This is mostly restricted to the Blue Ridge and nearby mountains, from se. Pa. to n. Ga. Further west it occurs locally on the central Appalachian Plateaus and one locality in nw. Ill. If transferred to Actaea, the name is A. podocarpa DC. (W). Flowers and fruits are distinct from racemosa, but the generally 2-3-ternate compound leaves can be confused (F, W); americana has sometimes been misidentified as C. racemosa var. cordifolia (Pursh) Gray; see B and M. In americana (FNA 3, W), petioles tend to be shorter (8-16 cm versus 15-60 cm), and those of basal leaves have a persistent groove ca. 1 mm wide and 1 mm deep (versus absent to obscure); roots have vascular tissue in lunate bundles arranged in a circle (versus a central 3-5-armed cross or star). In Ky., the ultimate leaflets of americana are usually somewhat pinnately arranged (versus just ternate), and they tend to be larger, especially the terminal (mostly 10-15 cm wide versus 5-10 cm). Also, terminal leaflets have distinctly acuminate lobes (versus acute or weakly acuminate). And leaves of americana tend to be plain green (versus bluish).