Flora of North America species comparison

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Oplopanax horridus

devil's-club
Habit Shrubs 1–3.5 m, often forming thickets.
Stems

mostly unbranched, densely prickly, light tan to yellow.
Leaves

petiole 7–35 cm, usually prickly;

blade orbiculate, 13–40 cm diam., chartaceous, shallowly to deeply 5–7-lobed, base cordate, lobe apex acuminate or cuspidate, abaxial surfaces pubescent.
Inflorescences

8–30 cm, densely white-pubescent, prickly;

umbels 5–22-flowered;

peduncles subtended by fimbriate, membranaceous bracts.
Pedicels

2–4 mm.
Flowers

greenish white to green;

sepals minute;

petals 2–2.5 mm;

stamens 3.8–5 mm.
Drupes

6–8.5 × 6.5–7.5 mm.
2n

= 48.

Oplopanax horridus
Phenology Flowering May–Jul; fruiting Jul–Sep.
Habitat Moist woods, stream banks, roadside ditches, subalpine forests.
Elevation 0–1600 m. [0–5200 ft.]
Distribution
from FNA
AK; ID; MI; MT; OR; WA; AB; BC; ON; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Oplopanax horridus is found primarily in northwestern North America but has disjunct populations in northern Lake Superior (Isle Royale and Passage Island, Michigan, and Porphyry and Slate islands, Ontario). It has been used for treating arthritis and rheumatism by Indigenous Peoples living along the Pacific Northwest coast (N. J.Turner 1982).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 13.
Parent taxa Araliaceae > Oplopanax
Synonyms Panax horridus, Echinopanax horridus, Fatsia horrida
Name authority (Smith) Miquel: Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugduno-Batavi 1: 16. (1863) — (as horridum)
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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