Circaea canadensis

Circaea canadensis
In Fairfax County, Virginia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Myrtales
Family:	Onagraceae
Genus:	Circaea
Species:	C. canadensis
Binomial name
Circaea canadensis (L.) Hill
Subspecies [1]
C. c. subsp. canadensis C. c. subsp. quadrisulcata
Synonyms [2] [3]
List Circaea latifolia Circaea lutetiana subsp. canadensis Circaea lutetiana var. canadensis Circaea maximowiczii Circaea quadrisulcata Circaea quadrisulcata subsp. canadensis Circaea quadrisulcata var. canadensis

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. ^{[4] [5] [6] [7]} 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 ^[1]

• Circaea canadensis subsp. canadensis
• Circaea canadensis subsp. quadrisulcata(Maxim.) Boufford

It has 13 synonyms of the species or one of its subspecies. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Table of Synonyms

Name	Year	Rank	Synonym of:	Notes
Circaea canadensis var. virginianaFernald	1945	variety	subsp. canadensis	= het.
Circaea latifoliaHill	1756	species	subsp. canadensis	= het., opus utique oppr.
Circaea lutetiana subsp. canadensis(L.) Asch. & Magnus	1870	subspecies	C. canadensis	≡ hom.
Circaea lutetiana var. canadensisL.	1753	variety	C. canadensis	≡ hom.
Circaea lutetiana subsp. quadrisulcata(Maxim.) Asch. & Magnus	1870	subspecies	subsp. quadrisulcata	≡ hom.
Circaea lutetiana f. quadrisulcataMaxim.	1859	form	subsp. quadrisulcata	≡ hom.
Circaea maximowiczii(H.Lév.) H.Hara	1934	species	subsp. quadrisulcata	= het., nom. illeg.
Circaea maximowiczii var. viridicalyxH.Hara	1934	variety	subsp. quadrisulcata	= het.
Circaea maximowiczii f. viridicalyx(H.Hara) Kitag.	1939	form	subsp. quadrisulcata	= het.
Circaea mollis var. maximowicziiH.Lév.	1912	variety	subsp. quadrisulcata	= het.
Circaea quadrisulcata(Maxim.) Franch. & Sav.	1873	species	subsp. quadrisulcata	≡ hom.
Circaea quadrisulcata subsp. canadensis(L.) Á.Löve & D.Löve	1982	subspecies	C. canadensis	≡ hom.
Circaea quadrisulcata var. canadensis(L.) H.Hara	1939	variety	C. canadensis	≡ hom.
Notes: ≡ homotypic synonym  ; = heterotypic synonym

• 
  Growth form and flowers

References

1. "Circaea canadensis (L.) Hill". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 14 September 2025.
2. "Circaea canadensis subsp. canadensis". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 14 September 2025.
3. "Circaea canadensis subsp. quadrisulcata (Maxim.) Boufford". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 14 September 2025.
4. "Circaea canadensis (L.) Hill". www.tropicos.org. Retrieved 2020-01-11.
5. "Circaea canadensis (Linnaeus) Hill". data.canadensys.net. Retrieved 2020-01-11.
6. Weakley, Alan S. (2018), Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States, working draft of 20 August 2018, University of North Carolina Herbarium, North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
7. "Circaea canadensis". michiganflora.net. Retrieved 2020-01-11.