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giant trillium, giant white wakerobin, sessile trillium, smallflower trillium, white toadshade

Rhizomes

horizontal, ± erect, brown, superficially bulblike, short, thick, not brittle.

Scapes

often several from same rhizome terminus, round in cross section, 2.2–5.8 dm, stout.

Flower

borne directly upon bracts, erect, fragrance roselike;

sepals conspicuous, spreading, displayed above bracts, pale green, lanceolate, 30–65 × 12–15 mm, margins entire, apex acute;

petals long-lasting, usually erect or slightly spreading, ± connivent, ± concealing stamens and ovary basally, white to creamy white, rarely soft pinkish rose near base, veins prominent but not engraved, not spirally twisted, obovate, more lanceolate in young plants, 4.8–8 × 2.2–3 cm, widest at or just above middle, ± thick-textured, base cuneate, margins entire, ± flat, apex rounded to acute;

stamens erect, greenish white, 15–25 mm;

filaments whitish green, 3–4 mm, slender;

anthers erect, straight, yellow, 11–20 mm, dehiscence latrorse;

connectives straight, extended ca. 1 mm beyond anther sacs, rounded;

ovary green or occasionally purple, ovoid, rounded 6-gonal, 6–11 mm;

stigmas erect to spreading, distinct, sessile, subulate, 4–7 mm, thin distally.

sessile.

Fruits

green or purplish green, fragrance unknown, ovoid to globose, pulpy, juicy.

Bract(s)

held well above ground, sessile;

blade weakly mottled with scattered, darker green spots, mottling often fading later in season, broadly ovate, 10–20 × 12–15 cm, not glossy, base rounded, apex obtuse.

blades green, variously mottled in darker green or bronze, except not mottled in T. petiolatum.

Petals

± erect, except spreading in T. stamineum, mostly dark purple, maroon, yellow, green, or white, sometimes bicolored (dark basally).

Trillium albidum

Trillium subg. Phyllantherum

Phenology Flowering spring (mid Mar–late Apr).
Habitat Moist slopes in rich mixed deciduous-coniferous forests or coniferous stands, brushy thickets on flats, open fields, pastures, and fencerows, dense second-growth coniferous forests, floodplains along streams and larger rivers
Elevation 100–200 m (300–700 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
e United States; nw United States
Discussion

Species 23 (23 in the flora).

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

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 106. FNA vol. 26, p. 106.
Parent taxa Liliaceae > Trillium > subg. Phyllantherum Liliaceae > Trillium
Sibling taxa
T. angustipetalum, T. catesbaei, T. cernuum, T. chloropetalum, T. cuneatum, T. decipiens, T. decumbens, T. discolor, T. erectum, T. flexipes, T. foetidissimum, T. gracile, T. grandiflorum, T. kurabayashii, T. lancifolium, T. ludovicianum, T. luteum, T. maculatum, T. nivale, T. ovatum, T. parviflorum, T. persistens, T. petiolatum, T. pusillum, T. recurvatum, T. reliquum, T. rivale, T. rugelii, T. sessile, T. simile, T. stamineum, T. sulcatum, T. underwoodii, T. undulatum, T. vaseyi, T. viride, T. viridescens
Subordinate taxa
Name authority J. D. Freeman: Brittonia 27: 48, fig. 11. (1975) Rafinesque: J. Phys. Chim. Hist. Nat. Arts 91: 72. (1820)
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