Aralia nudicaulis

This native perennial wildflower is about 1½' tall and 2' across. A single compound leaf and the inflorescence develop from a short stalk that is less than 1" long. The slender petiole of this leaf is about 1–1¼' long and erect; it is light green to dark red and glabrous. The blade of the compound leaf is divided into 3 segments; each of these segments is pinnately compound, consisting of 3-7 leaflets. The leaflets are up to 5" long and 2" across; they are ovate to obovate, medium green, hairless, and finely serrated along their margins. The inflorescence consists of a branching stalk of several umbels (usually 3); this inflorescence is about ¾' tall and hidden from above by the leaflets. Each globoid umbel spans about 1½–2" across, consisting of about 40 small flowers and their pedicels. The pedicels are pale green and glabrous or pubescent. Each greenish white flower is about 1/8" across (or a little more), consisting of 5 petals, 5 stamens, a pistil with 5 styles, and insignificant sepals. When the flower opens, the petals become strongly recurved. The strongly exerted stamens have white filaments and white anthers. The styles are very short and appressed together in the center of the flower. The ovoid-oblongoid ovary is shiny green.

At one time, the roots of Wild Sarsaparilla were used as a substitute for genuine Sarsaparilla to flavor root beer, hence the common name of this woodland wildflower. Wild Sarsaparilla is related to the better known Panax quinquefolius (American Ginseng). This latter species differs from Wild Sarsaparilla by its palmate leaflets and red berries. Other Aralia spp. in Illinois are, in most cases, woody shrubs or trees. An exception is Aralia racemosa (American Spikenard), which is a much larger plant with more leaflets (9-21) per leaf segment.

Acaulescent perennial herb, 0.35-0.7 m tall, highly clonal, dioecious. Rhizome long, branched and horizontal; upright stem 3-10 cm long, depending upon the age of the individual. Leaves 30-60 cm long and wide, ternately compound, usually single or occasionally two arising from the tip of the upright stem (rhizome in essence), purplish at nodes; stipules absent; petiole 10-45 cm long; leaves usually with 3 (-4) primary segments, each segment with 4-7 leaflets when leaves are bipinnately ternate, sometimes leaves tripinnately ternate; leaflets 6-13 cm long, 4-7.5 cm wide, papery, ovate to oblong, acute to acuminate at apex, acute to broadly so at base, commonly oblique on lateral leaflets, doubly serrate at margin; lateral veins 8-9 on each side, conspicuous on both surfaces, leaflets green, glabrous to nearly glabrescent on upper surface, glabrous to slightly pilose on lower surface, petiolule 0-1.8 cm long, pilose with long hairs when young, becoming glabrescent to nearly so. Inflorescence acaulescent, glabrous, appearing at the same time as the young leaves, purplish initially, then becoming green, usually with 3 or variously 2-7 umbels at the apex of a long stalk, occasionally the peduncle of 1-2 umbels shortened drastically with the flowers clustering at the base of the peduncle of the well-developed umbel; inflorescence stalk 15-30 cm long, glabrous, peduncle of the umbels 2.5-9 cm long, glabrous; each umbel 25-100-flowered, male umbels usually having more flowers per umbel; pedicels 9-18 mm long, slightly pilose with long hairs to glabrous, tip slightly enlarged at anthesis; bracts at the base of the inflorescence stalk 7-25 mm long, 7-11 mm wide, usually 3-5 embracing the tip of the stem to protect the buds, ovate to oblong, glabrous; bracts at the base of the peduncle 3-5 mm long, 0.8-1 mm wide, lanceolate, glabrous; bracteoles 0.4-0.8 mm long, 0.25-0.4 mm wide, narrowly triangular, glabrous and caducous. Sepals 0.5-0.6 mm long and wide, triangular, glabrous, persistent on fruits. Petals 2.2-2.8 mm long, 1.1-1.2 mm wide, ovate, white to purplish white, with a conspicuous vascular bundle in the middle, spreading to recurved at anthesis. Stamens 5, erect at anthesis, filaments 2.5-3.5 mm long; anthers 1-1.2 mm long, 0.7-0.8 mm wide, oblong, whitish yellow. Ovary 5- or occasionally 6-locular; styles 1.2-1.3 mm long at anthesis, completely distinct to the base, base not projected. Fruits 6-8 mm long, 5-7 mm wide, globose, purplish black, persistent styles 3-3.5 mm long, completely distinct to the base. Seeds 4.5-5.5 mm long, 2.5-3 mm wide, 0.9-1.1 mm thick, kidney shaped, whitish gray, smooth.

Wild sarsaparilla is distributed from Newfoundland south to North
Carolina and west through the Great Plains [39,48,110,116,120]. Its
range continues in Canada to British Columbia and in the United States
through the Intermountain West to northeastern Washington [34,54,57].

Wild Sarsaparilla is occasional in northern Illinois, uncommon in west-central Illinois, and absent from the rest of the state (see Distribution Map). Habitats include rich woodlands, rocky woodlands, sandy woodlands, swamps, and forested bogs. This species adapts to a variety of wooded habitats.

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This species can be found in the following regions of the western United States (according to the Bureau of Land Management classification of Physiographic Regions of the western United States):

8 Northern Rocky Mountains
9 Middle Rocky Mountains
11 Southern Rocky Mountains
13 Rocky Mountain Piedmont
14 Great Plains
15 Black Hills Uplift
16 Upper Missouri Basin and Broken Lands

AR CO CT GA ID IL IN IA KY ME
MD MA MI MN MO MT NE NH NJ NY
NC OH PA RI SD TN VT VA WA WV
WI WY AB BC MD NB NF NS ON PQ
SK

Aralia nudicaulis is widely distributed in North America from Newfoundland to northern Alberta and central British Columbia, southward to northern Georgia in the eatern range and Colorado and eastern Washington in the western range.

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: Throughout much of Canada, and in the U.S. from Maine south to the mountains of northern Georgia, and northwestwards to Washington (USDA-NRCS 1999). Ten extant locations are known from Missouri (Missouri Department of Conservation). It is reported from four counties in Kentucky (Kentucky Natural Heritage Program). It is found in all counties in Maine (Maine Natural Areas Program). In Indiana this species is found throughout the northern part of the state and in one location in the southeast (Indiana Natural Heritage Data Center). It is disjunct in Colorado and Nebraska, where it survives in limited mesic habitats as a Pleistocene relict (Weber and Wittmann 1996, Nebraska Natural Heritage Program). In Manitoba, it occurs northwards to near latitude 57 degrees 30 minutes (Manitoba Conservation Data Centre). A. nudicaulis is apparently restricted to North America.

Aralia nudicaulis L.:
Canada (North America)
United States (North America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

More info for the terms: dioecious, forb

Wild sarsaparilla is a native, dioecious, perennial forb [36,39]. It
has long rhizomes that are between 1.2 and 4.7 inches (3-12 cm) deep in
the mineral soil, with an average depth of 2.4 inches (6 cm) [42]. Wild
sarsaparilla is acaulescent; vegetative shoots may be up to 27.6 inches
(70 cm) tall with two to three compound leaves [34,36,54]. Reproductive
shoots are shorter with two to seven umbels [39]. There is an average
of five seeds per fruit [10,48].

More info for the terms: bog, fern

Wild sarsaparilla has a relatively wide ecological amplitude [112]. It
is common in moist or dry woodlands, thickets, riparian areas, and
prairie or bog edges [22,29,39,76,84,110]. It may occur on sand plains
or dunes, rocky ridges, and canyon sides [55,126].

Wild sarsaparilla is found in continental climates that are subhumid to
humid and may be influenced by maritime air masses [7,47,93,100,101].
Winters are long and cool to cold; summers are short and warm [4,9].
Moderate amounts of precipitation occur throughout its range, varying
from 16.1 to 65 inches (409-1,650 mm) [7,64].

Wild sarsaparilla is found on all aspects and slopes [24]. Textures of
the soils on which it occurs range from fine loamy clay to coarse loam
[4,42,67,70]. Soils are moderate to rich in nutrients [18,35,112].
Sites are poorly drained to well drained [35]. Wild sarsaparilla occurs
at low to mid-elevations (2,500 to 4,700 feet [760-1,433 m]) in Montana
and Idaho and up to 8,000 feet (2,438 m) in Colorado [24,53,81,102]. In
the northeastern United States, it is found at elevations ranging from
680 to 2,995 feet (198-913 m) [40].

Species commonly associated with wild sarsaparilla are broadleaf arnica
(Arnica latifolia), bigleaf aster (Aster macrophyllus), bunchberry
(Cornus canadensis), queencup beadlily (Clintonia uniflora), and Canada
mayflower (Maianthemum canadense) [53,61,99,101]. Often, oakfern
(Gymnocarpium dryopteris) and bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) are
found with wild sarsaparilla [9,24].

Wild sarsaparilla is a widespread, dominant understory species
throughout the boreal coniferous and mixed-wood forests [8,13,26,27,
67,77,88]. It is a major understory species of the chestnut oak
(Quercus prinus) type and sugar maple-beech (Acer saccharum-Fagus
grandiflora) and the bottomland cottonwood or cottonwood-birch
associations of the Great Plains [16,33,46,70,87,102]. Wild
sarsaparilla is an indicator species in several phases of western
redcedar (Thuja plicata), western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla), and
subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) habitat type series
[24,31,41,92,93,111].

Numerous classifications use wild sarsaparilla as a dominant or
indicator understory species, including the following:

(1) Classification of the forest vegetation of Wyoming [5]
(2) Field guide habitat classification system for Upper Peninsula of
Michigan and Northeast Wisconsin [21]
(3) Native woodland habitat types of southwestern North Dakota [45]
(4) Classification of quaking aspen stands in the Black Hills and Bear
Lodge Mountains [109]
(5) Classification and gradient analysis of forest vegetation of Cape
Enrage, Bic Park, Quebec [125].

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This species is known to occur in association with the following plant community types (as classified by Küchler 1964):

More info for the term: bog

K012 Douglas-fir forest
K013 Cedar - hemlock - pine forest
K014 Grand fir - Douglas-fir forest
K015 Western spruce - fir forest
K018 Pine - Douglas-fir forest
K093 Great Lakes spruce - fir forest
K094 Conifer bog
K095 Great Lakes pine forest
K096 Northeastern spruce - fir forest
K097 Southeastern spruce - fir forest
K098 Northern floodplain forest
K099 Maple - basswood forest
K100 Oak - hickory forest
K101 Elm - ash forest
K102 Beech - maple forest
K103 Mixed mesophytic forest
K104 Appalachian oak forest
K106 Northern hardwoods
K107 Northern hardwoods - fir forest
K108 Northern hardwoods - spruce forest
K111 Oak - hickory - pine forest

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This species is known to occur in the following ecosystem types (as named by the U.S. Forest Service in their Forest and Range Ecosystem [FRES] Type classification):

FRES10 White - red - jack pine
FRES11 Spruce - fir
FRES14 Oak - pine
FRES15 Oak - hickory
FRES17 Elm - ash - cottonwood
FRES18 Maple - beech - birch
FRES19 Aspen - birch
FRES20 Douglas-fir
FRES21 Ponderosa pine
FRES22 Western white pine
FRES23 Fir - spruce
FRES25 Larch

Wild Sarsaparilla is occasional in northern Illinois, uncommon in west-central Illinois, and absent from the rest of the state (see Distribution Map). Habitats include rich woodlands, rocky woodlands, sandy woodlands, swamps, and forested bogs. This species adapts to a variety of wooded habitats.

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This species is known to occur in association with the following cover types (as classified by the Society of American Foresters):

1 Jack pine
5 Balsam fir
12 Black spruce
13 Black spruce - tamarack
15 Red pine
16 Aspen
17 Pin cherry
18 Paper birch
20 White pine - northern red oak - red maple
21 Eastern white pine
22 White pine - hemlock
23 Eastern hemlock
24 Hemlock - yellow birch
25 Sugar maple - beech - yellow birch
26 Sugar maple - basswood
27 Sugar maple
28 Black cherry - maple
30 Red spruce - yellow birch
31 Red spruce - sugar maple - beech
32 Red spruce
33 Red spruce - balsam fir
34 Red spruce - Fraser fir
35 Paper birch - red spruce - balsam fir
37 Northern white-cedar
39 Black ash - American elm - red maple
42 Bur oak
44 Chestnut oak
46 Eastern redcedar
52 White oak - black oak - northern red oak
58 Yellow-poplar - eastern hemlock
60 Beech - sugar maple
107 White spruce
108 Red maple
110 Black oak
201 White spruce
202 White spruce - paper birch
203 Balsam poplar
204 Black spruce
206 Engelmann spruce - subalpine fir
210 Interior Douglas-fir
212 Western larch
213 Grand fir
215 Western white pine
217 Aspen
218 Lodgepole pine
227 Western redcedar - western hemlock
228 Western redcedar
236 Bur oak
237 Interior ponderosa pine
251 White spruce - aspen
252 Paper birch
253 Black spruce - white spruce
254 Black spruce - paper birch

Growing in moist or dry woods, thickets, riparian areas, margins of prairies, or bog edges; 50-2700 m.

Comments: A. nudicaulis occurs in woods, from moist to dry (Gleason and Cronquist 1963). In the Chicago area, Swink and Wilhelm (1994) describe it from habitats ranging from moist to dry and from quite acidic to quite alkaline, the only commonality of which being some level of tree cover. In Missouri it is known from dry to moist deciduous forests, coniferous forests, and mixed woods, and also in swamps, and on stabilized dunes (Michigan Natural Features Inventory). In Colorado it is found infrequently in cool ravines of the montane and eastern foothills (Weber and Wittmann 1996b).

Unfortunately, information is lacking about flower-visiting insects. The caterpillars of Papaipema araliae (Aralia Shoot Borer Moth) bore through the stems. The berries of Aralia spp. are eaten by some woodland songbirds, including the White-Throated Sparrow, Swainson's Thrush, and Wood Thrush. The berries of Aralia spp. are also eaten by some mammals, including the Red Fox, Eastern Skunk, and Eastern Chipmunk.

Aralia nudicaulis (Wild Sarsaparilla)
(all observations are from Barrett & Helenurm; insect activity is unspecified; bees and possibly beetles are the dominant pollinators)

Bees (long-tongued)
Apidae (Bombini): Bombus perplexus, Bombus terricola, Bombus vagans fq

Bees (short-tongued)
Halictidae (Halictinae): Halictus rubicunda, Lasioglossum sp., Lasioglossum cressonii, Lasioglossum imitatus, Lasioglossum quebecensis; Andrenidae (Andreninae): Andrena wheeleri, Andrena w-scripta

Flies
Syrphidae: Cheilosia tristis, Mallota posticata

Beetles
Brachypteridae: Kateretes pennatus; Cerambycidae: Tachysida aspera brevifrons; Staphylinidae: Eusphalerum spp. fq, Eusphalerum convexum fq, Eusphalerum pothos

Note: For many non-migratory species, occurrences are roughly equivalent to populations.

Estimated Number of Occurrences: 81 to >300

Comments: Many thousands of populations are extant rangewide. Many thousands of populations are reported from Ontario, where this species is very common (Ontario Natural Heritage Information Centre) and from New York (New York Natural Heritage Program. Many more than 100 populations are reported from Manitoba (Manitoba Conservation Data Centre). It is reportedly "very common" in Maine (Maine Natural Areas Program). It is widespread in Michigan (Michigan Natural Features Inventory). Approximately 500 populations of this species are known from British Columbia (British Columbia Conservation Data Centre). Ten extant populations are reported from Missouri (Missouri Department of Conservation). At least 15 extant occurrences are reported from Wyoming, most of which are in the Black Hills and the northern Laramie Range (Wyoming Natural Diversity Database). Approximately 30 occurrences of this species are known from Nebraska (Nebraska Natural Heritage Program). Specific numbers of populations are not available in many states and provinces where it is particularly abundant, such as Illinois (Illinois Natural Heritage Database Program), Idaho (Idaho Conservation Data Center), and Indiana (Indiana Natural Heritage Data Center). The plant is not rare in New Hampshire (New Hampshire Natural Heritage Inventory).

More info for the terms: fuel, fuel moisture

Summer moisture content of wild sarsaparilla averaged 253 percent in
northeastern Minnesota. These data were used to assess flammability and
test the herbaceous fuel moisture algorithm of the National Fire Danger
Rating System [83]. Wild sarsaparilla does not contribute much volume
to fine fuels since it decomposes relatively rapidly; leaf organic
matter had decreased by 37.4 percent after 4 months [89]. Ground
vegetation that included wild sarsaparilla was used to develop
regression equations for predicting changes in forest floor moisture
[20].

More info for the term: prescribed fire

The Research Project Summary Understory recovery after burning and
reburning quaking aspen stands in central Alberta provides information
on prescribed fire and postfire response of plant community species
including wild sarsaparilla.

More info for the terms: cover, density, fire intensity, frequency, surface fire, wildfire

Wild sarsaparilla has been classified as a decreaser. It initially
decreases in frequency and biomass following fire [72,113]. The amount
of decrease does not depend on the type of fire (headfire or backfire)
but does depend on fire intensity and time of burning [113]. Wild
sarsaparilla generally decreases in frequency by about 50 percent 1 year
following fire. Within 4 years, wild sarsaparilla can recover, with an
increase in frequency ranging from 50 to 90 percent of preburn levels
[1,97]. Two years after fire in northern Ontario, there was a
three-fold increase in frequency of wild sarsaparilla [119]. In the red
pine (Pinus resinosa) and eastern white pine forests of the Lake States,
wild sarsaparilla does well following fire and is prevalent on fresh
burns [123]. After various silvicultural methods combined with
prescribed burning, the density of wild sarsaparilla usually decreased
compared to logging without burning or to control treatments
[1,52,94,114].

Wild sarsaparilla had less biomass (1.31 stems/sq m) compared to the
control (3.77 stems/sq m) when a winter clearcut in northern Minnesota
was followed by summer burning [100]. One year after a wildfire in
northern Idaho, wild sarsaparilla sprouted in one out of 21 sites. It
entered communities only at postfire years 9 and 10 in low densities of
0.2-2 sq m/0.01 ha [117]. Following two successive annual, low-severity
fires in Ontario, wild sarsaparilla decreased in density from preburn
levels. Surviving plants decreased following the second fire from 172
stems per hectare to 21 stems per hectare. One year after the fires,
wild sarsaparilla began to increase [90].

In northern Michigan, wild sarsaparilla had peak frequency at postfire
year 31 [108]. Thirty-three years after fire in northeastern Minnesota,
it occurred on all plots with an average frequency of 57 percent [96].
Following a light-severity surface fire in Ontario, wild sarsaparilla
only occurred on two sites aged 25 and 50 years and had importance
values of 3.6 and 2.0, respectively [115]. The average cover of wild
sarsaparilla was measured over 80 years on burned-over jack pine-black
spruce (Pinus banksiana-Picea mariana) in northeastern Minnesota. Wild
sarsaparilla remained at 1 to 2 percent cover until postfire year 15; it
increased to 8 to 12 percent cover from postfire years 15 to 80 [2].

More info for the terms: cover, prescribed fire

Fire top-kills wild sarsaparilla; vegetative and reproductive buds are
destroyed. Surviving rhizomes sprout and vigorously grow following fall
or spring fires. New rhizomes are produced. Flowers are not initiated
during the first growing season following fire [19]. Very few wild
sarsaparilla come in as seed immediately following fire [1]. Following
a light- to moderate-severity lightning fire in April, wild sarsaparilla
plants sprouted from surviving rhizomes; no seeds germinated [6]. After
a July prescribed fire, surviving wild sarsaparilla sprouted within 2
weeks and was common on all sites. It did decrease in cover, however,
and in community importance [114].

More info for the terms: geophyte, ground residual colonizer, rhizome

Rhizomatous herb, rhizome in soil
Geophyte, growing points deep in soil
Ground residual colonizer (on-site, initial community)

More info for the terms: fire suppression, series

Mineral soil protects wild sarsaparilla rhizomes from most fires [42].
Wild sarsaparilla occurs in communities with diverse FIRE REGIMES. In
Saskatchewan, it is a dominant understory component in aspen-birch
forests that experience frequent fires [33]. Wild sarsaparilla occurs in
the understory of mixed woods in New Brunswick where fires occur every 9
to 45 years [42]. It is common in aspen-Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga
menziesii) stands in the Black Hills, South Dakota, that have fire
return intervals of 80 to 90 years [102]. Wild sarsaparilla is
codominant with queencup beadlily in the moist lower elevation habitat
types of subalpine fir series where fires are infrequent and severe
[31,41]. Wild sarsaparilla is present in woodland communities, such as
black oak in Indiana, that are present due to fire suppression since the
time of settlement [15].

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More info for the terms: climax, cover, forb, frequency

Facultative Seral Species

Wild sarsaparilla is shade tolerant [75]. In mixed-hardwood stands in
New Brunswick aged 7 to 37 years, wild sarsaparilla frequency increased
with stand age [85]. Wild sarsaparilla was distributed at three plants
per 269 square feet (3 plants/25 sq m) in a 20-year-old eastern white
pine (Pinus strobus) stand in Vermont [60]. In a spruce-fir stand in
Maine where trees averaged 60 or more years old, wild sarsaparilla
occurred with 21 percent frequency on plots [32].

Wild sarsaparilla is a characteristic forb of a wide range of climax
forests [25,49]. It occurred in plots with differing amounts of canopy
closure in late successional stands of western hemlock-western redcedar
stands in northern Idaho [92]. The frequency of wild sarsaparilla
varied across western hemlock-western redcedar stands aged less than 50
years to more than 400 years old [50,51]. In old-growth (200-560 years)
eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) in northwestern Pennsylvania, wild
sarsaparilla frequency averaged 2 percent in plots [59]. In older seral
to climax stages of sugar maple-basswood stands aged 100 to 165 years,
wild sarsaparilla had 1 to 3 percent cover measured over 7 years [69].
However, in an old-growth eastern hemlock-northern hardwoods forest in
Michigan, frequency of wild sarsaparilla was higher in treefall gaps
(4.4 percent) than under closed canopy (2.2 percent) [91]. On sand
dunes at Lake Michigan, Michigan, wild sarsaparilla was only present
under black oak (Quercus velutina) on older, stabilized dunes, aged 600
to 1,100 years [98].

More info for the term: hardwood

Wild sarsaparilla forms extensive colonies by vegetative reproduction
[11,116]. Its rhizomes branch and can produce ramets up to 39 inches (1
m) from the original plant [23].

An exclusion experiment showed that wild sarsaparilla was dependent on
insects such as bumblebees, solitary bees, and syrphids for pollination.
Germination rates with or without stratification are low (34 percent)
[17]. Seedling establishment probably occurs rarely and is dependent on
major disturbances [36]. Wild sarsaparilla seedbanks under canopies of
stands aged 3 to 75 years since disturbance yielded 28 seeds that had 18
percent germination [3]. Wild sarsaparilla seed rain and seedbank were
measured following canopy removal of mature northern hardwood forest in
north-central New Hampshire. One year after harvest, 1.3 wild
sarsaparilla seeds germinated from soil samples; no fruits were
collected in seedtraps during 2 years of sampling [62].

Seeds are disseminated by animals such as birds and black bears [73,91].
While 61 percent of the flowers in a wild sarsaparilla population in New
Brunswick set fruit, 95 percent of the fruits were consumed [10].
Germination rates for wild sarsaparilla seeds taken from black bear scat
(62-93 percent) were significantly (p less than 0.01) higher than for uneaten
seeds (27-28 percent) [105].

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More info for the terms: geophyte, hemicryptophyte

Hemicryptophyte
Geophyte

More info for the term: forb

Forb

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More info for the term: litter

Wild sarsaparilla emerges from leaf litter by mid-April or May, and
leaves expand before the canopy closes [23,30]. It flowers from May to
July throughout its range [76,110,120]. Fruits mature in about 32 days
[56]. Leaves begin to drop by mid-September. Wild sarsaparilla is
dormant during the winter [30].

Flowering from May to July; fruiting from June to August.

Aralia nudicaulis is pollinated mostly by bumble bees. The female ramets have fewer flowers per umbel than the male ramets and reach peak flowering before the male ramets (Bawa et al., 1982). Bawa et al. (1982) also noted that a large proportion of sexually mature ramets may not flower in a given year.

Based on the morphological variation, Wen (1993) provided a generic delimitation of Aralia, in which Aralia nudicaulis belong to section Nanae.

Both diploids and tetraploids have been reported from Aralia nudicaulis. The chromosome number are 2n = 24, 48 (Graham, 1966; Blair, 1975; Taylor and Taylor, 1977; Löve and Löve, 1982; Plante, 1995). The base chromosome number of Aralia has been suggested to be x = 12 (Wen, 2002, 2004; Yi et al., 2004).

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 7
Specimens with Barcodes: 22
Species With Barcodes: 1

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Reasons: This species is fairly common to locally quite abundant throughout a wide range in North America. There are thousands of populations in Ontario alone. However, the status of this species should be monitored periodically due to significant threats posed by habitat alterations and some demand for the medicinal herb trade.

Comments: An individual within the U.S. herbal medicinal industry states that trade in this plant is minor, and believes that no one is cultivating it (McGuffin pers. comm.). It is the root that is harvested.

Some small collection is occurring in Missouri (Phyllis Higman pers. comm.). It is reportedly collected in Illinois and sold to a dealer in Missouri (Bill McClain pers. comm.). There are currently no reports that individual populations have been negatively impacted or extirpated due to collection for the plant trade. Small, disjunct populations could be threatened in the future if harvest of wild populations of this species increases.

There is no evidence of wild-collection in Manitoba (Manitoba Conservation Data Centre).

It is reported that only small quantities are currently being collected at present by small companies selling the tincture (Robyn Klein pers. comm.). Specific information on the quantities collected is not available at this time.

This species may be conservative throughout its range (i.e. not especially tolerant of habitat alteration, damage, or decline), as it is known to be conservative at least in the Chicago area (Swink and Wilhelm 1994). Members of the Araliaceae are quite long lived, and individual genets of this species have been aged at 30 years (Robyn Klein pers. comm.). To the extent that it is conservative, this species is threatened throughout most of its range, wherein its habitat, from place to place, is subject to intensive logging, high deer densities, disrupted hydrological cycles, suppression of fires, and sprawl and development. The regrowth of forested lands in eastern North America could ensure suitable habitat for this species in locations where, for a period immediately following logging, habitat had no longer existed. Fire suppression may be allowing cedar (presumably Tamarix spp.) to encroach on habitat in Nebraska. Cattle grazing may also be impacting this species in Nebraska (Gerry Steinauer pers. comm.). Logging activities are recognized as a threat in Manitoba (Manitoba Conservation Data Centre).

A related species, Aralia racemosa, is included on the United Plant Savers "To Watch" List. This list consists of "herbs which are broadly used in commerce and which, due to over-harvest, loss of habitat, or by the nature of their innate rareness or sensitivity are either at risk or have significantly declined in numbers within their current range." (United Plant Savers 2000)

There are no reports of cultivation at this time. As with other members of the Araliaceae such as Panax species (ginseng), the life history characteristics of this species do not lend it to cultivation. Because it grows very slowly, crop yields would probably be very low and would take too long to grow (Robyn Klein pers. comm.).

More info for the terms: density, forb, frequency, rhizome

After 6 years, wild sarsaparilla was infrequent to numerous on various
logged areas (370 acres [150 ha] logged in alternate strips, a 32-acre
[80 ha] clearcut, and an 81-acre [200 ha] clearcut) [37]. Winter and
spring clearcuts had significantly (p less than 0.05) less wild sarsaparilla
biomass 2 years after logging compared to an uncut control [100]. Three
years after clearcutting, wild sarsaparilla had higher frequency (22.5
percent) on sites prepared by V-blade than on sites prepared by toothed
brush rake (7.5 percent) or disking (2.5 percent) [65]. Wild
sarsaparilla decreased on clearcuts and shelterwood cuts in areas open
0.25 mile (0.4 km) or more in virgin western white pine (Pinus
monticola)-western redcedar in northern Idaho, possibly due to increased
air and soil temperatures and evaporation [79,80]. Data on wild
sarsaparilla abundance have been used in multiple regression models for
predicting forest site quality for regeneration of spruce-fir, lodgepole
pine (Pinus contorta), and white spruce (Picea glauca) [78,121,124].
Two years after a clearcut was mulched with various straws, wild
sarsaparilla was less frequent in mulch treatments (8.3 percent) than in
controls (10 percent) [66].

In ecological classifications that are useful for biomass and
productivity estimates, wild sarsaparilla had average rank abundances
between 0.2 and 1.3 in northwestern Michigan [58]. Wild sarsaparilla
was included in a suitability index for summer food for black bear in
the upper Great Lakes Region [104]. Herbivory can reduce the number of
wild sarsaparilla flowering stems and fruit production. Clipped shoots
produced significantly (p less than 0.005) fewer fruits and smaller leaves
compared to intact shoots. One year later, chance of flowering and leaf
production were significantly (p less than 0.05) less [36]. Wild sarsaparilla was
indirectly affected by aerial spraying for spruce budworm in New
Brunswick. Wild sarsaparilla had lower fruit set in sprayed areas
compared with unsprayed [10].

Fruit collection, seed extraction, and nursery methods have been
discussed in detail [17]. Wild sarsaparilla top-growth increased but
stem density did not after shoot removal and rhizome transplantation
into uniform soils during summer [42].

Wild sarsaparilla was the most common forb in an area impacted by metal
aerosols from a zinc smelter in Pennsylvania. Wild sarsaparilla was
generally chlorotic [68]. In a boreal forest in Ontario, wild
sarsaparilla leaves were significantly (p less than 0.005) less able to neutralize
simulated acid raindrops at pH 3.8 or 5.6 [43].

Biological Research Needs: Whether or not this species tends to persist under high deer densities, and whether this species readily colonizes young or regrowth forest are two questions whose answers might greatly aid in developing an accurate conservation assessment for A. nudicaulis. Levels of collection in the wild by the medicinal herb industry should be monitored. Locations of the sources of plant material should be documented for this species, and populations should be monitored to assess the sustainability of collection.

The preference is light shade, mesic conditions, and loamy, rocky, or sandy soil containing some loose organic matter.

Roots and rhizomes used as an alterative, tonic, or antisyphilitic, often used by the American Indians in decoction.

Comments: As indicated by the common name, "wild sarsaparilla," it was used as a root beer flavoring (Fernald and Kinsey 1943, Niering 1979). Native Americans also used it as a diuretic (Weiner 1980). The roots are reputed to have medicinal value and are used to make teas (Phyllis Higman pers. comm.). This species is collected on a limited basis by local herbalists as a substitute for other members of the ginseng family in herbal tinctures (Robyn Klein pers. comm.). It is reported to have much the same medicinal properties as Panax ginseng.