Maryland black snakeroot

not listed

N5 - Secure

SNR - Unranked

not listed

FACU - Facultative upland

FACU - Facultative upland

FACU - Facultative upland

Maryland black snakeroot is a 16″ to 48″ tall, erect, perennial herb that rises on one to several basal leaves and a single stem from a cluster of fibrous roots.

The stems are hairless and are usually branched only above the middle.

Basal leaves are broadly triangular to egg-shaped or nearly circular in outline and up to 6″ wide. They are on up to 6″ long stalks (petioles) and are palmately divided into 5 leaflets. The lowest two leaflets are deeply cut making the leaf appear to have 7 leaflets. The number of leaflets and apparent leaflets is an important identifying feature. A useful mnemonic for this species is “5 looks like 7”. The leaflets or segments are inversely lance-shaped or inversely egg-shaped, wedge-shaped at the base, and stalkless. The upper and lower surfaces are hairless. The margins are doubly-toothed with sharp, forward-pointing teeth, and are shallowly lobed near the tip. Basal leaves are usually present at flowering time.

Stem leaves are alternate. The lowest stem leaves are on long petioles and are similar to basal leaves. They become smaller, less divided, and shorter stalked as they ascend the stem. Middle leaves are on short petioles. The uppermost leaves are stalkless and sometimes appear opposite.

The inflorescence is 1 to 5 compound, umbrella-shaped clusters (umbels) at the end of the stem and usually also rising from upper leaf axils. The umbels are subtended by a pair of leaf-like, 3-lobed bracts. The branches of the umbels (rays) are straight, ascending or spreading, and up to 1″ long but unequal in length. At the end of each ray there is a single, ⅜″ to ½″ wide secondary umbel (umbellet).

The umbellets may have 12 to 120 flowers but usually have no more than 25 flowers. Some have only male (staminate) flowers. Most have 1 to 4, usually 3, perfect flowers (containing both male and female parts). Each umbellet is subtended by 3 to 9 minute, narrow, toothed bractlets. The perfect flowers are stalkless. The staminate flowers are on 1 ⁄16″ to ⅛″ long stalks and rise above the perfect flowers.

Each flower is up to ⅛″ in diameter and has 5 sepals, 5 petals, and 9 to 117 stamens. The sepals are green, 1 ⁄32″ to 1 ⁄16″ long, narrowly lance-shaped to triangular, and slightly fused at the base. They are as long or nearly as long as the petals. The petals are greenish-white, inversely lance-shaped to egg-shaped, and tapered to a slender tip. The stamens have yellow anthers and extend well above the corolla. Perfect flowers have two long, slender, spreading styles. The styles are more than twice as long as the sepals and extend well above the corolla.

The fruit is a dry, brownish-green, egg-shaped, ⅛″ to ¼″ long, ⅛″ to 5 ⁄16″ wide, 2-seeded capsule (schizocarp). It is covered with long, hooked bristles, shorter bristles near the base. The base of each bristle is stout and bulbous. The sepals are inconspicuous among the bristles. The persistent styles are much longer than the bristles and are curved backward. The inner face of the split fruit, where the two mericarps meet, is wrinkled and bears a elliptical scar.

16″ to 48″

Greenish-white

The number of leaflets on the basal and lower stem leaves of black snakeroots (Sanicula spp.) is an important identifying feature. However, the lateral leaflets are often deeply lobed, often to the base, appearing to be two separate leaflets.

Canadian black snakeroot (Sanicula canadensis var. canadensis) basal and lower stem leaves are 3-parted with two deeply cut — “3 looks like 5”. There are only 2 to 7 flowers in each flower cluster. The flowers are white. All umbellets include both perfect and male flowers. Perfect flowers are stalked. Male flowers are short-stalked and are concealed by the perfect flowers. The sepals are longer than the petals. The styles are inconspicuous, shorter than the bristles.

Clustered black snakeroot (Sanicula odorata) is a smaller plant, no more than 32″ in height. Basal and lower stem leaves are mostly 5-parted — “5 looks like 5”. The flowers are greenish-yellow. Perfect flowers are stalked. Male flowers are short-stalked and are concealed by the perfect flowers. The sepals are much shorter than the petals.

Large-fruited black snakeroot (Sanicula trifoliata) is much less common, mostly restricted to the southeastern counties. Basal and lower stem leaves are 3-parted, sometimes with with two deeply cut — “3 looks like 3 (or 5)”. There are only 4 to 11 flowers, usually 7 or fewer, in each flower cluster. The flowers are white. All umbellets include both perfect and male flowers. The sepals in flower are longer than the petals. The styles are inconspicuous, shorter than the bristles. The fruits are ¼″ to 5 ⁄16″ long. The sepals in fruit converge, forming a beak as long or longer than the bristles.

Long-styled black snakeroot (Sanicula canadensis var. grandis) basal and lower stem leaves are 3-parted with two deeply cut — “3 looks like 5”. There are only 2 to 7 flowers in each flower cluster. The flowers are white. All umbellets include both perfect and male flowers. Perfect flowers are stalked. Male flowers are short-stalked and are concealed by the perfect flowers. The sepals are longer than the petals. The styles are inconspicuous, shorter than the bristles.

Moist, deciduous, mixed, and coniferous woodlands; marsh edges; river banks. Partial sun to medium shade.

June to August

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 28, 29, 30.

Native

Very common and widespread

Subfamily
NCBI, the APG IV system, and iNaturalist place the genus Sanicula in the subfamily Saniculoideae. GRIN places it in the subfamily Apioideae. At least two recent molecular DNA studies of the subfamily Saniculeae maintain the placement of Sanicula within the subfamily Saniculoideae. No discussion of moving the genera could be found. ITIS, GBIF, USDA Plants, World Flora Online, and Plants of the World Online do not recognize a subfamily. If the placement in the subfamily Apioideae is an error, that error is repeated on Wikipedia.

Plant

Basal Leaves

Stem Leaves

Inflorescence