The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

dicentre du Canada, squirrel-corn

few flower dicentra, few-flower bleeding-heart, shorthorn steer's-head

Habit Plants perennial, scapose, from short rootstocks bearing yellow, globose bulblets. Plants perennial, scapose, from rhizomes or clusters of spindle-shaped tubers, bulblets often present at proximal ends of tubers or along rhizomes.
Leaves

(10-)14-24(-30) × (4-)6-14(-18) cm;

petiole (5-)8-16(-22) cm;

blade with 4 orders of leaflets and lobes;

abaxial surface glaucous; ultimate lobes linear to linear-elliptic or linear-obovate, (2-)5-15(-23) × (0.4-)2-4 mm, usually minutely apiculate.

(7-)9-13(-16) × 3-7(-10) cm;

petiole (2-)4-7(-10) cm;

blade with 3-4 orders of leaflets and lobes; ultimate lobes linear-lanceolate, (2-)7-13(-18) × 1.5-3 mm, occasionally irregular, minutely apiculate.

Inflorescences

racemose, 3-12-flowered, usually exceeding leaves, (10-)15-27(-33) cm;

bracts ovate, 2-5 × 1-3 mm.

racemose, 1-3-flowered, barely exceeding leaves;

bracts ovate, 4-5 × 2-3 mm.

Flowers

pendent, very fragrant;

pedicels (2-)3-7(-14) mm;

sepals triangular to ovate, 2-4 × 1-2 mm, apex acuminate;

petals white;

outer petals (10-)12-16(-20) × (2-)4-5(-8) mm, reflexed portion 3-5 mm;

inner petals (10-)12-15(-18) mm, blade 2-4 mm, claw linear-elliptic, 5-9 mm, crest prominent, ca. 2 mm diam., exceeding apex by ca. 2 mm;

filaments of each bundle distinct nearly to base; nectariferous tissue forming 0.5-1 mm spur oriented vertically;

style 4-7 mm;

stigma shallowly 2-horned with 2 lateral papillae.

erect to nodding;

pedicels 5-25 mm;

sepals ovate to lanceolate, 5-8 × 2-4 mm;

outer petals white to pink, (15-)18-22(-25) × 3-6 mm, reflexed portion (5-)7-8(-11) mm;

inner petals purple, (15-)18-22(-24) mm, blade spoon-shaped, 2-3 mm, claw obovate-elliptic, ca. 10 × 3-4 mm, crest absent;

filaments of each bundle connate at base and near apex, distinct in between, distinct portion of median filament forming loop that almost doubles back to its proximal end; nectariferous tissue borne at lowermost point of loop and often extending to base of median filament;

style 7-11 mm;

stigma 2-lobed, much reduced, ca. 2 times wider than style.

Capsules

ovoid, attenuate at both ends, (5-)9-13(-17) × 3-6 mm.

spindle-shaped to ovoid, 10-15 × 4-6 mm.

Seeds

slightly reniform, very obscurely reticulate, elaiosome present.

reniform, ca. 2 mm diam., smooth, elaiosome present.

2n

= 16.

Dicentra canadensis

Dicentra pauciflora

Phenology Flowering early–late spring. Flowering late spring–late summer.
Habitat Deciduous woods, often among rock outcrops, in rich loam soils Openings in coniferous forests, in volcanic and granitic soils
Elevation 0-1500 m (0-4900 ft) 1200-2700 m (3900-8900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CT; DC; IA; IL; IN; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; TN; VA; VT; WI; WV; ON; QC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

See discussion under the following species.

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

Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Fumariaceae > Dicentra Fumariaceae > Dicentra
Sibling taxa
D. chrysantha, D. cucullaria, D. eximia, D. formosa, D. nevadensis, D. ochroleuca, D. pauciflora, D. uniflora
D. canadensis, D. chrysantha, D. cucullaria, D. eximia, D. formosa, D. nevadensis, D. ochroleuca, D. uniflora
Synonyms Corydalis canadensis, Bicuculla canadensis
Name authority (Goldie) Walpers: Repert. Bot. Syst. 1: 118. (1842) S. Watson: Bot. California 2: 429. (1880)
Web links