Two Species of Dicentra on Williams River

I did notice a difference between these two Dicentras, but I assumed they were all dutchman's britches, perhaps at different stages of development. Last spring I happened to pay more attention to my field guide, and discovered the existence of squirrel corn. Both these photos are from the headwaters of the Williams River, in the Monongahela National forest, taken the same day, about a year ago. They're blooming again there this year, but the light hasn't been great for photographs.

Dicentra canadensis, Squirrel Corn

• NC State University
• USDA Plants Profile
• USDA GRIN Taxonomy for Plants page
• Connecticut Botanical Society
• Entry in "The American Materia Medica, Therapeutics and Pharmacognosy" by Finley Ellingwood, M.D., 1919. Herbal uses of squirrel corn (I wouldn't try these--the plants are pretty toxic to mammals.)

Dicentra cucullaria, Dutchman's Britches

• Photographs and descriptions of the flowering and non-flowering plants of Missouri, USA
• USDA Plants Profile
• NC State University
• BioImages from Vanderbilt University
• University of Illinois Veterinary Medicine Library

  Eating the leaves and roots produce poisoning similar to that of bleeding heart, a common garden plant. The most common symptom of poisoning by Dutchman's breeches and squirrelcorn is a staggering gait, which gives the common name staggerweed to both plants. After eating these plants, cows give less milk. Experimental feeding of these plants to steers caused sudden trembling which increased in severity, frothing of the mouth, ejection of partially digested stomach contents, and convulsions. The eyes became glassy, and the animals went down and moaned as if in pain. Death from Dutchman's breeches poisoning is rare, particularly if animals are kept away from the plant after the first symptoms appear.