golden alexanders

(Zizia aurea)

Conservation Status
golden alexanders
 
  IUCN Red List

not listed

     
  NatureServe

N5? - Secure

SNR - Unranked

     
  Minnesota

not listed

     
           
Wetland Indicator Status
     
  Great Plains

FAC - Facultative

     
  Midwest

FAC - Facultative

     
  Northcentral & Northeast

FAC - Facultative

     
           
 
Description
 
 

Golden alexanders is a 12 to 24 tall, erect, perennial forb that rises from a dense cluster of coarse, fibrous, tuberous-thickened roots.

The stems are erect or ascending, hairless or nearly hairless, keeled, and branched above the middle.

Basal leaves are more or less circular in outline, 1½ to 5½ long and wide, and on long leaf stalks. They are divided into 3 stalked leaflets (ternate), or divided into 3 stalked segments, each segment divided into 3 leaflets (biternate). The central leaflets on biternate leaves are stalked, the lateral 2 leaflets unstalked.

Stem leaves are alternate and similar to basal leaves. Lower stem leaves are large and on long leaf stalks. They may be divided into 3 main divisions, with each division divided into 3 segments, and each segment divided into 3 leaflets (triternate), or they may be biternate. The leaves become progressively smaller, less divided, and on shorter leaf stalks as they ascend the stem. Upper stem leaves are nearly stalkless and once ternate.

The leaflets are egg-shaped to lance-shaped, 1 to 4¾ long, and ½ to 1¼ wide. They are hairless, rounded or tapered asymmetrically at the base, and tapered to a point or blunt at the tip. They may have 1 or 2 shallow lobes. The margins are sharply toothed with 5 to 10 fine, forward-pointing teeth every .

The inflorescence is a compound umbel at the end of the stem and branches. It is up to 3 in diameter and has 11 to 16 slender, ¼ to 2 long branches (rays). There is no bract at the base of the umbel. At the end of each ray is a small umbel (umbellet). There are 11 to 19 or more individual flowers in each umbellet. The central flower in each umbellet is stalkless or nearly stalkless. There is a leaf-like bract at the base of each umbellet.

The flowers are about across. The 5 petals are bright yellow and curve inward. There are 5 yellow stamens with yellow anthers. Some of the stamens do not protrude above the petals. There is no floral scent.

The fruit is dry, oval to egg-shaped, 1 16 to long, 1 16 wide achene. It is ribbed but is not winged. At maturity it splits into 2 segments, each containing 1 seed.

 
     
 

Height

 
 

12 to 24

 
     
 

Flower Color

 
 

Yellow

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
 

Heart-leaved golden alexanders (Zizia aptera) basal leaves and sometimes lower stem leaves are heart-shaped, not compound and not lobed.

Wild parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) is much taller, up to 60 tall at maturity. The leaves are pinnately compound with 5 to 15 leaflets.

Yellow meadow parsnip (Thaspium barbinode) umbellets have a central flower that is on a short but distinct flower stalk. The achenes are winged.

 
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Moderate moisture to wet. Moist prairies, savannas, thickets, woodland edges and openings, and trailsides. Sandy soil. Full sun to partial shade.

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Flowering

 
 

May to July

 
     
 

Pests and Diseases

 
 

 

 
     
 
Use
 
 

 

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 24, 28, 29, 30.

 
  6/13/2022      
         
 

Nativity

 
 

Native

 
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

Common

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  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) / Angiospermae (flowering plants)  
  Class Magnoliopsida (flowering plants)  
  Superorder Asteranae  
 

Order

Apiales (carrots, ivies, and allies)  
  Suborder Apiineae  
 

Family

Apiaceae (carrot)  
  Subfamily Apioideae  
  Tribe Selineae  
 

Genus

Zizia (golden alexanders)  
       
 

Subordinate Taxa

 
 

 

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

 

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

common golden alexanders

golden alexanders

golden zizia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Achene

A dry, one-chambered, single-seeded seed capsule, formed from a single carpel, with the seed attached to the membranous outer layer (wall) only by the seed stalk; the wall, formed entirely from the wall of the superior ovary, does not split open at maturity, but relies on decay or predation to release the contents.

 

Biternate

Twice ternate. A leaf divided into 3 segments, with each segment divided into 3 leaflets.

 

Bract

Modified leaf at the base of a flower stalk, flower cluster, or inflorescence.

 

Keeled

Folded, as in a grass blade, or with a raised ridge, as in a grass sheath; like the keel of a boat.

 

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.

 

Ray

A strap-shaped flower, or the strap-shaped portion of a flower, in the Asteraceae (aster) family. A branch of an umbel in the Apiaceae (carrot) family.

 

Ternate

Refers to leaves that are divided into three leaflets or sections.

 

Triternate

Three times ternate. A leaf divided into 3 main divisions, with each division divided into 3 segments, and each segment divided into 3 leaflets.

 

Umbel

A flat-topped or convex, umbrella-shaped cluster of flowers or buds arising from more or less a single point.

 

Umbellet

A secondary umbel in a compound umbel.

 

Wing

A thin, flat, membranous, usually transparent appendage on the margin of a structure.

 
 
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Greg Watson

 
    golden alexanders   golden alexanders  
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

Habitat

 
    golden alexanders      
           
 

Plant

 
    golden alexanders   golden alexanders  
           
    golden alexanders      
           
 

Inflorescence

 
    golden alexanders      
           
 

Leaves

 
    golden alexanders   golden alexanders  
           
 

Infructescence

 
    golden alexanders   golden alexanders  

 

Camera

     
 
Slideshows
 
  Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea)
Andree Reno Sanborn
 
  Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea)  
  Zizia aurea GOLDEN ALEXANDERS
Frank Mayfield
 
  Zizia aurea GOLDEN ALEXANDERS  

 

slideshow

       
 
Visitor Videos
 
       
 

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Other Videos
 
  Early Spring Growth - Pussy Toes, Golden Alexander, Canada Columbine & Prairie Smoke
MNNativePlants
 
   
 
About

Published on Apr 28, 2013

Rich looks at some early spring growth in the native planting. The plants shown are Pussy Toes (Antennaria Plantaginifolia), Golden Alexander (Zizia Aurea), Canada Columbine (Aquilegia Canadensis) & Prairie Smoke (Geum Triflorum).

   

 

Camcorder

 
 
Visitor Sightings
 
           
 

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  Greg Watson
6/19/2022

Location: Apple Blossom Overlook Park

golden alexanders  
  Greg Watson
5/27/2022

Location: Eagles Bluff Park in La Crescent, MN

golden alexanders  
  Crystal Boyd
6/2/2013

Location: Pine Bend Bluffs SNA

   
           
 
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