Flora of North America species comparison

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Dicentra uniflora

Dicentra pauciflora

long-horn steer's-head, one flower dicentra, steer's-head

few flower dicentra, few-flower bleeding-heart, shorthorn steer's-head
Habit Plants perennial, scapose, from clusters of club- to spindle-shaped tubers, small bulblets often present at proximal ends of tubers. Plants perennial, scapose, from rhizomes or clusters of spindle-shaped tubers, bulblets often present at proximal ends of tubers or along rhizomes.
Leaves

4-7(-10) × (1-)3-4 cm;

petiole 2-5(-8) cm;

blade with 3-4 orders of leaflets and lobes;

surfaces pubescent near base, rarely sparsely pubescent throughout; ultimate lobes variable in shape, often oblong to spoon-shaped, (2-)6-12(-18) × 1.5-6 mm, minutely apiculate, occasionally retuse.

(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

1-flowered, barely exceeding to shorter than leaves;

bracts 1 (rarely 2) per scape, lanceolate, 4-6 × 2-3 mm.

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

bracts ovate, 4-5 × 2-3 mm.
Flowers

nodding to erect;

pedicels 2-7 mm;

petals pink to white, suffused light brown;

outer petals (7-)12-16(-20) mm, reflexed portion (4-)6-8(-10) mm;

inner petals purple-tipped, (11-)13-15(-17) mm, blade triangular to lanceolate or spoon-shaped, 4-8 mm, claw linear-oblong, 4-6 mm, crest absent;

filaments of each bundle usually distinct above base, occasionally connate just below anthers, median filament forming loop with slight indentation near base; nectariferous tissue borne along basal part of loop;

style 2-5 mm;

stigma shallowly 2-lobed, much reduced, slightly wider than style.

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 to style, 9-14 × 5-9 mm.

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

reniform, ca. 1.5 mm diam., finely and obscurely reticulate, elaiosome absent.

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

= 16.

= 16.

Dicentra uniflora

Dicentra pauciflora
Phenology Flowering very early spring–late summer. Flowering late spring–late summer.
Habitat Rocky slopes and hillsides in gravelly soils, often flowering near edges of melting snowbanks Openings in coniferous forests, in volcanic and granitic soils
Elevation 1500-2200(-3300) m (4900-7200(-10800) ft) 1200-2700 m (3900-8900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Fumariaceae > Dicentra Fumariaceae > Dicentra
Sibling taxa
D. canadensis, D. chrysantha, D. cucullaria, D. eximia, D. formosa, D. nevadensis, D. ochroleuca, D. pauciflora
D. canadensis, D. chrysantha, D. cucullaria, D. eximia, D. formosa, D. nevadensis, D. ochroleuca, D. uniflora
Name authority Kellogg: Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 4: 141. (1871) S. Watson: Bot. California 2: 429. (1880)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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