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Sanicula canadensis - (image 1 of 3)

Taxonomy

Family: Apiaceae

Habitat

Rich woods.

Associates

Distribution

VT and southern Ontario to MN and SD, south to FL and TX.

Morphology

Fibrous-rooted biennial; leaves 3-5-parted; flowers white; styles shorter than the bristles of the fruit (var. grandis with styles up to 1.5 times the length of the calyx), carpellate flowers on pedicels 0.5-1 mm, staminate flowers 1-7 per umbellet (var. grandis sometimes with some umbellets bearing only staminate flowers), mostly concealed by the bristles of the fruit; sepals inconspicuous, not exceeding the bristles of the fruit.

Notes

Flowers June to August

Wetland indicator: FACU

These pictures could be better but show the features of the inflorescence that help distinguish this species from other Sanicula spp.

This species is similar to S. trifoliata which differs in that the sepals of the fruit are 2-2.5 mm long and exceed the bristles of the fruit at maturity; in addition S. trifoliata has staminate flowers on slender pedicels that exceed the bristles of the fruit, a characteristic that can be useful for identification if the fruits are not mature.

References

Gleason, Henry A. and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. Second Ed.

The New York Botanical Garden. Bronx, NY

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