Putnam Park Wildflowers


Flower ID: IMG_0149.JPG-04-22-2017
Flower name (scientific): Dicentra cucullaria Bernhardi PY: 1833. Pronunciation guide: (phonetic spelling) dy-SEN-trah kuk-yoo-LAIR-ee-uh
Flower name (common): Dutchman's Breeches
Family name (common): Fumitory
Family name (scientific): Fumariaceae
Scientific name origin:
     Genus: From Greek dis for two, and centron for spur. The flowers have two spurs.
    Specific epithet: Latin for hooded, hood-like.
Common name origin: From the supposed resemblance of the flower shape to a Dutchman's Breeches.
Flower description:
     Size: 0.4 to 1.0 inches (1.0 to 2.5 cm)
     Petal count: 4
     Color: White, with a slight yellow tip.
     Other: flower arrangement, Raceme
Plant description: Erect
     Size: 4 to 12 inches (10 to 30 cm) tall.
     Stem hairy:
     Other:
Leaf description: attachment is basal, type is simple
     Size: Compound leaves about 5 to 9 cm long. Leaflets about 0.5 to 2.3 cm long and about 0.6 to 1.8 cm wide.
     Color:
     Hairy:
     Other: Shape: leaf, linear or oblanceolate lobes (IL), ultimate lobes linear to linear-elliptic or linear-obovate (FNA)
Origin (native, introduced, invasive): Native
Status (common, uncommon, threatened, rare): Common
Bloom time (typical): April to May
Cycle (annual, biennial, perennial): Perennial
Habitat: Woodlands, forests, shade or part shade, mesic conditions.
Fruit:
Seed:
Importance to wildlife: Historical data: Robertson (1889, p. 125-126) made the following obervations on insect vistors to this flower: Hymenoptera (bees, wasps, sawflies, and ants); Apidae (Family of bees): Apis mellifica, Bombus virginicus, B. separatus, B. vagans, B. pennsylvanicus, Anthophora ursina, Habropoda floridana, Synhalonia atriventris, S. honesta, Osmia latitarsis, O. montana, O. lignaria. Diptera (flies); Bombyliidae (bee flies): Bombylius fratellus. Lepidotera (butterflies and moths); Rhopalocera (clade of all butterfly species): Danais archippus, Pyrameis atalanta, Papilio ajax, Pieris rapae, and Nisoniades martialis.
Similar species (if any): Similar is Dicentra canadensis (Squirrel Corn), which can be distinguished by the heart-shaped flowers with rounded and parallel spurs, whereas D. cucullaria has more bluntly pointed and spreading petal spurs.
Ethnobotany: The Menominee employed this plant as a love charm (Smith, p. 81, 1923).
Latitude:
Longitude:
Altitude:
Distribution: In Wisconsin: (Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Brown, Buffalo, Calumet, Chippewa, Clark, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Door, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Florence, Fond du Lac, Forest, Grant, Green, Iowa, Iron, Jefferson, Kenosha, Kewaunee, La Crosse, Lafayette, Langlade, Lincoln, Manitowoc, Marathon, Marinette, Menominee, Milwaukee, Oconto, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Pepin, Pierce, Portage, Racine, Richland, Rock, Rusk, Sauk, Sawyer, Shawano, Sheboygan, St. Croix, Taylor, Trempealeau, Vernon, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha, Waupaca, Winnebago, Wood) Click here for distribution map
In US: (AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV)
In Canada: (MB, NB, NS, ON, PE, QC)
References:
Synonym(s):
Basionym: Fumaria cucullaria Linnaeus Sp. Pl. 2: 699. 1753.
Homotypic Synonym(s):
Heterotypic Synonym(s):
Autonym: na