Dicentra

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Dicentra
Western Bleeding Heart (Dicentra formosa)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Ranunculales
Family: Fumariaceae
Genus: Dicentra
Bernh.
Species

See text.

Dicentra is a genus of 8 species of herbaceous flowering plants in the family Fumariaceae, native to Asia (one species) and North America. The common name, bleeding heart, is used for many of the species. This name comes from the appearance of the pink flower, which resembles the shape of a heart symbol ♥ with a drop of blood descending. All parts of this plant are poisonous if ingested.

The genus is easily distinguished from other genera with bisymmetric heart-shaped flowers, because the stem lacks leaves and all leaves are in a basal rosette.

[edit] Species


The following 4 genera have previously occasionally been included in "Dicentra"

Dactylicapnos Wall. (herbaceous climbers with yellow flowers, Himalaya to SW China) with 13 species

Lamprocapnos Endlicher (leafy herb with large pink flowers in horisontal racemes, NE China, Korea) with a single species

Ehrendorferia Lidén (erect robust leafy herbs with yellow or cream erect flowers, Western N America) with 2 species

Ichthyoselmis Lidén (Large leafy herb with serrate leaflets and large drooping cream flowers, China, Burma) with a single species


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