Aphanes arvensis L.
field parsley piert
Rosaceae (Rose family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Adolf Ceska     (Photo ID #11390)


Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Aphanes arvensis
Click here to view the full interactive map and legend

Species Information

General:
Low annual herb from a taproot; stems decumbent to erect, 2-20 cm tall, usually freely branched from the base, soft-hairy.
Leaves:
Alternate, short-stalked, broadly egg- to fan-shaped, the blades 4-10 mm long; sparsely long-hairy on both surfaces, deeply palmately cleft into 3 wedge-shaped segments themselves divided into 3 to 5 oblong lobes; stipules fused into a lobed, leaf-like cup, the lobes of the stipules surrounding the flower clusters triangular and 1/2 the length of the unlobed portion.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of axillary clusters of 5 to 15 tiny, short-stalked flowers, the clusters borne along most of the length of the stem at each node, in the axils of sheathing stipules; corollas lacking; calyces green, urn-shaped, long-hairy, 1-2.5 mm long, 4-lobed, the lobes triangular-egg-shaped, erect, 0.2-0.6 mm long; ovaries superior; stamens usually 1.
Fruits:
Achenes, 1, ellipsoid, smooth, about 1 mm long, encased within the dry hypanthium, which has ascending calyx-lobes so that the whole structure appears flask-shaped, this 1.5-2.5 mm long.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Illustration

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Aphanes arvensis

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

Avg

Min

Max

Elevation (metres)
Slope Gradient (%)
43 35 50

Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]

173 140 200
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
2 2 3
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
# of field plots
 species was recorded in:
3
Modal BEC Zone Class

All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in

Habitat and Range

Dry to vernally moist, open rocky slopes, grassy meadows and clearings, roadsides and waste places in the lowland and montane zones; frequent in SW BC, rare inland in S BC; S to CA.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Synonyms

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Alchemilla arvensis (L.) Scop.
Alchemilla cuneifolia Nutt.
Alchemilla occidentalis Nutt.