Flora of North America species comparison

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Tiarella trifoliata

Tiarella trifoliata var. laciniata

cut-leaf foamflower (var. laciniata), foamflower, lace flower, one-leaf foamflower (var. unifoliata), sugar-scoop, three-leaf foam-flower, three-leaf foamflower (var. trifoliata)
Photo is of parent taxon

cut-leaf foam-flower, threeleaf foamflower
Flowering stems

10–70 cm

Basal leaves

3-foliolate;

blade 1–5 × 1.5–6 cm;

leaflets petiolulate, deeply lobed.
Cauline leaves

3-foliolate;

blade 3 × 4 cm;

leaflet lobes more than 1/2 length of leaflet, distal segments laciniate.
2n

= 14.

Tiarella trifoliata

Tiarella trifoliata var. laciniata
Phenology Flowering May–Aug.
Habitat Shaded, moist woods
Elevation 0-900 m (0-3000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CA; ID; MT; OR; WA; AB; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
OR; WA; BC
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

Varieties of Tiarella trifoliata have overlapping ranges and differ from each other in leaf form and marginal dissection. Their floral features are stable throughout. They were previously suspected of hybridizing when sympatric. They are differentiated along elevational gradients and often remain distinct in sympatric populations.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

The terminal leaflet of var. laciniata is rhombic.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Key
1. Basal leaves usually simple; cauline leaves rarely trifoliolate, shallowly to deeply lobed, leaflets sessile.
var. unifoliata
1. Basal leaves 3-foliolate; cauline leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets deeply lobed, petiolulate
→ 2
2. Leaflet lobes to 1/2 length of leaflet, distal segments not laciniate.
var. trifoliata
2. Leaflet lobes more than 1/2 length of leaflet, distal segments laciniate.
var. laciniata
Source FNA vol. 8, p. 115. FNA vol. 8, p. 116.
Parent taxa Saxifragaceae > Tiarella Saxifragaceae > Tiarella > Tiarella trifoliata
Sibling taxa
T. cordifolia
T. trifoliata var. trifoliata, T. trifoliata var. unifoliata
Subordinate taxa
T. trifoliata var. laciniata, T. trifoliata var. trifoliata, T. trifoliata var. unifoliata
Synonyms T. laciniata
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 406. 1753 , (Hooker) Wheelock: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 23: 72. (1896)
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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