Sanguinaria

A single species from the eastern half of North America, from woods and floodplains. In early spring, white, often many-petalled flower emerges, often protected by glaucous, rounded and lobed leaves. A little beauty. The latin and common names reference the roots ability to exude an orange-red liquid Bloodroot. Sanguinaria from the latin sanguis, 'blood'. This orange-red liquid is fairly typical of the Papaveraceae family.

In common with most of the poppy family Sanguinaria flowers do not produce nectar, although (except in the double-flowered forms, in which the stamens are mutated into petals, promising everything but delivering nothing) the abundant pollen is eaten by hoverflies, solitary bees and beetles.