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Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

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Dicentra uniflora

Dicentra uniflora Kellogg

Longhorn Steer's-head

Fumariaceae (Fumitory Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: DIUN

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)

A tiny plant with leaves and flower stalks growing separately, each attached to the root cluster deep beneath the surface. Each flower stalk ends in 1 pink or white bilateral flower resembling a steer’s skull with horns.

Though common, these low plants bloom early and are usually obscured by the surrounding sagebrush.

 

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Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 3 inches tall.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Pink , Purple
Bloom Time: Feb , Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug

Distribution

USA: CA , CO , ID , MT , NV , OR , UT , WA , WY
Canada: BC
Native Distribution: Northern California to Washington; east to Idaho, western Wyoming, and northern Utah.
Native Habitat: Open, well-drained ground, commonly among sagebrush in foothills to open woods at high elevations in mountains.

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade , Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry

Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA)

Clodius Parnassian
(Parnassius clodius)

Larval Host
Learn more at BAMONA

Bibliography

Bibref 1186 - Field Guide to Moths of Eastern North America (2005) Covell, C.V., Jr.
Bibref 1185 - Field Guide to Western Butterflies (Peterson Field Guides) (1999) Opler, P.A. and A.B. Wright

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Dicentra uniflora in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Dicentra uniflora in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Dicentra uniflora

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-04-04
Research By: TWC Staff

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