Sanicula arctopoides
bear's-foot sanicle, footsteps-of-spring, Snake-root sanicle, yellow mats
prostrate to ± erect, leafy, 3–30 cm, smooth.
simple;
rachis winged;
blade 3-lobed to deeply ternately or palmately dissected, triangular-ovate to orbiculate, 2–7 cm;
primary divisions coarsely toothed to irregularly laciniate, terminal divisions 6–25 mm wide, margins coarsely crenate-dentate to serrate.
of bisexual flowers 1–2 mm, of staminate flowers 2–4 mm.
calyx 0.8–2 mm, sepals ovate, 0.4–1 mm, apex acute;
petals yellow, 1.2–1.5 mm;
anthers 0.5–0.8 mm;
styles 2–3 times calyx length.
in terminal cymose panicles, polygamous;
bisexual flowers 10–12, staminate 10–13 per umbellet;
staminate flowers conspicuous, some exceeding bisexual flowers and fruits;
involucel bractlets 8–17, usually yellow, sometimes green, simple to 3-lobed, oblanceolate, 5–12 mm, clearly exceeding umbellets.
obovoid to subglobose, 2–5 mm, tubercles unarmed or with hooked bristles distally, 1–2 mm;
commissural scars linear.
= 16.
Sanicula arctopoides
Sanicula arctopoides is one of the most easily recognized species of the genus because of the large yellow involucel bractlets. However, in the northern part of its range (British Columbia, Oregon, Washington), the bractlets are mostly green, but the color usually cannot be determined on dried specimens, and specimen notes rarely comment on the bractlet color. It is therefore unclear how widespread green involucel bractlets are and whether there is a clear separation. These populations with green bractlets have been named S. howellii.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
- 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
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
