- Dicentra eximia
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Dicentra eximia 
Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Ranunculales Family: Fumariaceae Genus: Dicentra Species: D. eximia Binomial name Dicentra eximia Dicentra eximia (Wild or Fringed Bleeding-heart, Turkey-corn) is a herbaceous perennial growing from rhizomes, native to rocky woodland and bases of cliffs in the Appalachians from Pennsylvania south.
Contents
Description
Leaves are finely divided and gray-green, growing from the base of the plant.
Flowers are pink and bloom in tight clusters at the top of leafless, fleshy stems above the leaves from mid-spring to autumn. The four petals are connected at the base. The two outer petals are pouched at the base and bent back at the tips. The inner petals are perpendicular to the outer petals and connected at the tip. The pistil is enclosed within the inner petals, and the two stamens are on either side. There are two tiny, triangular, pink sepals above the petals.
Seeds are borne in a plump, pointed pod. They ripen to black while the pod is still green. Each has a white elaiosome prized by ants.
Similar species
Pacific bleeding-heart (Dicentra formosa) is frequently confused with and sold as Dicentra eximia. It has wider, more rounded flowers with shorter wings on the outer petals (see the photo below).
Cultivars
There are several cultivars of Dicentra eximia. Some are hybrids with Dicentra peregrina and Dicentra formosa.
- Dicentra eximia
- Dicentra eximia 'Alba' — white flowers
- Dicentra eximia 'Snowdrift' — larger white flowers
- Hybrids
- Dicentra 'Bountiful' — Dicentra formosa subsp. oregana × Dicentra eximia — rosy red flowers
- Dicentra 'King of Hearts' — Dicentra peregrina × (Dicentra formosa subsp. oregana × Dicentra eximia) — pink flowers, very finely cut leaves
- Dicentra 'Luxuriant' — Dicentra eximia × Dicentra peregrina — cherry-red flowers
- Dicentra 'Silversmith — Dicentra formosa subsp. oregana × Dicentra eximia — white, pink-flushed flowers
- Dicentra 'Stuart Boothman' — probably Dicentra formosa subsp. oregana × Dicentra eximia — deep pink flowers
Gallery
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Dicentra formosa vs. Dicentra eximia
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structure of flower
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pod and ripe seeds with white elaiosomes
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Dicentra eximia growing amongst Tuscarora sandstone fragments in Dolly Sods Wilderness, West Virginia.
References
- Bleeding hearts, Corydalis, and their relatives. Mark Tebbitt, Magnus Lidén, and Henrik Zetterlund. Timber Press. 2008. — Google Books
External links
- USDA Plants Profile
- Flora of North America
- Native Plant Identification Network
- PlantFiles
- PlantFinder — Kemper Center for Home Gardening, Missouri Botanical Garden
- Paghat's Garden
Categories:- Dicentra
- Fumariaceae
- Flora of Appalachia (United States)
- Flora of the Northeastern United States
- Flora of the Southeastern United States
- Flora of Maryland
- Wildflowers of the Great Smoky Mountains
- Ephemeral plants
- Garden plants of North America
- Groundcovers
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