Page author: David Giblin
Mitellastra caulescens
leafy mitrewort, star-shaped mitrewort
Specimens
Photos

Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia south to northwest California, east to Idaho and Montana.

Habitat: Shady woods, wet meadows and swamps, low to mid-elevations.

Flowers: April-June

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Description:
General:

Slender herbaceous perennial from rhizomes, often with stolons, the flowering stems glandular-pubescent, 2-4 dm. tall.

Leaves:

Basal leaves long-petiolate, the blades cordate, 5-lobed + their length, 3-7 cm. broad, lobes with rounded teeth; cauline leaves 1-3, much reduced.

Flowers:

Inflorescence an elongate raceme, up to 20 cm. long and 25-flowered, blossoming from the top downward; pedicels 2-8 mm. long; calyx cup-shaped, greenish, 5-6 mm. broad, the 5 lobes deltoid-ovate, spreading, about the same length as the tubular portion; petals 3-4 mm. long, greenish and purplish-based, pinnately divided into 8 filiform, often paired segments; stamens 5, opposite the calyx lobes.

Fruits:

Ovary inferior; carpels 2.

Accepted Name:
Mitellastra caulescens (Nutt.) Howell

Synonyms & Misapplications:
Mitella caulescens Nutt. [FNA8, HC]
Additional Resources:

PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Mitellastra caulescens in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database.

WA Flora Checklist: Mitellastra caulescens checklist entry.

OregonFlora: Mitellastra caulescens information.

E-Flora BC: Mitellastra caulescens atlas page.

CalPhotos: Mitellastra caulescens photos.

USDA Plants: Mitellastra caulescens information.

34 photographs:
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