| Hydrophyllum capitatum | |
|---|---|
| “Hydrophyllum capitatum” in Clearwater National Forest, USA | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| Order: | Solanales |
| Family: | Hydrophyllaceae |
| Genus: | Hydrophyllum |
| Species: | H. capitatum |
| Binomial name | |
| Hydrophyllum capitatum Douglas ex Benth. |
|
Hydrophyllum capitatum Douglas ex Benth., is a species of waterleaf known by the common name Ballhead Waterleaf. It is a member of the Hydrophyllaceae family, which is also home to the Whispering Bells (Emmenanthe), Baby Blue Eyes (Nemophila), and Scorpionweed (Phacelia). It is native to Western North America from British Columbia to Utah.
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Hydrophyllum capitatum naturally occurs in the western region of the United States (California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming) as well as Alberta and British Columbia in Canada.[1]
Hydrophyllum capitatum grows in extremely moist and shady environments in fine or medium textured soil. This plant tends to grow in open woodlands and slopes. It is salinity intolerant and lives in an environment that ranges in pH from 6.4 to 7.8. The Ballhead Waterleaf is a perennial plant adapted to a precipitation zone that ranges from 16 to 30m/yr and a temperature of -28 Fahrenheit and higher.[1]
Individuals of this species are , 10-40cm tall, hairy, erect herbs with solitary or few stems that are attached to 10 inch deep fibrous roots. The leaves are green and alternately arranged into 7 to 11 pinnately divided entire leaflets. The blades of the leaves are about 10cm wide and 15cm long.[2] The flowers are sub dichotomously branched and lay closer to the ground below the leaves.[3] However, a Dwarf form of this plant occurs in northern Oregon and Southern Washington where the flower heads are on long stalks above the leaves.[4]
Flowers of Hydrophyllum capitatum, has whitish to purplish blue-coiled 5 to 9cm bell-shaped corollas. Each flower also has 5 hairy calyx lobes. There are 5 long stamens per flower with anthers .6 to 1.3mm long. The flowers bloom from March to July and obtain their purple color during this season.[4] The fruit of the Ballhead Waterleaf are capsules with 1 to 3 seeds each.[2]
The Indians and settlers cooked the leaves and the roots of plants belonging to the genus Hydrophyllum, which includes the Ballhead Waterleaf, for greens.[4] The occurrence of this in the Northeaster region of the United States provides a plausible explanation for why the plant only occurs in the Western region today.