Tiarella cordifolia

Heartleaf foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Core eudicots
Order: Saxifragales
Family: Saxifragaceae
Genus: Tiarella
Species: T. cordifolia
Binomial name
Tiarella cordifolia
L.
Subspecies

T. c. var. austrina
T. c. var. collina
T. c. var. cordifolia

Synonyms

Tiarella wherryi Lakela

Tiarella cordifolia, the heartleaf foamflower,[1] heartleaved foamflower, Allegheny foamflower, false miterwort, or coolwort, is a species of herbaceous perennial flowering plant native to North America.

Description

Tiarella cordifolia has a scaly horizontal rhizome and seasonal runners. The leaves are 5–10 cm (2–4 in)long, basal, long stalked, hairy, with 3-7 shallow lobes, and heart-shaped at the base. They are dark green usually mottled with brown, rough-hairy above and downy beneath. They have long flowering stems that can grow as tall as 30 cm (12 in). The flowers are white, small and feathery and form a long terminal cluster on a leafless stalk. The inflorescences are 15–30 cm (6–12 in) tall, with the flowers borne in close, erect racemes. The flowers have 5 petals (entire) and 10 stamens (long and slender), giving the flower cluster a fuzzy appearance. The two unequal seed capsules split along their inside seams, releasing several pitted seeds.

This tiarella spreads well by rhizomes, unlike other cultivated tiarellas, but lacks the invasive tendencies of many more-commonly employed groundcovers.

The flowers are visited by small bees, syrphus flies, and butterflies that may affect pollination.

This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[2]

Origin of name

Tiarella meaning a little tiara, is a diminutive of the Greek word tiara meaning turban. The genus name refers to the unequal seedpods. Cordifolia, heart-shaped refers to the shape of the leaves.

Uses

It is listed in herbology as a tonic and a diuretic. It has been used for kidney problems, liver problems, and congestion of the lungs.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tiarella cordifolia.
  1. "Tiarella cordifolia". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  2. "RHS Plant Selector Tiarella cordifolia AGM / RHS Gardening". Apps.rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 2012-10-16.

External links


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Thursday, December 10, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.