Bowman's Root

(Porteranthus trifoliatus)

Bowman's Root (Porteranthus trifoliatus [L.] Britt.)

Identification: Flowers white with 5 narrow, floppy petals. Center of flower narrow and indented. Flowers arranged in branched clusters of a few flowers each. Leaves compound with 3 leaflets, each leaflet with toothed outer margins. Leaf nearly sessile to the stem and with a pair of small, thin, pointed bracts at its base. Plant 2 to 3 feet in height.

Distribution: Michigan in the west to Ontario and New York in the east, southward to Georgia and Arkansas.

Habitat: Bowman's Root is found in rich woods.

Flowering period: May to July.

Similar Species: American Ipecac is a similar species. The sepals at the base of the compound leaf, however, are large, ovate, and dentate, appearing almost as an extra pair of leaflets, but clearly enclosing the leaf petiole.