Coptis trifolia (Goldthread)

FloraFinder uses cookies only for correct operation. More info. Okay

Coptis trifolia (L.) Salisb.

Goldthread, threeleaf goldthread, canker-root, tisavoyanne

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Magnoliidae	Includes magnolias, nutmeg, bay laurel, cinnamon, avocado, black pepper, and many others
Order	Ranunculales	Basal (evolved earlier) eudicots, also called “true dicots”
Family	Ranunculaceae	Buttercup family
Genus	Coptis	From the Greek kopto, “to cut,” in reference to the deeply-incised leaves
Species	trifolia

About plant names...

Threeleaf goldthread is native to eastern Eurasia, Greenland, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Canada, and the United States. It prefers cool, moist habitats in pine and spruce forests.

Plants: These plants hug the forest floor, at 3-6" (7.6-15 cm) in height. The roots of these plants are long and golden yellow, hence the “goldthread” part of the name.

Leaves: Each plant is comprised of a single glossy evergreen leaf, though it is so deeply lobed that it looks like three distinct leaves, hence the “threeleaf” part of the name. The three leaves together form a rough rounded triangle. Leaf tips are scalloped. The leaf emerges on a very short stem.

Flowers: Each plant produces a single, rather beautiful flower atop a long, thin stem. It is ¼-½" (8.3-12 mm) in diameter. The things that look like five to seven white petals are actually sepals. Inside the sepals, not looking the least bit like petals, are 4 to 7 tiny yellow petals, shaped like diminutive spoons, with a drop of nectar in each spoon. There are many white-tipped threadlike stamens. Flowers appear in May, and are easy to miss, since they don’t persist for very long.

Fruits: A small array of 4-7 pods, each ¼" (8.5 mm) long, reminiscent of a candelabra.

Medical: Indigenous peoples and colonists chewed the bitter yellow roots of these plants to relieve canker sores, hence the common name canker-root. The Physician’s Desk Reference for Herbal Medicines lists treatment of digestive disorders among its unproven uses.

Online References:

Minnesota Wildflowers

Www.wildadirondacks.org

Wikipedia

The USDA Forest Service's Fire Effects Information Database

Www.henriettes-herb.com

Ontario Wildflowers

References:

Multiple Authors, PDR for Herbal Medicines, Thomson Healthcare Inc., 2007, p. 400