Biology:Achlys triphylla
| Achlys triphylla | |
|---|---|
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| Achlys triphylla (Rood Bridge Park, Hillsboro, Oregon) | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Ranunculales |
| Family: | Berberidaceae |
| Genus: | Achlys |
| Species: | A. triphylla
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| Binomial name | |
| Achlys triphylla (Sm.) DC.
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| Synonyms[2] | |
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Leontice triphylla Smith in A. Rees | |
Achlys triphylla, with the common names deer foot, vanilla leaf,[3] or sweet after death, is a plant species native to the mountains of the West Coast of North America.
Description
Achlys triphylla is an herb up to 50 centimetres (20 in) tall.[3] It grows in patches of paired stalks, one topped by a leaf, the other a flower spike.[3] The leaf is trifoliate, with leaflets up to 10 cm (4 in) long; the middle leaflet has 3–5 or exceptionally 8 teeth.[3] The dried leaves smell like vanilla.[3]
Blooming from April to June, the flower spike is up to 5 cm (2 in) long, with small flowers lacking petals and sepals, but including 6–13 white stamens.[3]
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The paired stalks -
Immature flower spike -
Mature flowers
Similar species
The species resembles A. californica, which has 6–8 (up to 12) teeth on the middle leaflet.[3]
Distribution and habitat
Native to the woods[3] of mountains of the West Coast of North America, the species has been reported from the Cascades and from the Coast Ranges in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and northern California, at elevations of up to 1,500 metres (4,900 ft).[4]
Host Associations
This plant is the sole host of the west coast endemic aphid Macrosiphum tuberculaceps.[5]
Medicinal uses
Multiple Pacific Northwest tribes use the leaves in an infusion drink for tuberculosis. One Lummi informant said the whole plant was mashed and soaked in water, which was drunk as an emetic.[6]
References
- ↑ "NatureServe Explorer - Achlys triphylla". NatureServe. 2022-05-30. https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.159178.
- ↑ The Plant List
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Spellenberg, Richard (2001). National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers: Western Region (rev ed.). Knopf. pp. 409-410. ISBN 978-0-375-40233-3. https://archive.org/details/nationalaudubons00spel/page/409/.
- ↑ Flora of North America vol 3
- ↑ "Macrosiphum tuberculaceps (Sweet-after-death aphid) identification, images, ecology, control". https://influentialpoints.com/Gallery/Macrosiphum_tuberculaceps_sweet-after-death_aphid.htm.
- ↑ "Ethnobotany of Western Washington" by Erna Gunther. page 31
External links
Wikidata ☰ Q15313061 entry
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