Osmorhiza depauperata (Blunt-Fruited Sweet Cicely) - photos and description
Fruit is widest at apex.
Fruit widest at apex.
Fruit widest at apex.
Basal leaf in above photo.
General: Woodland perennial with stems erect, branching towards the top. The lower stems sometimes reddish, and lower stems with short hairs. Roots have a strong anise (licorice) smell.
Flowers: Flowers greenish-white in compound umbels, we measured flowers to a 2 mm diameter and 4 mm long. There are no involucral bracts.
Fruit: The fruit is spatulate in shape, widest at the apex. We measured a fruit at 5 mm long, and the pedicel for the fruit to 14 mm long.
Leaves: Basal leaves if present are long-stemmed, stem leaves are alternate. Leaves trifoliate, twice divided into 3 leaflets. Leaves alternate. Leaf highlighted in photo above was 14 cm wide by 11 cm long, the end leaflet was 4 cm long by 58 mm wide. Leaflets serrate, and there is a small spine on the end of each tooth. Petioles pubescent. Long hairs on bottom of leaf, top of leaf less hairy with shorter hairs, ciliate.
Height: Height listed in Flora of Alberta to 60 cm, we measured plants to 53 cm tall.
Habitat: Rich woods.
Abundance: Listed as uncommon in Checklist of the Vascular Plants of Saskatchewan.
Origin: Native.
Similar species: There are three Osmorhiza
species
native to Saskatchewan. To identify them examine the
fruit.
- Osmorhiza longistylis
has fruit with long styles. Also, this species has bracts subtending the
flower umbels. This species is common.
- Osmorhiza depauperata has fruit which are spatulate, widest
at the apex. This species is uncommon.
- Osmorhiza berteroi
has fruit which are linear and narrow at the apex. This species is
extremely rare.
When and where photographed: Took the above photos June 19th and June 30th, small ravine on edge of lodgepole pine woods, Cypress Hills, about 425 km southwest of our home in Regina, SK.