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California deer foot, deer's-foot, sweet after death, vanilla leaf

achlys, deer's foot, deer-foot, sweet-after-death, vanilla-leaf

Habit Plants, 3-5 dm. Plants, 2-4 dm.
Leaves

petiole 1-3 cm.

petiole 1-3 cm.

Inflorescences

2.8-5.8 cm excluding peduncle.

2.5-5 cm excluding peduncle.

Flowers

stamens 3.8-6 mm;

ovaries 1.5-2 mm.

stamens 3-4 mm;

ovaries 1-1.5 mm.

Central

leaflet blade ca. 7-16 × 8-17 cm, proximal margins entire, distal margins (3-)6-9(-12)-lobed.

leaflet blade 4-11 × 4-8 cm, proximal margins entire, distal margins (1-)3-4(-8)-lobed.

Follicles

brown, 3.5-5 mm.

red-purple, 3-4.5 mm.

2n

= 24.

= 12.

Achlys californica

Achlys triphylla

Phenology Flowering spring–summer (Apr–Jul). Flowering spring–summer (Apr–Jul).
Habitat Coastal and mountainous regions, Sequoia sempervirens and Pseudotsuga menziesii forests Mountain regions in Cascade Range and Coast Range of California in coniferous forests
Elevation 0-1200 m (0-3900 ft) 0-1500 m (0-4900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
CA; OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Triploid plants have been reported from one locality in central Washington and from a site in northwestern California.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Medicinally, Native Americans used preparations of the leaves of Achlys triphylla to treat tuberculosis, for a hair wash, and as an emetic (D. E. Moermann 1986).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Berberidaceae > Achlys Berberidaceae > Achlys
Sibling taxa
A. triphylla
A. californica
Synonyms Leontice triphylla
Name authority Fukuda & H. G. Baker: Taxon 19: 341. (1970) (Smith) de Candolle: Syst. Nat. 2: 35. (1821)
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