E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Angelica lucida L.
seacoast angelica (sea-watch)
Apiaceae

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Distribution of Angelica lucida
Click here to view our interactive map and legend

Details about map content are available here
Click on the map dots to view record details.

Species Information

Click on the image below to view an expanded illustration for this species.

Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

General:
Stout perennial herb from a strong taproot and partitioned stem-base; stems erect, single, 0.5-1.4 m tall.

Leaves:
Stem leaves glabrous, 2-3 times divided in 3's; leaflets egg-shaped to deltoid, 2-7 cm long, irregularly toothed; leaf stalks inflated, with expanded sheathing base.

Flowers:
Numerous, small compact heads in 1- several compound umbels; flowers white; involucral bracts lacking.

Fruits:
Oblong-elliptic, 4-9 mm long, glabrous, with corky-thickened, thin-edged ribs.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Key to the Species and Taxonomic Notes

TAXONOMIC KEY TO ANGELICA

1. Fruits slightly flattened, the subequal wings scarcely winged; plants mainly coastal A. lucida

1. Fruits strongly flattened, the lateral wings broadly winged; plants not essentially coastal.

2. Flowers yellowish; involucres present, leafy A. dawsonii

2. Flowers white, greenish-white or sometimes pinkish; involucres lacking or rarely a few bracts present.

3. Main axis of the leaves bent, leaflets deflexed A. genuflexa

3. Main axis of the leaves straight, leaflets not deflexed A. arguta

Habitat / Range

Moist to mesic beaches, coastal bluffs and meadows in the lowland to subalpine zones; common in and W of the Coast-Cascade Mountains, infrequent eastward; amphiberingian, N to AK and S to CA; E. Asia.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Angelica lucida

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information	Value / Class
Site Information	Minimum	Average	Maximum
Elevation (metres)	0	111	1500
Slope Gradient (%)	0	8	120
Aspect (degrees) [0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]	12	224	290
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric]	4	5	7
Modal Nutrient Regime Class	D
Number of field plots species was recorded in:	44
Modal BEC Zone Class	CWH
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in:	BAFA(1), CWH(40), MH(2), SWB(1)
Source: Klinkenberg 2020

Climate

The climate type for this species, as reported in the: "British Columbia plant species codes and selected attributes. Version 6 Database" (Meidinger et al. 2008), is cool temperate & cool mesothermal.

Status Information

Origin Status	Provincial Status	BC List (Red Blue List)	COSEWIC
Native	S5	Yellow	Not Listed

BC Ministry of Environment: BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer, the authoritative source for conservation information in British Columbia.

Synonyms and Alternate Names

Coelopleurum actaeifolium (Michx.) J.M. Coult. & Rose
Coelopleurum gmelinii (DC.) Ledeb.
Coelopleurum lucidum (L.) Fernald
Coelopleurum lucidum subsp. gmelinii (DC.) A. Löve & D. Löve

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Genetic information (NCBI Taxonomy Database)
International Plant Names Index
Taxonomic Information from the World Flora Online
Integrated Taxonomic Information System

Additional Range and Status Information Links

Burke Museum of Natural History (Washington State records)
CalFlora
Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria records
Jepson Interchange
NatureServe Explorer
USDA

Additional Photo Sources

Images From CalPhoto
UT Austin's Native Plant Database
Google Image Search
Flickr Image Search

General References

Google Scholar Search
Family References
General Botanical References for BC

Recommended citation: Author, Date. Page title. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Editor) 2020. E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia [eflora.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. [Accessed: 2025-03-02 6:42:34 AM ]

Disclaimer: The information contained in the E-Flora atlas pages is derived from expert sources as cited in each section. This information is scientifically based. E-Flora also acts as a portal to other sites via deep links. As always, users should refer to the original sources for complete information. E-Flora BC is not responsible for the accuracy or completeness of the original information.