Aralia californica S.Watson

  • Authority

    Wen, Jun. 2011. Systematics and biogeography of L. (Araliaceae): Revision of Sects. , , , and . Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 57: 1-172.

  • Family

    Araliaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Aralia californica S.Watson

  • Description

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    Description - Robust spreading perennial herb, shrub-like, 1.5-3.5 m tall, 1-3 m in spread, andromonoecious. Stem pilose, green to light purplish green, with 3-5 leaves; rhizomes thick and horizontal, bearing purple buds. Leaves 40-150 cm long, 35-160 cm wide, ternately compound, spreading, lower leaves tripinnate, uppermost ones pinnate; stipules 1.2-7.0 cm long, 1-7.0 cm wide, leafy on lower leaves, triangular to irregularly ovate on upper leaves; petioles (8) 15-35 cm long, sparsely pilose, green to purplish green; leaflets 8-45 cm. long, 4.5-22 cm wide, papery, ovate, narrowly ovate to broadly so, acuminate to acute at apex, subcordate, cordate to rounded at base, commonly oblique on lateral leaflets, serrate to doubly serrate at margin; lateral veins 9-12 on each side, conspicuous on both surfaces, green above and light green below, slightly pilose along the veins on both surfaces, petiolules 0.2-4, mostly 0.5-1.5 cm long, slightly pilose and thick. Inflorescence terminal and axillary, pilose, green, sometimes purple, axillary inflorescences 20-30 cm long, terminal inflorescence 30-75 cm long, 10-25 cm wide, consisting of numerous umbels, twice or thrice branched, primary branches many, racemosely arranged on a main axis, often 3-8 forming a circle on the main axis, each primary branch 5-10 cm long, consisting of 3-10 umbels, with a few lateral umbels bearing no fruits (functionally male umbels); terminal umbels 30-75-flowered, pedicels 12-20 mm long, pubescent; lateral umbels 20-30-flowered, pedicels 6-12 mm long; bracts of primary branches linear to lanceolate or often leaf-like, pilose, the upper ones 10-20 (30) mm long, 1-2 mm wide, the lower ones transitioning into a bipinnately ternate leaf or a pinnate leaf subtending the inflorescence branch; bracteoles linear, nearly glabrous and ciliate at margin, 2-2.5 mm long. Flowers cream white; calyx of 5 teeth, sepals 0.5-0.6 mm long and wide, triangular, persistent on fruits, with a conspicuous vascular bundle in the middle; petals 2-2.3 mm long, 1.1-1.3 mm wide, narrowly triangular to narrowly ovate, greenish white to white, with a conspicuous vascular bundle in the middle; stamens 5, recurved in buds, filaments 2.3-2.6 mm long; ovaries 5-locular, hypanthium with 10 conspicuous vascular bundles. Fruits 6-7 mm long, 5-6 mm wide, globose, dark purple to blackish, persistent styles 2.2-2.6 mm long, divided to the middle or only connate at the base.

    Uses - Roots used as a tonic or for curing menstrual disorders.

    Phenology - Flowering in June to July; fruiting in August to September.

  • Common Names

    spikenard, California spikenard, Californian spikenard, California ginseng, elk clover, western aralia, western spikenard