Melanthium parviflorum |
Melanthium virginicum |
|
---|---|---|
Appalachian bunch-flower |
Virginia bunch-flower |
|
Rhizomes | 0.6–3 × 0.5–1.2 cm; bulbs 1–1.6 cm. |
0.5–2 × 0.5–1.8 cm; bulbs 0.6–2.5 cm. |
Stems | 2/3–4/5 floriferous, 0.5–1.5 m. Leaf blades broadly oblanceolate to obovate, slightly plicate, 17–35 × 4.5–12.5 cm, apex obtuse to submucronate. |
1/4–1/3 floriferous, 0.6–2 m. Leaf blades linear, long-attenuate, 30–80 × 0.6–3.2 cm, apex acute. |
Inflorescences | 2.5–10 dm; terminal raceme 1–4.4 dm; secondary racemes spreading to occasionally perpendicular, 0.6–2.2(–2.4) dm; tertiary racemes rare, sometimes replacing first flowers on lower secondaries; bracts subulate, dark green, 2–4 mm, densely floccose abaxially, basally, and marginally. |
1.3–8 dm; terminal raceme 1–2.6 dm; secondary racemes spreading to ascending, 0.2–1.1(–2.2) dm; tertiary racemes infrequent; bracts obovate to subulate, green to brown, 2–4(–6) mm, densely floccose abaxially and marginally. |
Capsules | elliptic-oblong, 10–18 × 7–10 mm, glabrous. |
elliptic-ovoid, 10–18 × 6–10 mm, glabrous or glabrate. |
Seeds | 7.5–10 × 3.5–4.5 mm (including wings). |
5–8 × 2.5–4 mm (including wings). |
Tepals | greenish yellow to olive green, aging to light green, narrowly rhombic to oblanceolate, 5–9 × 1.3–3 mm, base gradually attenuate to a narrow stalk, not clawed, margins entire, apex acute to acuminate; glands obscure, whitened in age, not nectariferous; stamens 3–4.5 mm; filaments inserted on tepal bases, 0.4 mm from ovary base, slightly dilated basally, barely 1/3 as wide as tepals at insertion point; anthers 0.5 mm; ovary ovoid, glabrous; styles 1–1.5 mm; pedicel spreading to nearly perpendicular, 5.5–11 mm. |
greenish yellow, aging dark reddish purple, ovate to obovate-oblong, 5.5–13 × 2.2–6 mm, base abruptly auriculate to hastate, clawed, margins entire, apex acute, claws 0.5–1.2(–2.5) mm; glands yellowish green, oblong to oblong-ovate, nectariferous; stamens 6.5–8.5 mm; filaments inserted at or above middle of claw, 0.7–2.5 mm from ovary base, not basally dilated, equaling tepal width at insertion point; anthers 0.9 mm; ovary ovoid, glabrous or pubescent; styles 1.5–3.5 mm; pedicel spreading to ascending, 5–20 mm. |
2n | = 16. |
= 16. |
Melanthium parviflorum |
Melanthium virginicum |
|
Phenology | Flowering summer. | Flowering late spring–summer. |
Habitat | Rich, moist, deciduous woods on mountain slopes and crests | Bogs, marshes, wet woods, savannas, meadows, along railroads |
Elevation | 800–2000 m (2600–6600 ft) | 10–800 m (0–2600 ft) |
Distribution |
AL; GA; KY; NC; SC; TN; VA; WV |
AL; AR; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MD; MO; MS; NC; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA; WV |
Discussion | The clawed tepals of Melanthium virginicum distinguish it from M. parviflorum and M. woodii, which have tepals with gradually attenuate bases. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
|
Source | FNA vol. 26, p. 79. | FNA vol. 26, p. 78. |
Parent taxa | Liliaceae > Melanthium | Liliaceae > Melanthium |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Veratrum parviflorum | M. dispersum, Veratrum virginicum |
Name authority | (Michaux) S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 14: 276. (1879) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 339. (1753) |
Web links |