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false Solomon's-seal, false spikenard, feathery false lily of the valley, feathery false Solomon's-seal, large false Solomon's-seal, plumed Solomon's seal, Solomon's-plume, treacleberry

little false Solomon's-seal, small false Solomon's seal, smilacine étoilée, star-flower false Solomon's-seal, star-flower Solomon's-seal, star-like false Solomon's-seal, starry false lily-of-the-valley, starry false Solomon's seal, starry Solomon's seal

Habit Plants terrestrial, to 12.5 cm. Plants terrestrial, 15–45 cm.
Rhizomes

sympodial, cylindrical, units 30–40 cm × 8–14 mm, sometimes multiplied, roots scattered.

sympodial, proliferatively spreading, narrow-cylindrical, units 15–60 cm × 3–4.5 mm, roots scattered over surfaces.

Stems

erect or arching, 7.5–12.5 dm × 7–9 mm.

erect, 2.5–5 dm × 2–3.5 mm.

Leaves

7–12, sessile and clasping, or petiolate;

blade elliptic to ovate, 9–17 × 5–8 cm;

base rounded or tapered;

apex acute or caudate.

8–11, sessile, clasping;

blade ovate-elliptic to lanceolate, 5–6 × 2.5–3.5 cm;

base rounded;

apex acute.

Inflorescences

paniculate, 70–250-flowered, branches well developed, pyramidal.

racemose, simple, 6–15-flowered.

Flowers

3-merous;

tepals inconspicuous, 0.5–1 × 0.5 mm;

filaments 1 × 0.5 mm;

anthers 0.5–1 mm;

ovary globose, 1 mm wide;

style 0.1–0.3 mm;

stigma obscure;

pedicel 0.5–1 × 0.5 mm.

1 per node, 3-merous;

tepals conspicuous, 4–5 × 1.5–2 mm;

filaments 1.2–1.5 mm;

anthers 0.6–0.8 mm;

ovary globose to cylindrical, ca. 1 mm wide;

style 1.3–1.8 mm;

stigma obscurely 3-lobed;

pedicel 6–12 × 0.8–1 mm.

Berries

green with copper spots when young, maturing to deep translucent red, globose or 3-lobed, 4–6 mm wide.

green with black stripes along median carpel vein when young, maturing to red, globose, 4–6 mm diam.

Seeds

1–4, globose, 2.5–4 mm.

1–6, globose, 2.5–3 mm.

2n

= 36, 72, 144.

= 36.

Maianthemum racemosum

Maianthemum stellatum

Phenology Flowering mid or late spring.
Habitat Sand dunes, marginal woodlands, oak openings
Elevation 0–3200 m (0–10500 ft)
Distribution
from USDA
North America; n Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; AZ; CA; CO; CT; DC; DE; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MT; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SD; TN; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; NT; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; disjunct in nw Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).

Maianthemum racemosum is sometimes cultivated. It was described as apomictic (A. L. Gorham 1953) but is much in need of cytogeographic and reproductive biological studies.

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

Key
1. Stems erect; leaves sessile, clasping, blade base rounded; apex of third leaf below inflorescence acute, shorter than 2 mm; w North America.
subsp. amplexicaule
1. Stems arching; leaves petiolate, blade base tapered; apex of third leaf below inflorescence caudate, 12–25 mm; e North America.
subsp. racemosum
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 208. FNA vol. 26, p. 209.
Parent taxa Liliaceae > Maianthemum Liliaceae > Maianthemum
Sibling taxa
M. canadense, M. dilatatum, M. stellatum, M. trifolium
M. canadense, M. dilatatum, M. racemosum, M. trifolium
Subordinate taxa
M. racemosum subsp. amplexicaule, M. racemosum subsp. racemosum
Synonyms Convallaria racemosa, Smilacina racemosa, Unifolium racemosum Convallaria stellata, Smilacina liliacea, Smilacina stellata, Unifolium liliaceum, Unifolium sessilifolium, Unifolium stellatum, Vagnera liliacea, Vagnera sessilifolia, Vagnera stellata
Name authority (Linnaeus) Link: Enum. Hort. Berol. Alt. 1: 343. (1821) (Linnaeus) Link: Enum. Hort. Berol. Alt. 1: 343. (1821)
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