American spikenard
(Aralia racemosa ssp. racemosa)
Conservation • Wetland • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Use • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status |
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| IUCN Red List | not listed |
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| NatureServe | N4N5 - Apparently Secure to Secure SNR - Unranked |
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| Minnesota | not listed |
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Wetland Indicator Status |
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| Great Plains | FACU - Facultative upland |
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| Midwest | FACU - Facultative upland |
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| Northcentral & Northeast | FACU - Facultative upland |
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Description |
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American spikenard is a 24″ to 84″ tall, erect, perennial forb that rises on an aerial stem from a stout, long-creeping rhizome. The stems are erect to spreading and often branched. They are green to purple, hairy, and sometimes slightly woody at the base. They do not have spines and are not bristly at the base. The leaves are alternate, widely spreading, and divided into 3 main segments. Each segment is further pinnately divided into 9 to 21 large leaflets. This results in a plant that appears very leafy though it has few leaves. The leaflets are egg-shaped, ¾″ to 7″ long, and up to 5″ or more wide. Leaflets of various sizes occur on the same leaf. The leaf blades are heart-shaped and asymmetrical at the base. They taper to a point at the tip with concave sides along the tip. The upper surface is green and covered with short hairs. The lower surface is paler green and is hairy along the veins when young, becoming hairless or almost hairless at maturity. The margins are toothed, sometimes doubly toothed, with sharp, forward pointing teeth. The inflorescence is a branched array (panicle), up to 12″ long and about 2½″ wide, at the end of the stem, and sometimes smaller panicles rising from leaf axils. The panicle consists of numerous umbrella-shaped flower clusters (umbels). Each umbel has up to 10 or more flowers. The flowers have 5 white or greenish-white petals and 5 stamens with white filaments and white anthers. The fruit is a fleshy, dark purple, berry-like drupe. |
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Height |
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24″ to 84″ |
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Flower Color |
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White or greenish-white |
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Similar Species |
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Habitat |
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Moist. Woods. Full or partial shade. |
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Ecology |
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Flowering |
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July |
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Pests and Diseases |
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Use |
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Distribution |
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Sources |
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| 2/14/2023 | ||||
Nativity |
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Native |
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Occurrence |
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Taxonomy |
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| Kingdom | Plantae (green algae and land plants) | ||
| Subkingdom | Viridiplantae (green plants) | ||
| Infrakingdom | Streptophyta (land plants and green algae) | ||
| Superdivision | Embryophyta (land plants) | ||
| Division | Tracheophyta (vascular plants) | ||
| Subdivision | Spermatophytina (seed plants) | ||
| Class | Magnoliopsida (flowering plants) | ||
| Superorder | Asteranae | ||
Order |
Apiales (carrots, ivies, and allies) | ||
Family |
Araliaceae (ivy) | ||
| Subfamily | Aralioideae | ||
| Tribe | Aralieae | ||
Genus |
Aralia (spikenards) | ||
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Synonyms |
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Common Names |
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American spikenard life-of-man petty morel |
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Glossary
Drupe
A fleshy fruit with a single hard, stone-like core, like a cherry or peach.
Panicle
A pyramidal inflorescence with a main stem and branches. Flowers on the lower, longer branches mature earlier than those on the shorter, upper ones.
Pinnate
On a compound leaf, having the leaflets arranged on opposite sides of a common stalk. On a bryophyte, having branches evenly arranged on opposite sides of a stem.
Rhizome
A horizontal, usually underground stem. It serves as a reproductive structure, producing roots below and shoots above at the nodes.
Umbel
A flat-topped or convex, umbrella-shaped cluster of flowers or buds arising from more or less a single point.
Visitor Photos |
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Moira |
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Growing wild in Hennepin County, Minnesota. Leaf is quite ovate. |
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Luciearl |
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Ron Winterhalter |
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Amazed by its beauty. Found these growing in the woods of Northern Minnesota |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Plant |
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Inflorescence |
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Leaves |
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Slideshows |
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Visitor Videos |
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Other Videos |
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| Aralia racemosa newenglandwild |
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About
Uploaded on Jun 16, 2011 No description available. |
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| 00011 American Spikenard, Purple Flowering Raspberry rockerBOO |
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About
Published on May 29, 2013 American Spikenard, Purple Flowering Raspberry |
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Visitor Sightings |
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Report a sighting of this plant. |
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| Moira 8/12/2021 |
Location: Hennepin County, Minnesota Growing wild in Hennepin County, Minnesota. Leaf is quite ovate. |
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| Luciearl 9/1/2020 |
Location: Cass County |
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| Ron Winterhalter 9/3/2019 |
Location: Cass County, MN Amazed by its beauty. Found these growing in the woods of Northern Minnesota |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
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