Goldenseal, or Orangeroot, a low-growing, hardy perennial herb of the buttercup family. It grows about one foot (30 cm) high and has a thick, yellow rootstock. The flowers are small and greenish-white; the broad, lobed leaves have toothed edges. The fleshy, crimson fruit resembles a raspberry. The American species grows from Canada southward to Georgia; another species grows in Japan. Goldenseal is sometimes cultivated for its rootstock, which contains substances used in treating mucous membranes.
The American goldenseal is Hydrastis canadensis; Japanese, H. jezoensis. Both belong to the family Ranunculaceae.