dwarf ginseng

not listed

N4N5 - Apparently Secure to Secure

SNR - Unranked

not listed

Dwarf ginseng is a small woodland spring wildflower. It occurs in the United States from Maine to Minnesota, south to New Jersey and Illinois, in adjacent Canadian provinces, and in the Appalachian region south to to Georgia. It is uncommon in east-central Minnesota, absent from the remainder of the state. It grows in shade or partial shade, in moist, well-drained soil, in rich deciduous woodlands and bottomland forests.

Dwarf ginseng is an erect, perennial forb that rises on a single stem from an underground, globe-shaped, thickened root (tuber). It can be 4″ to 12″ but is usually no more than 8″ in height.

The stem is green to red, hairless, and unbranched.

There is a single whorl of three leaves. They are on ¾″ to 2″ long leaf stalks, and are held more or less parallel to the ground. They are divided into 3 to 5 leaflets that radiate from a single point (palmate). The species epithet trifolius means “three leaves”, and this refers to the compound leaves, not the leaflets. The larger leaves usually have 5 leaflets.

The leaflets are stalkless or nearly stalkless, lance-shaped to elliptic or inversely egg-shaped, and 19 ⁄16″ to 3⅛″ (4 to 8 cm) long. The middle leaflet is the largest. When there are 5 leaflets, the lower lateral leaflets are the smallest. The leaflet blades are tapered at the base, widest beyond the middle, and usually broadly pointed at the tip. The upper surface is hairless. The margins are finely toothed.

The inflorescence is a single rounded, ½″ to ¾″ in diameter, umbrella-shaped cluster (umbel) of flowers rising on a ¾″ to 3⅛″ (2 to 8 cm) long stalk (peduncle) above the whorl of leaves. The umbel has either all male flowers or all flowers with both male and female parts (perfect flowers). The stalks of each individual flower are white.

Each flower is about ⅛″ wide. There are 5 sepals, 5 petals, and 5 stamens. The sepals are white and are fused into a short tube (calyx). The calyx may have 5 minute teeth or appear toothless. The petals are oblong elliptic and widely spreading or somewhat bent backwards. They are white when fresh and turning pale pink as they age. The stamens have white stalks (filaments) and white anthers. They extend well above the petals. Perfect flowers have 3 long fertile styles that are separated, not fused, for their entire length. Male flowers have 1 short style that is not functional.

The fruit is 3 ⁄16″ (5 mm) thick, yellow, berry-like, and fleshy (drupe) with 2 or 3 stones.

4″ to 12″

White to pale pink

Moist. Rich deciduous woodlands, bottomland forests. Shade or partial shade. Well-drained soil.

May to June

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 28, 29, 30.

Native

Uncommon

Plant

Inflorescence

Flowers

Leaf