Coptis trifolia (Goldthread) - photos and description

 

 

 

 

Origin: Native.

General: Small, evergreen woodland plant. Plant glabrous. Derives its common name from its yellow roots.

Flowers: Flowers consist of five to seven white sepals, and petals which are club-shaped and orange-yellow in colour.

Leaves:  Leaves are basal, glossy, on long stalks, three-parted. Each leaflet divided into three lobes, the lobes having toothed margins. Mature leaves measured 3.7 cm wide, 3.5 cm long.

Height: Height listed in Budd's Flora to 15 cm, we measured plants to 11 cm tall.

Habitat: Moist, mossy woods, boreal forest.

Abundance: Common.

When and where photographed: Took the above photos June 4th, moist spruce woods, Porcupine Hills, about 400 km NE of our home in Regina, SK.