Mitella trifida

Plants not stoloniferous. Flowering-stems 12–45 cm. Leaves: petiole 2.5–10 cm, subglabrous or short-stipitate-glandular and long-stipitate-glandular, longer hairs retrorse, white, tan, or brown; blade cordate, cordate-ovate, or reniform, usually shorter than or sometimes ± as long as wide, 1.2–6 × 2–8 cm, margins shallowly 5-lobed or 7-lobed, crenate, uniformly ciliate, apex of terminal lobe rounded to obtuse, surfaces short-stipitate-glandular and sparsely long-stipitate-glandular; cauline leaves absent. Inflorescences 1–3, closely 4–20-flowered, 1 flower per node, weakly secund or not secund, 12–45 cm, short-stipitate-glandular and, sometimes, sparsely long-stipitate-glandular proximally and distally. Pedicels 0.3–1.5 mm, short-stipitate-glandular. Flowers: hypanthium campanulate, 1–1.5 × 1.5–2.5 (–3) mm; sepals erect or spreading, whitish or purple-tinged, oblong to triangular-ovate, 0.8–1.5 × 1–1.3 mm; petals white, sometimes pink or purple-tinged, 3-lobed or, sometimes, unlobed, 1–3.5 mm, lobes lanceolate, lateral lobes ascending; stamens 5, opposite sepals; filaments white, 0.1–0.2 mm; anthers 0.1–0.2 × 0.1–0.2 mm; ovary ca. 1/2 inferior; styles divergent, flattened, 0.1–0.2 mm; stigmas unlobed. Seeds dark reddish-brown, 0.7–1 mm, pitted. 2n = 14.

Phenology: Flowering May–Jul.
Habitat: Deep forest, moist wooded and open slopes
Elevation: 300-2000 m

Alta., B.C., Alaska, Calif., Idaho, Mont., Oreg., Wash.

Discussion

Mitella trifida varies in flower size, petal-blade lobing, and pubescence. Plants with relatively small flowers and petal blades entire or shallowly trifid and often purplish have been named var. violacea. Plants matching this description occur in British Columbia, Montana, and Washington and appear to represent a minor morphological variant that does not warrant recognition.

The Gosiute Indians of Utah made an infusion from roots of Mitella trifida to treat colic (D. E. Moerman 1998).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa