Dicentra formosa (Haw.) Walp.
Pacific bleeding heart
Papaveraceae (Fumitory family)
(Previously in Fumariaceae)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Pacific bleeding heart
Papaveraceae (Fumitory family)
(Previously in Fumariaceae)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
SUBTAXA PRESENT IN BC
Dicentra formosa ssp. formosa
Species Information
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.
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.
Illustration 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
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)
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) |
305 | 5 | 2050 |
| Slope
Gradient (%) |
14 | 0 | 120 |
|
Aspect (degrees) |
240 | 0 | 350 |
| Soil
Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric] |
4 | 0 | 8 |
| Modal
Nutrient Regime
Class |
D | ||
| #
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) | ||
|
Source:
Klinkenberg 2013
|
|||
Habitat and Range
Moist woodlands, forests and streambanks in the lowland and montane zones; common in SW BC, infrequent eastward in S BC; S to CA.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Dicentra formosa subsp. nevadensis (Eastw.) Munz