Sanicula arctopoides Hook. & Arn.
snake-root sanicle (bear's-foot sanicle; footsteps of spring)
Apiaceae
Introduction to Vascular Plants
snake-root sanicle (bear's-foot sanicle; footsteps of spring)
Apiaceae
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Species Information
General:
Perennial herb from a taproot; stems prostrate or ascending, 5-30 cm tall, branching.
Leaves:
Basal leaves rosette forming, somewhat succulent, often yellowish, stem leaves reduced, becoming sessile, irregularly toothed or cleft, the blades 2.5-6 cm long, 2.5-9 cm wide.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of several to many compact headlike umbels; flowers yellow; involucel conspicuous, surpassing the heads, the bractlets entire or trilobed.
Fruits:
Egg-shaped to subglobose, 2-5 mm long, covered with stout, hooked prickles.
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
Habitat and Range
Mesic coastal bluffs in the lowland zone; rare in SW BC, known from SE Vancouver Island; S to CA.Status Information
| Origin Status | Provincial Status | BC List (Red Blue List) | COSEWIC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native | S2 | Red | T (Nov 2015) |
BC Ministry of Environment: BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer.
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Sanicula howellii (Coult. & Rose) Shan & Constance
Sanicula howellii (J.M. Coult. & Rose) Shan & Constance
Sanicula crassicaulis var. howellii (Coult. & Rose) Mathias
Similar Species
In B.C., Sanicula arctopoides is prostrate and has distinct involucels and yellow flowers, whereas Sanicula bipinnatifida has a more erect form, purple flowers, and no involucel. S. arctopoides is prostrate, has distinct involucels, and is found strictly in dry maritime meadows, whereas Sanicula crassicaulis has a more erect form, no involucel, and tends to grow in slightly deeper soil over a broader range of habitats.
Source: British Columbia Conservation Data Centre |