Cymopterus acaulis - photos and description

Saskatchewan's Wildflowers

Low growing plant with umbels of white flowers on short stems. Stem leaves alternate. Umbels measured to 25 mm in diameter. Flowering begins late April and early May. Leaves are basal, 2 or 3 times pinnate, on decumbent to prostrate stems. Leaf measured at 7cm long (including petiole). Petioles concave in profile. Stems and petioles often reddish near their base. Plant glabrous.

Habitat is dry prairie and hillsides. Fairly common, very early flowering.

To identify Cymopterus from other genera in the Umbelliferae family found in Saskatchewan, the Taxonomic Reminder for Identifying Saskatchewan Plants lists the plant is glabrous, has leafless flowering stems, and has white flowers.

Budd's Flora states the short stems rarely exceeds 5 cm in height, we measured flower stems growing to 5 cm tall.

Photos taken April 29th and May 7th, dry prairie on the edge of the Souris River Valley, 200 km south east of our home in Regina, SK, and May 2nd on clay flats at Claybank, SK, 80 km south west of our home in Regina, SK.

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