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

Osmorhiza purpurea (J.M. Coult. & Rose) Suksd.
purple sweet-cicely (purple sweetroot)
Apiaceae

Introduction to Vascular Plants

© Jamie Fenneman  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #7318)

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Distribution of Osmorhiza purpurea
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Species Information

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General:
Perennial herb from a well-developed taproot, sometimes below a slightly branched stem-base; stems single, 20-70 cm tall, branching.
Leaves:
Basal and stem leaves deltoid in general outline, twice divided into 3's, leaflets coarsely toothed, 1-8 cm long, 0.5-4 cm wide, usually glabrous, yellowish-green; stem leaves reduced.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of loose compound umbels; flowers pink to purplish (sometimes greenish-white), several to many in 2-6 spreading heads; involucels absent.
Fruits:
Spindle-shaped, 8-13 mm long, bristly hairy, with constriction below the beaked tip, which is broader than tall.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Habitat / Range

Mesic to moist streambanks, meadows and open forests in the lowland, montane and subalpine zones; common throughout BC; N to AK, S to ID, MT and CA.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Osmorhiza purpurea

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) 3 1123 2750
Slope Gradient (%) 0 20 115
Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W] 		2 300 360
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:		 468
Modal BEC Zone Class
 ESSF
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in: AT(1), BG(3), BWBS(4), CDF(18), CWH(62), ESSF(205), ICH(50), IDF(14), MH(30), MS(28), SBS(37), SWB(1)

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 not evaluated, unknown or variable.

Synonyms and Alternate Names

Osmorhiza chilensis var. purpurea (J.M. Coult. & Rose) B. Boivin
Osmorhiza leibergii (J.M. Coult. & Rose) Blankinship
Washingtonia purpurea J.M. Coult. & Rose

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links


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: 2024-05-16 11:38:48 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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