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Erythronium hendersonii

Henderson's fawn-lily

midland fawnlily, prairie trout-lily, white fawnlily

Bulbs

slender, 40–55 mm.

ovoid to ± globose, 10–25 mm;

stolons absent; flowering plants reproducing vegetatively by droppers or offshoots.

Leaves

10–25 cm;

blade mottled with irregular streaks of brown or white, oblong to ovate, margins entire to ± wavy.

5–14 cm;

blade green, usually not mottled, elliptic-lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, conduplicate, glaucous, base and margins sometimes purple-brown, margins even.

Scape

reddish, 12–30 cm.

5–15 cm.

Inflorescences

1–4-flowered.

1-flowered.

Flowers

tepals violet to pink, darker at tips, dark purple at base, broadly lanceolate, 18–35 mm, inner with small auricles at base;

stamens 10–14 mm;

filaments violet-purple, linear, slender, less than 0.8 mm wide;

anthers pale brown to purple;

style violet, 6–8 mm;

stigma unlobed or with lobes shorter than 1 mm.

tepals spreading at anthesis, white, tinged pink, blue, or lavender abaxially, with yellow adaxial spot at base, lanceolate, 15–30 mm, auricles absent;

stamens 8–15 mm;

filaments yellow, lanceolate;

anthers yellow;

pollen yellow;

style white, 7–10 mm;

stigma lobes recurving, 1–1.5 mm.

Capsules

obovoid, 2–4 cm.

resting on ground at maturity due to reclining peduncle, obovoid, 10–15 mm, apex rounded to faintly apiculate or umbilicate.

2n

= 24.

= 22.

Erythronium hendersonii

Erythronium mesochoreum

Phenology Flowering spring (Mar–Apr). Flowering spring.
Habitat Dry woods and forest openings Prairies, glades, dry, open woods, occasionally pastures
Elevation 300–1600 m (1000–5200 ft) 100–700 m (300–2300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR
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[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AR; IA; IL; KS; MO; NE; OK; TX
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[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Because stolons are absent in Erythronium mesochoreum, most plants in a population produce flowers; nonflowering plants may sometimes appear after flowering plants have flowered. This species is well adapted to prairie fires. The seeds have elaiosomes, and ants may act as dispersal agents (Great Plains Flora Association 1986). C. C. Deam et al. (1941) reported E. mesochoreum from Indiana, but an examination of the specimens cited, now at IND, showed that these are E. albidum. E. L. Braun (1967) reported that many populations of E. albidum in southwestern Ohio indicate introgression with “the Ozarkean var. mesochoreum.” However, personal observation by K. R. Robertson of several Ohio populations in flower confirmed that these plants are true E. albidum, although they occur in prairies and have more or less conduplicate leaves.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 160. FNA vol. 26, p. 163.
Parent taxa Liliaceae > Erythronium Liliaceae > Erythronium
Sibling taxa
E. albidum, E. americanum, E. californicum, E. citrinum, E. elegans, E. grandiflorum, E. helenae, E. klamathense, E. mesochoreum, E. montanum, E. multiscapideum, E. oregonum, E. pluriflorum, E. propullans, E. purpurascens, E. pusaterii, E. quinaultense, E. revolutum, E. rostratum, E. taylorii, E. tuolumnense, E. umbilicatum
E. albidum, E. americanum, E. californicum, E. citrinum, E. elegans, E. grandiflorum, E. helenae, E. hendersonii, E. klamathense, E. montanum, E. multiscapideum, E. oregonum, E. pluriflorum, E. propullans, E. purpurascens, E. pusaterii, E. quinaultense, E. revolutum, E. rostratum, E. taylorii, E. tuolumnense, E. umbilicatum
Synonyms E. albidum var. coloratum, E. albidum var. mesochoreum
Name authority S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 22: 479. (1887) Knerr: Midland College Monthly 2: 5. (1891)
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