Black cohosh is a member of the buttercup family.
It is a tall, flowering plant that grows in the U.S. and Canada, with a black stem and small white flowers. It is also called black snakeroot, bugbane, bugwort and squawroot. Black cohosh's roots and rhizome are used medicinally. Other items found in black cohosh include aromatic acids, tannins, resins, fatty acids, starches, and sugars. Native Americans used black cohosh for a wide range of conditions, from gynecological problems to rattlesnake bites.