Dicentra pauciflora
Dicentra formosa
few flower dicentra, few-flower bleeding-heart, shorthorn steer's-head
Oregon bleeding heart, Pacific bleeding-heart, Pacific bleedinghearts, western bleeding-heart
(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.
(15-)25-40(-55) × (8-)12-20(-35) cm;
blade with 3-5 orders of leaflets and lobes;
abaxial surface and sometimes adaxial surface glaucous; penultimate lobes oblong, distal ones usually coarsely 3-toothed at apex, (4-)10-20(-50) × (1.5-)3-4(-8) mm.
racemose, 1-3-flowered, barely exceeding leaves;
bracts ovate, 4-5 × 2-3 mm.
paniculate, 2-30-flowered, usually exceeding leaves;
bracts linear-lanceolate, 4-7(-12) × 1-2 mm, apex acuminate.
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.
pendent;
sepals lanceolate to ovate or nearly round, 2-7 × 2-3 mm;
petals rose-purple, pink, cream, or pale yellow, rarely white;
outer petals (12-)16-19(-24) × 3-6 mm, reflexed portion 2-5 mm;
inner petals (12-)15-18(-22) mm, blade 2-4 mm wide, claw linear-elliptic to linear-lanceolate, 7-10(-12) × 1-2 mm, crest 1-2 mm diam., exceeding apex by 1-2 mm;
filaments of each bundle connate from base to shortly below anthers except for a 2-3 mm portion of median filament just above base; nectariferous tissue borne along distinct portion of median filament;
style 3-9 mm;
stigma rhomboid, 2-horned.
spindle-shaped to ovoid, 10-15 × 4-6 mm.
oblong, 4-5 mm diam.
reniform, ca. 2 mm diam., smooth, elaiosome present.
reniform, ca. 2 mm diam., finely reticulate, elaiosome present.
= 16.
Dicentra pauciflora
Dicentra formosa
Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).
Andrews has been cited almost universally as the author of Fumaria formosa. However, Haworth's authorship of the sixth volume of Andrews' Botanists' Repository (in which this species was originally described) generally has been overlooked, and it was actually Haworth who first delineated F. formosa (W. T. Stearn 1944).
Early attempts to cross Dicentra formosa with D. eximia (2n = 16) failed, possibly because the D. formosa parents were tetraploids. Several later hybrids between the two species received plant patents and have become widely marketed throughout the flora area and elsewhere (K. R. Stern 1961, 1968; K. R. Stern and M. Ownbey 1971).
Both subspecies, as well as hybrids between them and Dicentra eximia, are widely cultivated.
The Skagit used a decoction of the roots of Dicentra formosa to expel worms; they chewed raw roots for toothaches (D. E. Moerman 1986, species not indicated).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Petals rose-purple to pink, rarely white; leaf blades adaxially not glaucous (rarely glaucescent). | subsp. formosa |
1. Petals cream-colored or rarely pale yellow, rose-tipped; leaf blades adaxially distinctly glaucous. | subsp. oregana |
- Local floras:
BC, 
CA, 
OR, 
WA - Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos,
Flora NW, 
PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. 
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
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- Encyclopedia of Life
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