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Erythronium montanum

avalanche-lily, white avalanche-lily, white glacier lily

midland fawnlily, prairie trout-lily, white fawnlily

Bulbs

narrowly ovoid, 25–60 mm.

ovoid to ± globose, 10–25 mm;

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

Leaves

10–20 cm;

blade green, ovate to broadly lanceolate, base ± abruptly narrowed to petiole, margins 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

12–35 cm.

5–15 cm.

Inflorescences

1–3-flowered.

1-flowered.

Flowers

tepals white to creamy white with bright yellow zone at base, broadly ovate to broadly lanceolate, 25–45 mm, inner wider than outer, auriculate at base, length less than 4 times width;

stamens 12–24 mm;

filaments white, linear, slender, less than 0.8 mm wide;

anthers bright yellow;

style white, 13–25 mm;

stigma with slender, usually recurved lobes 1–5 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

oblong, 3–6 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 montanum

Erythronium mesochoreum

Phenology Flowering summer, usually soon after snowmelt (Jun–Aug). Flowering spring.
Habitat Montane and subalpine meadows, open coniferous forests Prairies, glades, dry, open woods, occasionally pastures
Elevation (300–)800–2000 m ((1000–)2600–6600 ft) 100–700 m (300–2300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AR; IA; IL; KS; MO; NE; OK; TX
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[BONAP county map]
Discussion

This species occurs in the Coast Ranges of southern British Columbia, and disjunctly to southern Vancouver Island, the Olympic Peninsula, and Cascade Mountains from Mount Rainier National Park in Washington to central Oregon.

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

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. 157. 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. hendersonii, E. klamathense, E. mesochoreum, 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 26: 130. (1891) Knerr: Midland College Monthly 2: 5. (1891)
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