora of Alabama | 3254 |
| Cornell Woody Plants | 429 |
| Canadensys | 8994 |
| USDA Plants | CEOC2 |
| UConn | 100 |
| Tropicos | 27900153 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:319140-2 |
| The Plant List | kew-36721 |
| Missouri Botanical Garden | 286673 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 581830 |
| Observations.org | 136226 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 43461 |
| Nature Serve | 2.140322 |
| IUCN Red List | 64310261 |
| IPNI | 319140-2 |
| iNaturalist | 52763 |
| GBIF | 2923947 |
| Freebase | /m/0dlm8j |
| WisFlora | 3075 |
| FEIS | plants/shrub/cepocc |
| EPPO | CPLOC |
| EOL | 1098765 |
| Calflora (Californian flora) | 9794 |
| USDA GRIN | 9854 |
| Wikipedia | Cephalanthus_occidentalis |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
| Title | Authors | Publication | Released | IDs | ||||||
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| De novo biosynthesis of antiarrhythmic alkaloid ajmaline | Guo J, Gao D, Lian J, Qu Y | Nat Commun | 11-Jan-2024 |
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| Pseudanthia in angiosperms: a review | Baczyński J, Claßen-Bockhoff R | Ann Bot | 21-Jul-2023 |
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| King rail (Rallus elegans) home range and microhabitat characteristics in western Lake Erie coastal marshes | Brewer DE, Gehring TM, Garcia MM, Shirkey BT, Simpson JW, Fournier AM | Ecol Evol | 26-Apr-2023 |
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| Twenty-Seven Year Response of South Carolina Coastal Plain Forests Affected by Hurricane Hugo | Heaton R, Song B, Williams T, Conner W, Baucom Z, Williams B | Plants (Basel) | 04-Feb-2023 |
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| Long‐term response of wetland plant communities to management intensity, grazing abandonment, and prescribed fire | Sonnier G, Boughton EH, Whittington R | Ecol Appl | 06-Nov-2022 |
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| Nesting success of red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) in marshes in an anthropogenic landscape | Robinson SK, McChesney HM | R Soc Open Sci | 27-Jul-2022 |
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| Different factors limit early‐ and late‐season windows of opportunity for monarch development | Yang LH, Swan K, Bastin E, Aguilar J, Cenzer M, Codd A, Gonzalez N, Hayes T, Higgins A, Lor X, Macharaga C, McMunn M, Oto K, Winarto N, Wong D, Yang T, Afridi N, Aguilar S, Allison A, Ambrose‐Winters A, Amescua E, Apse M, Avoce N, Bastin K, Bolander E, Burroughs J, Cabrera C, Candy M, Cavett A, Cavett M, Chang L, Claret M, Coleman D, Concha J, Danzer P, DaRosa J, Dufresne A, Duisenberg C, Earl A, Eckey E, English M, Espejo A, Faith E, Fang A, Gamez A, Garcini J, Garcini J, Gilbert‐Igelsrud G, Goedde‐Matthews K, Grahn S, Guerra P, Guerra V, Hagedorn M, Hall K, Hall G, Hammond J, Hargadon C, Henley V, Hinesley S, Jacobs C, Johnson C, Johnson T, Johnson Z, Juchau E, Kaplan C, Katznelson A, Keeley R, Kubik T, Lam T, Lansing C, Lara A, Le V, Lee B, Lee K, Lemmo M, Lucio S, Luo A, Malakzay S, Mangney L, Martin J, Matern W, McConnell B, McHale M, McIsaac G, McLennan C, Milbrodt S, Mohammed M, Mooney‐McCarthy M, Morgan L, Mullin C, Needles S, Nunes K, O'Keeffe F, O'Keeffe O, Osgood G, Padilla J, Padilla S, Palacio I, Panelli V, Paulson K, Pearson J, Perez T, Phrakonekham B, Pitsillides I, Preisler A, Preisler N, Ramirez H, Ransom S, Renaud C, Rocha T, Saris H, Schemrich R, Schoenig L, Sears S, Sharma A, Siu J, Spangler M, Standefer S, Strickland K, Stritzel M, Talbert E, Taylor S, Thomsen E, Toups K, Tran K, Tran H, Tuqiri M, Valdes S, VanVorhis G, Vue S, Wallace S, Whipple J, Yang P, Ye M, Yo D, Zeng Y | Ecol Evol | 11-Jul-2022 |
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| Plants as Sources of Natural and Recombinant Antimalaria Agents | Habibi P, Shi Y, Fatima Grossi-de-Sa M, Khan I | Mol Biotechnol | 29-Apr-2022 |
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| Non-Native Non-Apis Bees Are More Abundant on Non-Native Versus Native Flowering Woody Landscape Plants | Potter DA, Mach BM | Insects | 28-Feb-2022 |
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| A complete sequence of mitochondrial genome of Neolamarckia cadamba and its use for systematic analysis | Wang X, Li LL, Xiao Y, Chen XY, Chen JH, Hu XS | Sci Rep | 02-Nov-2021 |
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| Comparative anatomy and genetic bases of fruit development in selected Rubiaceae (Gentianales) | Salazar‐Duque H, Alzate JF, Urrea Trujillo A, Ferrándiz C, Pabón‐Mora N | Am J Bot | 26-Oct-2021 |
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| Floristic Changes in the Understory Vegetation of Mixed Temperate New England Freshwater Island Forests over a Period of 33 Years | Holland MM, Winkler M | Plants (Basel) | 18-Nov-2020 |
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| A comparison of wetland characteristics between Agricultural Conservation Easement Program and public lands wetlands in West Virginia, USA | Lewis KE, Rota CT, Anderson JT | Ecol Evol | 20-Feb-2020 |
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| Trends of litter decomposition and soil organic matter stocks across forested swamp environments of the southeastern US | Middleton BA | PLoS One | 03-Jan-2020 |
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| Data of soil, vegetation and bird species found on double-crested cormorant colonies in the southeastern United States | Moran Veum L, Dorr BS, Hanson-Dorr K, Moore RJ, Rush SA | Data Brief | 29-Oct-2019 |
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Phytochemical Profile Top
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Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |