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

Sanicula crassicaulis Poepp. ex DC.
Pacific sanicle (Pacific blacksnakeroot; Pacific sanicle )
Apiaceae

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Distribution of Sanicula crassicaulis
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SUBTAXA PRESENT IN BC

Sanicula crassicaulis var. crassicaulis
Sanicula crassicaulis var. tripartita

Species Information

Click on the image below to view an expanded illustration for this species.

Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

General:
Perennial herb from a taproot; stem solitary, erect, 25-120 cm tall.

Leaves:
Alternate; basal and lower stem leaves palmately 3-5 lobed or divided without a narrow leaf axis, stalked below, becoming sessile above, primary divisions merely lobed or with teeth, blades 3-13 cm long, 2-18 cm wide.

Flowers:
Inflorescence of terminal umbels less than 1 cm wide in flower; flowers yellow or sometimes purplish; involucels inconspicuous, of 5 narrow bractlets.

Fruits:
Subglobose burrs, 2-5 mm long, covered, except sometimes at the base, with stout, hooked prickles.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Habitat / Range

Moist to dry coastal bluffs, meadows and woodlands in the lowland zone; frequent in SW BC, known from S Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and adjacent coast, infrequent in WC BC, known from the Queen Charlotte Islands and Skeena River valley; S to CA and MX, disjunct to Chile.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Sanicula crassicaulis

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
Site Information	Minimum	Average	Maximum
Elevation (metres)	1	110	315
Slope Gradient (%)	0	29	135
Aspect (degrees) [0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]	23	125	360
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric]	1	2	7
Modal Nutrient Regime Class	B
Number of field plots species was recorded in:	85
Modal BEC Zone Class	CDF
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in:	CDF(82)
Source: Klinkenberg 2020

Ecological Indicator Information

A shade-tolerant to shade-intolerant, submontane to montane, South American and Pacific North American forb. Species occurs on very dry to moderately dry, nitrogen-rich soils (Moder or Mull humus forms). Sporadic to scattered in open-canopy, young-seral forests on base-rich, water-shedding sites. A nitrophytic species characteristic of moisture-deficient sites.

Source: Indicator Plants of Coastal British Columbia (Information applies to coastal locations only)

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 cool mesothermal.

Status Information

Origin Status	Provincial Status	BC List (Red Blue List)	COSEWIC
Native	S5	Yellow	Not Listed

BC Ministry of Environment: BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer, the authoritative source for conservation information in British Columbia.

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 Range and Status Information Links

Burke Museum of Natural History (Washington State records)
CalFlora
Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria records
Jepson Interchange
NatureServe Explorer
USDA

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: 2024-12-13 4:34:03 AM ]

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.