Burke: Poterium sanguisorba

	Poterium sanguisorba
	fodder burnet, small burnet
Habit	Herbaceous perennial from a branched, woody base, the flowering, leafy stems 2-6 dm. tall.
Leaves	Basal leaves several, pinnate, the leaflets 9-17, oval, 1-2 cm. long, coarsely serrate; cauline leaves reduced but with leaf-like stipules.
Flowers	Inflorescence of ovoid, dense spikes on long peduncles, 8-20 mm. long, each flower subtended by a papery, ovate bract and 2 lateral bractlets; flowers mostly imperfect, the lower ones staminate, the upper ones pistillate; calyx urn-shaped, greenish to rose-tinged, the 4 lobes broad, spreading and petal-like; petals none; stamens about 12, pistils 2.
Fruit	Fruiting calyx 4-5 mm. long, woody and warty.

	Poterium sanguisorba
Flowering time	June-August
Habitat	Roadsides, shores, pastures, wastelots, and other disturbed open areas.
Distribution	Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest and in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; southern British Columbia to California, east to the Great Plains, also in eastern North America. [BONAP county map]
Origin	Introduced from Eurasia and North Africa
Conservation status	Not of concern
Subordinate taxa	P. sanguisorba var. polygamum
Web links	Local floras: CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Poterium sanguisorba

fodder burnet, small burnet

Habit

Herbaceous perennial from a branched, woody base, the flowering, leafy stems 2-6 dm. tall.

Leaves

Basal leaves several, pinnate, the leaflets 9-17, oval, 1-2 cm. long, coarsely serrate;

cauline leaves reduced but with leaf-like stipules.

Flowers

Inflorescence of ovoid, dense spikes on long peduncles, 8-20 mm. long, each flower subtended by a papery, ovate bract and 2 lateral bractlets;

flowers mostly imperfect, the lower ones staminate, the upper ones pistillate;

calyx urn-shaped, greenish to rose-tinged, the 4 lobes broad, spreading and petal-like;

petals none;

stamens about 12, pistils 2.

Fruit

Fruiting calyx 4-5 mm. long, woody and warty.

Poterium sanguisorba

Flowering time

June-August

Habitat

Roadsides, shores, pastures, wastelots, and other disturbed open areas.

Distribution

Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest and in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; southern British Columbia to California, east to the Great Plains, also in eastern North America.

[BONAP county map]

Origin

Introduced from Eurasia and North Africa

Conservation status

Not of concern

Subordinate taxa

P. sanguisorba var. polygamum

Web links