General: Perennial herb from a short, stout rootstock and fibrous root; stems ascending to erect, solitary to several, 15-30 (50) cm tall.
Leaves: Basal leaves kidney-shaped, heart-shaped at the base, wider than long, 2-4 cm wide, entire, glossy green, the stalks 3-10 cm long; stem leaves solitary, reduced, unstalked, clasping, located near midlength on the stem.
Flowers: Inflorescence of single, erect, terminal flowers on leafless stalks; petals 5, white, fringed or comb-like on the lower half, 5- to 7-veined, 8-12 mm long; calyces lobed nearly to the base, the lobes oblong, half as long as the petals; sterile stamens thickened and scalelike, with 7-9 marginal lobes and a central larger lobe, sometimes with 5-many elongate, club-shaped segments.
Fruits: Capsules, egg-shaped, 1 cm long; seeds angled, numerous.
1. Petals fringed or comb-like on the lower half...................P. fimbriata
1. Petals not frnged or comb-like on the lower half.
2. Flowering stems bractless or with a near-basal bract; petals 1-3 (5) veined.............P. kotzebuei
2. Flowering stems usually with a bract above the level of the basal leaves; petals 5-13-veined.
3. Petals 7-13-veined, 6-12 mm long; sterile stamens cleft into up to 15 slender divisions; leaves often blunt or heart-shaped at base...................P. palustris
3. Petals usually 5-veined, usually 4-8 mm long; sterile stamens cleft into up to 7 slender divisions; leaves tapered at base....................P. parviflora
Source: Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
Habitat / Range
Moist to wet meadows, streambanks, fens, bogs and open seepage sites in forests in the lowland and montane to alpine zones; common throughout BC; N to AK, YT and NT, E to SW AB and S to NM and CA.
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)
A shade-intolerant, montane to alpine, Western North American forb distributed equally in the Pacific and Cordilleran regions. Occurs in boreal and cool temperate climates on very moist to wet, calcium-rich and nitrogen-rich soils. Common in open-canopy, high-elevation forests, subalpine meadows on water-receiving sites; occasional on water-collecting sites (fens and swamps). Characteristic of Moder and Mull humus forms.
