Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska south along the coast to Washington.
Habitat: Moist woods and bogs at low elevations.
Flowers: April-May
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Conservation Status: Sensitive in Washington (WANHP)
Low, scapose perennials from slender, yellowish rhizomes, the scapes 5-25 cm. tall, exceeding the leaves.
Leaves all basal, fern-like, leathery, evergreen, the blades primarily ternate, the main lateral leaflets pinnately compound to deeply pinnatifid, the terminal leaflet pinnate-pinnatifid, the ultimate segments deeply incised and sharply serrulate.
Scapes 2- to 3-flowered; sepals 5-8, whitish, petal-like, deciduous, filiform-lanceolate, 6-10 mm. long; petals 5-7, shorter than the sepals, linear above the broadened, gland-bearing base; stamens 15-25; pistils 5-10.
Follicles 7-9 mm. long, on a stipe nearly as long.
Publication: Trans. Linn. Soc. London, Bot. 8:306. 1807.
PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Coptis aspleniifolia in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database.
WA Flora Checklist: Coptis aspleniifolia checklist entry.
OregonFlora: Coptis aspleniifolia information.
E-Flora BC: Coptis aspleniifolia atlas page.
CalPhotos: Coptis aspleniifolia photos.
USDA Plants: Coptis aspleniifolia information.
