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

Dicentra formosa (Haw.) Walp. subsp. formosa
Pacific bleeding heart
Fumariaceae

Introduction to Vascular Plants
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Distribution of Dicentra formosa subsp. formosa
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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

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 ssp. 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)

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Flora North America treatment for Fumariaceae
 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

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: 2025-11-14 9:56:43 PM ]
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.
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