Circaea alpina subsp. pacifica L. (Asch. & Magnus) P.H. Raven
enchanter's-nightshade (small enchanter's nightshade)
Onagraceae (Evening Primrose family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
enchanter's-nightshade (small enchanter's nightshade)
Onagraceae (Evening Primrose family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Map
Distribution of Circaea alpina subsp. pacifica
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Species Information
General:
Perennial herb from a slender, tuber-tipped rhizome; stems erect, 10-50 cm tall, simple or branched, glabrous or appressed short-hairy.
Leaves:
Opposite, heart- to egg-shaped, 2-6 cm long, more or less entire to toothed, short-hairy on the lower surface, tips pointed; stalks 1.5-4 cm long, with narrow wings.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of terminal clusters of 8-12 flowers, often with 1 or 2 linear bracts at the base; flower stalks spreading to erect, becoming reflexed and about equalling the fruit; hypanthium 0.3-0.5 mm long; petals 2, white to pale pink, 1-1.5 mm long, erect, deeply notched; sepals 2, 1-2 mm long, bent downward; stigmas 2-lobed.
Fruits:
Capsules, top- or pear-shaped, about 2 mm long, hooked-hairy, 1-chambered; seeds 1, glabrous.
Notes:
Two subspecies occur in BC:
1. Stems glabrous; leaf bases heart-shaped; margins toothed; plants from throughout BC.................. ssp. alpina
1. Stems hairy; leaf bases from nearly heart-shaped to blunt; margins nearly entire to toothed; plants from coastal and S BC................... ssp. pacifica (Asch. & Magnus) Raven
Ecology
Ecological Framework for Circaea alpina ssp. pacifica
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)
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) |
370 | 190 | 560 |
| Slope
Gradient (%) |
6 | 1 | 15 |
|
Aspect (degrees) |
319 | 30 | 315 |
| Soil
Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric] |
5 | 5 | 6 |
| Modal
Nutrient Regime
Class |
C | ||
| #
of field plots species was recorded in: |
3 | ||
| Modal
BEC Zone Class |
CWH | ||
|
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in |
CWH(3) | ||
|
Source:
Klinkenberg 2013
|
|||
Habitat and Range
Moist to wet forests in the lowland and montane zones; frequent throughout BC; circumboreal, N to AK and NT, E to NF and S to GA, SD, CO and CA; Eurasia.Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Circaea alpina var. pacifica (Asch. & Magnus) M.E. Jones
Circaea pacifica Asch. & Magnus