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smilacine trifoliée, three-leaf false Solomon's-seal, three-leaf Solomon's-plume, three-leaf Solomon's-seal, threeleaf false lily of the valley

Habit Plants aquatic, 4–15 cm.
Rhizomes

sympodial, proliferatively spreading, filiform, units 2–30 cm × 1–2 mm, roots restricted to nodes.

Stems

erect, 1–2.5 dm × 2–3 mm.

Leaves

2–4 on fertile shoots, sessile;

blade elliptic, 5–12 × 2.5–4 cm;

base narrowly tapering;

apex acute or acuminate.

Inflorescences

racemose, simple, 5–15-flowered.

Flowers

3-merous;

tepals conspicuous, 2.5–4 × 1.5–2 mm;

filaments 1.5–2 mm;

anthers 0.5–0.7 mm;

ovary globose or cylindrical, 2–2.5 × 1.5–2.4 mm;

style 0.5–1.5 mm;

stigma distinctively 3-lobed;

pedicel 1–3 × 0.5 mm.

Berries

green with fine red spots when young, maturing to red, globose, 4–6 mm diam.

Seeds

1–3, globose, 2 mm.

2n

= 36.

Maianthemum trifolium

Phenology Flowering May–Jun, fruits retained through Sep.
Habitat Often forming dense clonal patches in sphagnum bogs, muskegs, and wet forests
Elevation 0–1000 m (0–3300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CT; MA; ME; MI; MN; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; VT; WI; AB; BC; MB; NB; NL; NS; NT; NU; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; SPM; Asia (Siberia)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 209.
Parent taxa Liliaceae > Maianthemum
Sibling taxa
M. canadense, M. dilatatum, M. racemosum, M. stellatum
Synonyms Convallaria trifolia, Smilacina trifolia, Unifolium trifolium, Vagnera trifolia
Name authority (Linnaeus) Sloboda: Rostlinnictví, 192. (1852)
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