Poterium sanguisorba
Rosaceae tribe Agrimonieae
fodder burnet, garden burnet, small burnet
alternate, odd-pinnately compound;
stipules persistent (absent in Acaena), adnate to petiole (free in Poterium);
venation pinnate.
perianth and androecium perigynous;
epicalyx bractlets absent;
hypanthium hemispheric, obconic, ovoid, urceolate, top-shaped, ellipsoid, nearly orbicular, or obtriangular;
torus absent;
carpels 1 or 2(or 3), rarely more, styles terminal, distinct;
ovule 1, apical.
achenes, enclosed within enlarged, often hardened, sometimes armed hypanthia;
styles deciduous, not elongate.
Poterium sanguisorba
Rosaceae tribe Agrimonieae
Varieties 5 (1 in the flora).
The Poterium sanguisorba complex has been treated in various and complex ways in Europe; a consensus has not emerged as to the number of species or infraspecific taxa to be recognized.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Genera 12, species ca. 270 (5 genera, 17 species in the flora).
The base chromosome number for Agrimonieae is x = 7. Acaena and Sanguisorba are host to Phragmidium rusts. The tribal name Agrimonieae has priority over Sanguisorbeae, used by, among others, D. Potter et al. (2007). Agrimonieae also includes the genera Aremonia Necker ex Nestler (Europe), Cliffortia Linnaeus, Hagenia J. F. Gmelin and Leucosidea Ecklon & Zeyher (Africa), Margyricarpus Ruiz & Pavón and Polylepis Ruiz & Pavón (South America), and Spenceria Trimen (Asia) (Potter et al.).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Stems creeping or suberect; hypanthia spiny. | Acaena |
1. Stems ascending to erect; hypanthia not spiny (rim bristly in fruit in Agrimonia) | → 2 |
2. Inflorescences racemes (simple or compound); leaf blades with minor leaflet pairs between major pairs; petals 5 (yellow); hypanthial rim with 2–5 rows of bristles. | Agrimonia |
2. Inflorescences spikes (cylindric, globose, or headlike); leaf blades without minor leaflet pairs between major pairs; petals 0; hypanthial rim without rows of bristles | → 3 |
3. Leaflet margins pectinately pinnatisect. | Poteridium |
3. Leaflet margins crenate, serrate, or incised | → 4 |
4. Spikes headlike; flowers bisexual or pistillate (plants gynomonoecious); sepals distinct. | Poterium |
4. Spikes ellipsoid to cylindric; flowers bisexual; sepals basally connate. | Sanguisorba |
- Local floras:
CA, 
OR, 
WA - Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos,
Flora NW, 
IL Wildflowers, 
MD Biodiversity, 
MI Flora, 
PNW Herbaria, 
SW CO Wildflowers 
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
