circinatum – rounded or circular, from circinat meaning ‘circles,’ referring to general outline of leaf shape

Native range: W. North America

Leaves:

• opposite
• simple
• palmately lobed (7-9 lobes)
• shallow lobes
• v-shaped sinuses (spaces between lobes)
• cordate base
• doubly serrate

Flowers:

• inflorescence – cluster with central stem (corymb = outermost flowers are borne on longer pedicels than the inner) w/ 6–20 flowers
• 5 sepals, deep pink to red
• 5 white petals
• 2 stamens
• 2 styles

Fruit:

• schizocarp (paired fruit or double samara)
• red when young
• angle almost 180º (two connect samara form near-straight light)
• no hairs

Other characteristics:

• shrub/ small tree to 30 ft
• slender branches
• red and white flowers among the showiest in genus

Relevant info:

• David Douglas (1799–1834), the Scottish botanist that explored the PNW, wrote that it “is called by the voyageurs Bois de diable (‘wood or tree of the devil’) from the obstruction it gives them in passing through the woods.”

Ecology & Adaptations:

• native in Alaska to California
• occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington, usually at low elevations below 3,000 feet (914 m)
• found in moist woods from sea level to mid-elevations in the mountains
• moist to wet places, generally under other trees where some light reaches the forest floor (canopy openings, forest edges) but sometimes in open areas like shrubfields, clearcuts or lava flows
• pollination – flowers produce nectar that attracts bees and butterflies
• seed dispersal:
  • wings enable dispersal by wind, though dissemination in mature forests is restricted
  • squirrels and chipmunks aid dispersal by eating seeds, frequently storing them in caches after removing the hull and wing
• vegetative regeneration:
  • sprouts regrow rapidly from established root systems
  • as plants mature some stems become too long and massive to remain erect and thus lie prostrate and root where the stem touches the ground
  • plants shaded by a coniferous over-story commonly have prostrate stems that root where a stem touches the ground
  • sprouts may also arise from shallow lateral roots that have become exposed to light
• shade tolerance:
  • reproduces primarily by layering when under conifer canopy
  • responds positively to light gaps following disturbance in forest
• well-adapted to fire:
  • re-sprouts from root crown when top-killed by fire
  • may therefore appear as part of early seral community following fire
• wildlife:
  • forage for black-tailed deer
  • habitat for mountain beaver
  • seeds, buds, and flowers of provide food for birds and small mammals
  • squirrels and chipmunks eat seeds, frequently storing them in caches
  • birds use the leaves and seed stalks for nest building