''Dicentra formosa'' (western, wild or Pacific bleeding-heart) is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

in the

poppy A poppy is a flowering plant in the subfamily Papaveroideae of the family Papaveraceae. Poppies are herbaceous plants, often grown for their colourful flowers. One species of poppy, '' Papaver somniferum'', is the source of the narcotic drug ...

family,

Papaveraceae The Papaveraceae, informally known as the poppy family, are an economically important family (biology), family of about 42 genera and approximately 775 known species of flowering plants in the order Ranunculales. The family is cosmopolitan dis ...

(

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end botanical subfamily names with "-oideae", and zo ...

Fumarioideae Fumarioideae is a subfamily of the family Papaveraceae (the poppy family). It was formerly treated as a separate family, the Fumariaceae (the fumitory, fumewort or bleeding-heart family). It consists of about 575 species of herbaceous plants in 20 ...

). With its

fern The ferns (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta) are a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. They differ from mosses by being vascular, i.e., having specialized tissue ...

-like

foliage A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, f ...

and

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

of drooping pink, purple, yellow or cream "hearts", this species is native to the United States'

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (PNW; ) is a geographic region in Western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though no official boundary exists, the most common ...

and

West Coast of North America The human history of the west coast of North America is believed to stretch back to the arrival of the earliest people over the Bering Strait, or alternately along the ice free coastal islands of British Columbia. This was followed by the develop ...

.Sierra Nevada Wildflowers, Karen Wiese, 2nd Ed., 2013, p. 83

Description

Pacific bleeding-heart is a

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

herbaceous plant Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition o ...

. Its

leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...

are three to four times divided and

-like, growing from a brittle

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome ( ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and Shoot (botany), shoots from its Node (botany), nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from ...

at the base of the plant. It grows to tall by wide. The

flower Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...

s are pink, red, or white and heart-shaped and bloom in clusters of 5 to 15 at the top of leafless, fleshy stems above the leaves from mid-spring to autumn, with peak flowering in spring. The four

petal Petals are modified leaves that form an inner whorl surrounding the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly coloured or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corol ...

s are attached at the base. The two outer petals form a pouch at the base and curve outwards at the tips. The two inner petals are perpendicular to the outer petals and connected at the tip. There are two tiny, pointed

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 Etymology The term ''sepalum'' ...

s behind the petals.

Seed In botany, a seed is a plant structure containing an embryo and stored nutrients in a protective coat called a ''testa''. More generally, the term "seed" means anything that can be Sowing, sown, which may include seed and husk or tuber. Seeds ...

s are borne in plump, pointed pods. The plant self-seeds readily. It frequently goes dormant for the summer after flowering, emerging and flowering again in autumn. The species contains

isoquinoline Isoquinoline is an individual chemical specimen - a heterocyclic aromatic organic compound - as well as the name of a family of many thousands of natural plant alkaloids, any one of which might be referred to as "an isoquinoline". It is a struc ...

, a toxic alkaloid known to be fatal to cattle. The Pacific bleeding-heart is frequently confused with the fringed bleeding-heart ('' Dicentra eximia'') and sold under that name. The fringed bleeding-heart, an Appalachian-area plant, has narrower flowers and longer, more curved outer petal tips. The popular related plant, '' Lamprocapnos spectabilis'', also called "bleeding heart" and native to Asia, was formerly placed in the same genus. Dicentra eximia vs Dicentra Luxuriant.jpg, Flower shape: ''Dicentra'' 'Luxuriant' (a ''Dicentra formosa'' hybrid) compared with ''Dicentra eximia'' Dicentra formosa closeup.jpg, Flower cluster Dicentra formosa closeup3 cropped.png, Closeup of flower Bleeding Heart Olympic National Park-557625.jpg, Leaves unfurling from a bud

Ecology

The Pacific bleeding-heart is native to moist woodland, forest, and streambanks from California to British Columbia, from sea level to the

subalpine zone Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures lapse rate, fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is ...

. There are two

subspecies In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...

, ''Dicentra formosa'' subsp. ''formosa'' and ''Dicentra formosa'' subsp. ''oregona''. Subsp. ''formosa'' grows in the majority of the plant's range, from

Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest ...

and southern

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

and south through

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

and

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

to central

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

in the

Coast Ranges The Pacific Coast Ranges (officially gazetted as the Pacific Mountain System in the United States; ; ) are the series of mountain ranges that stretch along the West Coast of North America from Alaska south to Northern and Central Mexico. Althoug ...

and Cascades, and on the western slope of the

Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada ( ) is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primari ...

. Subsp. ''oregana'' grows in a small area of southern Oregon and northern California in

serpentine soil Serpentine soil is an uncommon soil type produced by weathered ultramafic rock such as peridotite and its metamorphic derivatives such as serpentinite. More precisely, serpentine soil contains minerals of the serpentine subgroup, especially an ...

s in the

Siskiyou Mountains The Siskiyou Mountains are a Coast Ranges, coastal subrange of the Klamath Mountains, and located in northwestern California and southwestern Oregon in the United States. They extend in an arc for approximately from east of Crescent City, Calif ...

. These subspecies are also distinguished by appearance: * ''Dicentra formosa'' subsp. ''formosa'' – leaves glaucous beneath and never glaucous above, flowers purple pink to pink or white * ''Dicentra formosa'' subsp. ''oregona'' (often spelled ''oregana'') – leaves glaucous above and beneath, flowers cream or pale yellow File:Blumen0190.JPG, A colony of plants File:Dicentra formosa on Iron Horse Trail.jpg, Wild plants on the

Iron Horse Regional Trail The Iron Horse Regional Trail is a rail trail for pedestrians, horse riders and bicycles in the East Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), East Bay Area in California. This trail is located in inland central Alameda County, California, Alameda and ...

in the

Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose. The Association of Bay Area Governments ...

Cultivars

''Dicentra formosa'' is widely grown as a garden plant, and several

cultivars A cultivar is a kind of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and which retains those traits when propagated. Methods used to propagate cultivars include division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue cult ...

have been developed. Those marked have gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. It includes the full range of cultivated p ...

: *white and green flowers **'Langtrees' (= 'Pearl Drops') – bluish-green leaves **'Margaret Fish' – bluish-gray-green **'Quicksilver' – bluish-gray-green – resentful of hot, humid climates and sun **'Snowflakes' (= 'Fusd') – green **'Sweetheart' – green *pink and red flowers **'Bacchanal' – deep red flowers **'Coldham' – deep burgundy **'Luxuriant' – red flowers **'Zestful' – deep rose-pink There are several

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two diff ...

cultivars involving ''D. formosa'', the eastern American species '' D. eximia'' and the Japanese species '' D. peregrina'': *'Adrian Bloom' (from a seedling of ''D.'' 'Bountiful') – dark pink flowers, bluish-green leaves *'Aurora' (''D. formosa'' × ''D. eximia'') – pure white, gray-green – particularly tolerant of hot-humid climates *'Bountiful' (''D. formosa'' subsp. ''oregana'' × ''D. eximia'') – rosy red, bluish-green *'Gothenburg' (''D. formosa'' subsp. ''oregana'' × ''D. peregrina'' f. ''alba'') – light pink, compact *'King of Hearts' – ''D. peregrina'' × (''D. formosa'' subsp. ''oregana'' × ''D. eximia'') – pink, bluish-gray-green *'Silversmith' (''D. formosa'' subsp. ''oregana'' × ''D. eximia'') – white pink-tinted, green *'Stuart Boothman' (''D. formosa'' subsp. ''oregana'' × ''D. eximia'') – deep pink, gray-green

History

The Pacific bleeding-heart (''Dicentra formosa'' subsp. ''formosa'') was first noted by Europeans when the Scottish surgeon and naturalist

Archibald Menzies Archibald Menzies ( ; 15 March 1754 – 15 February 1842) was a Scottish surgeon, botanist and naturalist. He spent many years at sea, serving with the Royal Navy, private merchants, and the Vancouver Expedition. During his naval expeditions, h ...

encountered it on the

Vancouver Expedition The Vancouver Expedition (1791–1795) was a four-and-a-half-year voyage of exploration and diplomacy, commanded by Captain George Vancouver of the Royal Navy. The British expedition circumnavigated the globe and made contact with five continen ...

. Menzies collected seed in 1792 in

Nootka Sound Nootka Sound () is a sound of the Pacific Ocean on the rugged west coast of Vancouver Island, in the Pacific Northwest, historically known as King George's Sound. It separates Vancouver Island and Nootka Island, part of the Canadian province of ...

, and gave it to the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in 1795. From there, seed made its way into cultivation in Europe. It apparently was not cultivated in the United States until 1835, when William Kenrick began selling the plant in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

. The subspecies ''oregana'' was first cultivated around 1932, when it was offered by Borsch and Sons in

, but is not grown very often.

References

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment
**map
''Dicentra formosa'' subsp. ''formosa''
�
''Dicentra formosa'' subsp. ''oreganaCalPhotos (UC Berkeley photo gallery)King County Native Plant Guide
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1871251

formosa Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The island of Taiwan, formerly known to Westerners as Formosa, has an area of and makes up 99% of the land under ROC control. It lies about across the Taiwan Strait f ...

Flora of California Flora of British Columbia Flora of Washington (state) Flora of Oregon Natural history of the California Coast Ranges Garden plants of North America Plants described in 1842 Flora without expected TNC conservation status Taxa named by Henry Cranke Andrews Taxa named by Wilhelm Gerhard Walpers