Apiaceae Sanicula canadensis (Linnaeus)


By Chris Rice Biology major University of Georgia

Picture provided by University of Georgia Herbarium.Taken by W.H.Duncan

Common names: Sanicle (Smith 1998), Snakeroot (Philip Lief INC 1994), Short-Styled Snakeroot (Lounsberry 1901), Canada black snake root (http://www.discoverlife.org)

Taxa:

Order: Umbellales (Hutchinson 1969)

Family: Apiaceae (it was once called Umbelliferae)

Subfamily: Saniculoideae (Tutin 1980)

Genus: Sanicula

Species: canadensis

Identification

Leaves: The leaves are 3-5 parted and they alternate (Smith1998&Hutchinson1969).

Flowers: Each umble has 3 perfect white flowers (Smith1998)

Fruits: The fruits are short-stalked, dry, burr-like, and 3-5 mm (Small1933&Maher1988)

Stem: The plant reaches to about 2 1/2 feet tall (Philip Lief INC 1994)

Sex: (Hutchinson1969)

Rarely unisexual

Ovary inferior locular

Carples ribbed with resin canals

It has 2 styles

Anthers 2 locular

Seeds have copious endosperm and minute embryo

Odor: Scentless (Lounsberry1901).

Area

Status

References

North America

Yes/ not Canada

Small 1933

Eastern North America

Yes/ not Canada

Small 1933

Southern United States

Yes

Small 1933

Southern Appalachian States

Yes

Small 1933

Coastal Plain

Yes

Mellinger 1984

Piedmont

Yes

Mellinger 1984

Blue Ridge Mountains

Yes

Hutchinson

Smoky Mt. National Park

Yes

Hutchinson

Ridge and Valley

Yes

Mellinger 1984

Cumberland Plateau

Yes

Mellinger 1984

Georgia

Yes

Jones 1979

Clarke County, Georgia

Yes

Mellinger 1984
General:

S. canadensis flowers from April-June (Maher1988). It is a perennial, found in woodlands and
thickets (Small1933). S. canadensis is not found in Canada, as the name would misslead you to
believe (Small1933). The most common chromosome number is eight (Tutin1980).

History:

The Apiaceae family may have come from a stock which also gave rise to the Asterales, which may have been derived from the Rutalean Stock (Tutin1980). The species canadensis was derived from Sanicula Marylandica (Lounsberry1901). The genus, Sanicula is known for its healing powers, especially in the case of snake bites (Lounsberry1901 ). Some where along the lines the leaves were compound (Smith1998).

Literature Cited

1.Hutchinson, J. The Families of Flowering Plants. Pg. 471-472. 1969. Oxford University Press

2.Lounsberry,Alice. Southern Wild Flowers & Trees. Pg.369.1901. Frederick A. Stokes Company.

3.Mahler, WM. Shinners' Manual of the North Central Texas Flora. 1988. Botanical Research

Institute of Texas, Inc.

4.Small, John. Manual of the Southeastern Flora. 1933. The Science Press Printing Company.

5.Smith, Richard. Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains. Pg.113-114.1998. The University

of Tennessee Press, Knoxville

6.The Philip Lief Group INC. The National Gardening Association Dictionary of Horticulture

Pg.467. 1994

7.Tutin, T.G. 1980 Botanical Society of the British Isles.1980

8.Discoverlife (http://www.discoverlife.org)

9.Mellinger, Marie. 1984. Atlas of the Vascular Flora of Georgia. Georgia Botannical Society.