Enemion biternatum

Illustrator: John Myers

Copyright: Flora of North America Association

Stems 10-40 cm, weakly rhizomatous; roots fibrous. Leaves: leaflets irregularly 2-3-lobed, lobes sometimes with 1-3 secondary lobes, apex rounded, glandular-apiculate; surfaces abaxially glabrous. Inflorescences axillary, flowers solitary or loosely grouped in 2-4-flowered leafy racemes; peduncle not strongly clavate. Flowers: sepals 5.5-13.5 × 3.5-8.5 mm; stamens 25-50; filaments filiform to club-shaped, 1.8-5.8 mm. Follicles sessile, upright to widely divergent; body widely elliptic to widely obovate, 3.5-6.5 mm, gradually contracted into style beak; beak 1.7-3 mm. Seeds 2.1-2.7 mm, minutely pubescent. 2n = 14.

Phenology: Flowering spring.
Habitat: Moist deciduous woods of valleys, flood plains, and ravine bottoms, occasionally in open pastures, often on limey soils
Elevation: 25-1000 m

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Ont., Ala., Ark., Fla., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Okla., S.C., S.Dak., Tenn., Va., W.Va., Wis.

Discussion

Enemion biternatum has been mistaken for the superficially similar Thalictrum thalictroides because of its white flowers and compound Thalictrum-like leaves. Enemion biternatum is easily distinguished, however, by its few-seeded follicles and deeply lobed leaves with glandular-apiculate apices. Thalictrum thalictroides, on the other hand, is characterized by having achenes and somewhat crenate leaves with notched apices.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.