Trillium cernuum
Trillium grandiflorum
nodding trillium, nodding wakerobin, trille penché, whip-poor-will-flower
great white trillium, large-flower trillium, trille grandiflore, white trillium, white wake-robin
short, thick.
short, thick, praemorse.
1–2(–3), round in cross section, 1.5–4+ dm, slender, glabrous.
(1–)2–3(–many), round in cross section, 1.5–3+ dm, thick, glabrous.
often overlapping, sessile or with a barely noticeable, petiolelike base, umbrellalike;
blade bright green without red tones, broadly rhombic-ovate to suborbicular, 5–15 × 6–15+ cm, base attenuate, apex acuminate.
sessile or subsessile (occasionally weakly cuneate basally);
blade dark green with maroon overtones early, ovate-rhombic, 12–20 × 8–15 cm, apex acuminate.
usually hidden beneath bracts, nodding, odorless;
sepals spreading, green, lanceolate-ovate, 9–30 mm, slightly shorter than to equaling petals, margins slightly raised, apex acuminate;
petals usually strongly recurved from above base, extending behind plane of sepal bases for more than 1/2 their length, white or rarely pale pink, adaxial veins not conspicuous, oblong-lanceolate, 1.5–2.5 × 0.9–1.5 cm, thin-textured, margins entire, apex acuminate;
stamens ± straight, 6–15 mm, shorter than pistil, slender;
filaments white, ± equaling anthers, slender;
anthers straight, pale lavender-pink or -gray, 2–6.5 mm, dehiscence introrse to latrorse;
ovary prominent, white to pinkish, pyramidal, strongly 6-angled, 3–12 × 3–10 mm, widest above basal attachment;
stigmas erect, recurved, distinct, white, not lobed adaxially, 3–8 mm, widest at base, fleshy, basally thickened, gradually tapered;
pedicel strongly recurved or declined below or angled between bracts, 1.5–3 cm.
outfacing, erect, odorless;
sepals spreading, flat, green, very rarely streaked with maroon-purple, lanceolate, 20–55 × 12–23 mm, margins entire, apex acuminate or acute;
petals erect basally, recurving somewhat above middle to produce strongly funnelform corolla, obscuring ovary and base of style, white or rarely pink, without V-shaped or other markings, fading to dull pinkish purple, veins of adaxial surface conspicuous but not appearing engraved, shape variable, lanceolate to oblong, obovate, or, rarely, suborbicular, sides often parallel, 4–7.5 × 2–4 cm, thin-textured, base abruptly attenuate, margins overlapping basally, rolled, undulate-wavy in distal 1/2, apex ± acuminate;
stamens straight or barely recurved, 9–27 mm;
filaments white, much shorter than anthers, relatively thin;
anthers recurving slightly, pale yellow, strongly yellow when pollen exposed, long, 5–16 mm, slender, dehiscence introrse;
ovary inconspicuous, pale green or white, ovoid, 6-angled, 8–18 mm, basal attachment narrower than ovary width;
style barely united for 0.5–2 mm or merely closely grouped and separate;
stigmas erect, becoming spreading, weakly connate basally, pale green-white, uniformly linear, 3–18 mm, equaling or exceeding ovary, slender;
pedicel erect-ascending to strongly erect, 2–8+ cm.
dark red, with fruity fragrance, ovoid, to 3 cm diam., fleshy, juicy.
pale green, odorless, ± globose, obscurely 6-angled, 1.2–1.6 × 0.8–1.4 cm, mealy, moist (not juicy).
= 10.
= 10.
Trillium cernuum
Trillium grandiflorum
Previous authors commonly recognized var. cernuum and var. macranthum, based primarily upon size differences. Plants attributed to var. cernuum are found from Delaware and eastern Pennsylvania northward to Newfoundland, while those attributed to var. macranthum are found mainly farther inland into the Midwest. Although there is a tendency for the eastern seaboard plants to be somewhat smaller and more delicate, and the midwestern and far northern plants to be more robust, there is much variation, largely dependent on soil nutrients. There are regional size trends, but based on my observations of this species in Newfoundland, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, I do not believe that the two varieties can be maintained.
In the Gray Herbarium, there is a collection by Richardson labeled “Mackenzie River,” which has been cited by H. M. Raup (1947) and others. W. J. Hooker ([1829–]1833–1840) reported Trillium cernuum “from Saskatchewan to Mackenzie River.” Raup stated that “it is the only evidence for the occurrence of...Trillium in the entire Mackenzie Basin.” Other writers have simply quoted that statement. In view of the relatively great disjunction from the known Saskatchewan stations and in the absence of any other supporting specimens from that area, I believe that there might be locality error on the Richardson sheet. However, it is not beyond possibility that T. cernuum could occur there. This apparent disjunct station is not mapped here.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Most variants of Trillium grandiflorum have green stripes or markings on the petals, many with numerous (4–30+) extra petals and/or bracts, and, often, much-deformed, monstrous characteristics. G. R. Hooper et al. (1971) showed that mycoplasmic organisms were present in all such forms examined, and were absent from normal plants. Most such forms should not be named taxonomically but, unfortunately, many have been. Nearly all of those that I examined represented stages in the development of the mycoplasma infection. Trillium grandiflorum, unlike most trilliums, produces many-petaled “double” forms. Forma roseum Farwell, opening a striking clear salmon-pink, occurs very rarely throughout the range, but is frequent in mixed or pure colonies along the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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