Hunting for a rare and beautiful plant
Bloodroot flowers
— Photo by Erutuon
A carpet of bloodroot leaves
— Photo by Myric
Excerpted from an ecoRI News article, not including pictures above
CUMBERLAND, R.I. — The hunt was scheduled to begin about the time a banker starts work. It was delayed, however, by an interrogation. Information was required from the participants. They were told they were being recorded. They responded by speaking in Latin.
The University of Rhode Island and Brown University students were armed only with outdated information, some of it going back to the 1920s. Their supervisor was also gunless. Their interrogator carried a digital camera.
The hunt covered 3 miles and took 4 hours. Typically, it’s not easy to find rare plants. This hunt proved different, at least at the beginning.
Sanguinaria canadensis (bloodroot) is a spring ephemeral native to Rhode Island’s rich, moist, deciduous woodlands. Blooming in early spring, it is highly prized for its brilliant white petals and golden center. It’s listed as a species of special concern in Rhode Island. It’s rare to find it in the wild.