Circaea canadensis, known as eastern enchanter's nightshade, Canada enchanter's nightshade, broad-leaved enchanter's nightshade, is a perennial herbaceous plant found in forests of eastern North America. It is very similar to its sister species, Circaea lutetiana, and was formerly considered conspecific (part of the same species).
Taxonomy Circaea canadensis was considered a variety of Circaea lutetiana by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. In 1765 the botanist John Hill published a description of it as a species creating its accepted name. It is classified in the genus Circaea within the Onagraceae family. According to Plants of the World Online it has two accepted subspecies
Circaea canadensis subsp. canadensis Circaea canadensis subsp. quadrisulcata
It has synonyms of the species or one of its subspecies.
Table of Synonyms Name Year Rank Synonym of: Notes Circaea canadensis var. virginiana 1945 variety subsp. canadensis = het. Circaea latifolia 1756 species subsp. canadensis = het., opus utique oppr. Circaea lutetiana subsp. canadensis 1870 subspecies C. canadensis ≡ hom. Circaea lutetiana var. canadensis 1753 variety C. canadensis ≡ hom. Circaea lutetiana subsp. quadrisulcata 1870 subspecies subsp. quadrisulcata ≡ hom. Circaea lutetiana f. quadrisulcata 1859 form subsp. quadrisulcata ≡ hom. Circaea maximowiczii 1934 species subsp. quadrisulcata = het., nom. illeg. Circaea maximowiczii var. viridicalyx 1934 variety subsp. quadrisulcata = het. Circaea maximowiczii f. viridicalyx 1939 form subsp. quadrisulcata = het. Circaea mollis var. maximowiczii 1912 variety subsp. quadrisulcata = het. Circaea quadrisulcata 1873 species subsp. quadrisulcata ≡ hom. Circaea quadrisulcata subsp. canadensis 1982 subspecies C. canadensis ≡ hom. Circaea quadrisulcata var. canadensis 1939 variety C. canadensis ≡ hom. Notes: ≡ homotypic synonym; = heterotypic synonym
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