Aralia hispida Vent. Bristly sarsaparilla
Bristly sarsaparilla is native to eastern North America. The species name, hispida, means “rough,” referring to the bristles on the lower stems. Identification: This unpleasant-smelling perennial is 6-30" (15-76 cm) in height, upright, except when it is bowed under the weight of its copious berries. The lower stems have bristles. Leaves are twice pinnately divided. (Pinnate means “with many opposing pairs of leaves,” like the veins of a feather. Bipinnate means “pairs of smaller pairs.” Twice pinnately divided means “a pair of pinnate branches.” You can see this clearly in Photo 24.) Leaves are clustered on the lower portions of the plants. They are serrated (sharp toothed), oblong to elliptic, up to 3" (8.3 cm) long. The flowers form umbels, clusters that are almost perfectly round. Each individual flower is on a tiny ½" (1.3 cm) stem that emerges from a central point, forming delicate spheres of cream-colored or greenish flowers perched atop long stems. Each flower is about ¼" (6.3 mm) in size, with five petals. They appear in June through September. The flowers become distinctive blue-black berry clusters. Bristly sarsaparilla grows in rocky or sandy soils that are low in nutrients. Wild sarsaparilla is sometimes confused with “real” sarsaparilla, even though the plants bear no resemblance to each other and do not overlap in range. Here are some other possible sources of confusion:
Edibility: Not edible. The berries will make you sick. Online References:
Aralia hispida at Minnesota Wildflowers Aralia hispida on Earl J.S. Rook's Flora, Fauna, Earth, and Sky ... The Natural History of the Northwoods Aralia hispida on Plants for a Future, a resource and information centre for edible and otherwise useful plants Aralia hispida on nswildflora.ca Aralia hispida at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Aralia hispida on CalPhotos References:
Clemants, Steven; Gracie, Carol, Wildflowers in the Field and Forest, Oxford University Press, 2006, p. 316 1 · 8/16/2014 · White Mountains, New Hampshire 2 · 8/10/2013 · Stone Arch Bridge Trail, Near Flat Rock Hill, Dunstable, Massachusetts 3 · 8/17/2020 · Otter Brook Preserve, Harpswell, Maine 4 · 8/17/2020 · Otter Brook Preserve, Harpswell, Maine 5 · 8/10/2013 · Stone Arch Bridge Trail, Near Flat Rock Hill, Dunstable, Massachusetts 6 · 9/8/2017 · Bates Land and Blackman Land, Groton Conservation Trust, Groton, Massachusetts 7 · 8/10/2013 · Stone Arch Bridge Trail, Near Flat Rock Hill, Dunstable, Massachusetts 8 · 7/5/2021 · Curtis Farm Preserve, Harpswell, Maine 9 · 9/8/2017 · Bates Land and Blackman Land, Groton Conservation Trust, Groton, Massachusetts 10 · 6/22/2021 · Tarbox Preserve, Topsham, Maine 11 · 6/26/2014 · J. Harry Rich State Forest, Groton, Massachusetts
Aralia hispida description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 11 Oct 2021. © FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved. |
12 · 6/26/2014 · J. Harry Rich State Forest, Groton, Massachusetts 13 · 6/22/2021 · Tarbox Preserve, Topsham, Maine 14 · 8/16/2014 · White Mountains, New Hampshire 15 · 6/26/2014 · J. Harry Rich State Forest, Groton, Massachusetts 16 · 8/17/2020 · Otter Brook Preserve, Harpswell, Maine 17 · 7/5/2021 · Curtis Farm Preserve, Harpswell, Maine 18 · 7/31/2021 · Otter Brook Preserve, Harpswell, Maine 19 · 6/26/2014 · J. Harry Rich State Forest, Groton, Massachusetts 20 · 7/5/2021 · Curtis Farm Preserve, Harpswell, Maine 21 · 8/10/2013 · Stone Arch Bridge Trail, Near Flat Rock Hill, Dunstable, Massachusetts 22 · 8/10/2013 · Stone Arch Bridge Trail, Near Flat Rock Hill, Dunstable, Massachusetts 23 · 8/10/2013 · Stone Arch Bridge Trail, Near Flat Rock Hill, Dunstable, Massachusetts 24 · 8/10/2013 · Stone Arch Bridge Trail, Near Flat Rock Hill, Dunstable, Massachusetts 25 · 8/16/2014 · White Mountains, New Hampshire 26 · 8/10/2013 · Stone Arch Bridge Trail, Near Flat Rock Hill, Dunstable, Massachusetts 27 · 8/10/2013 · Stone Arch Bridge Trail, Near Flat Rock Hill, Dunstable, Massachusetts Range:
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