''Sanicula arctopoides'' is a species of sanicle known commonly as footsteps of spring, bear's foot sanicle or yellow mats.

Distribution and Range

''Sanicula arctopoides'' is perennial herb found on the west coast of the United States and Canada, from the southern end of

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 adjacent islands) in

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 ...

, to the

central coast of California The Central Coast is an area of California, roughly spanning the coastal region between Point Mugu and Monterey Bay. It lies northwest of Los Angeles and south of the San Francisco Bay Area, and includes the rugged, rural, and sparsely populat ...

. It grows in close proximity to the ocean throughout its range.

Description

Taproot A taproot is a large, central, and dominant root from which other roots sprout laterally. Typically a taproot is somewhat straight and very thick, is tapering in shape, and grows directly downward. In some plants, such as the carrot, the taproot ...

ed perennial with short, thick branches which may be prostrate or slightly erect. The leaves are yellowish-green and carrot-like or maple-shaped, and the tiny yellow flowers are borne in

umbel UMBEL (Upper Mapping and Binding Exchange Layer) is a logically organized knowledge graph of 34,000 concepts and entity types that can be used in information science for relating information from disparate sources to one another. It was retired ...

s with prominent

bract In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves in size, color, shape or texture. They also lo ...

s. The plants grow in low matted patches along the ground, resembling "footsteps" of yellow against the ground.

Conservation status

''Sanicula arctopoides'' is a protected species in some areas. In Canada, the species is known from only eight remaining locations on the south coast of

where it is listed as vulnerable under the

Species at Risk Act The ''Species at Risk Act'' (, SARA) is a piece of Canadian federal legislation which became law in Canada on December 12, 2002. It is designed to meet one of Canada's key commitments under the International Convention on Biological Diversity. T ...

. In Washington, the species is critically imperilled.

External links

USDA Plants Profile for ''Sanicula arctopoides'' Calflora: ''Sanicula arctopoides''Jepson Manual Treatment

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q7418268 arctopoides Flora of British Columbia Flora of California Flora of the West Coast of the United States Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands Taxa named by George Arnott Walker Arnott Taxa named by William Jackson Hooker