A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

Bane (Eng. word): “(obsol.) one that causes death; murderer, slayer; also poison; death, destruction; harm, woe; any pernicious or fatal element ...” (after WIII); e.g. ratbane, rat poison (arsenic), killed with poison; see -fuge (Eng. noun suffix).

NOTE: -fuge is often synonymous with ‘-bane,’ such as Cimicifuga,-ae (s.f.I), Bugbane: “name from cimex, a bug, and fugare, to drive away” (Fernald 1950).

Other generic names include Baneberry any plant belonging to the genus Actaea; (Ranunculaceae). Cowbane, several plants in the Apiaceae (Umbelliferae: Cicuta maculata, Oxypolis rigidior. Dogbane (Apocynum), Climbing Dogbane (Trachelosper mum (Apocynaceae). Fleabane (Erigeron), Daisy Fleabane (Erigeron annuus), Marsh-Fleabane (Senecio congestus), Stinking Fleabane (Pluchea foetida). Henbane, a deadly poison (Hyoscyamus niger, Solanaceae > Gk hyos, of a hog + cyamos, bean “because poisonous to swine; likewise to humans” [and to fowl] (Fernald 1950). Leopard’s Bane, Panther Strangler, Austrian, Doronicum austriacum; also Doronicum Pardalianches (Compositae). Wolf’s Bane (Aconitum) (Ranunculaceae).