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

Dicentra formosa (Haw.) Walp.
Pacific bleeding heart
Papaveraceae (Fumitory family)
(Previously in Fumariaceae)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

© Lydia Dani  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #74935)

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Distribution of Dicentra formosa
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SUBTAXA PRESENT IN BC
Dicentra formosa ssp. formosa

Species Information

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General:
Perennial herb from a slender, brittle rhizome; stems erect, glabrous, juicy, flowering stems leafless, 15-45 cm tall.
Leaves:
Basal leaves 3-4 times divided, the ultimate segments linear to oblong, abruptly pointed.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of 5-15 flowers in a drooping panicle; corollas pinkish-purple, heart-shaped at the base; outer petals with a pouched spur 2-4 mm long, tips 3-4 mm long and spreading; inner petals 10-15 mm long.
Fruits:
Pod-like capsules, 2-3.5 cm long, 3-4 mm wide; seeds 2 mm long with a white oil-rich appendage, black, shiny.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

USDA Species Characteristics

Flower Colour:
Purple
Blooming Period:
Early Summer
Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Black
Present from Summer to Fall
Source:  The USDA

Habitat / Range

Moist woodlands, forests and streambanks in the lowland and montane zones; common in SW BC, infrequent eastward in S BC; S to CA.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Dicentra formosa

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

Minimum

Average

Maximum
Elevation (metres) 5 305 2050
Slope Gradient (%) 0 14 120
Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W] 		0 240 350
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric] 		0 4 8
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class		 D
Number of field plots
 species was recorded in:		 234
Modal BEC Zone Class
 CWH
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in: CDF(1), CWH(179), IDF(1), MH(3)

Ecological Indicator Information

A shade-tolerant/intolerant, submontane to montane, Western North American forb distributed more in the Pacific than the Cordilleran region. Occurs in maritime to submaritime cool mesothermal climates on fresh to very moist, nitrogen-rich soils; its occurrence decreases with increasing elevation and continentality. Sporadic to plentiful in the herbaceous understory of young-seral forests on water-receiving sites; most common in broad­leaved forests. Occasional in early-seral com­munities on disturbed sites (burns and clearings). A nitrophytic species characteristic of Moder and Mull humus forms.

Source:  Indicator Plants of Coastal British Columbia (Information applies to coastal locations only)

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 mesothermal.

Synonyms and Alternate Names

Dicentra formosa subsp. nevadensis (Eastw.) Munz

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Flora North America treatment for Papaveraceae
Flora North America treatment for Fumariaceae (Previous Family)
 Flora North America treatment for Dicentra formosa
Genetic information (NCBI Taxonomy Database)
 International Plant Names Index
 Taxonomic Information from the World Flora Online
 Integrated Taxonomic Information System

Additional Photo Sources

UBC Herbarium Scanned Collection Record
 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: 2024-05-02 10:10:11 AM ]
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