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nodding trillium, nodding wakerobin, trille penché, whip-poor-will-flower

Idaho trillium, long-petioled trillium, petioled wakerobin, purple trillium, purple wakerobin, round-leaf trillium

Rhizomes

short, thick.

± erect, often very deep, praemorse.

Scapes

1–2(–3), round in cross section, 1.5–4+ dm, slender, glabrous.

typically 1, vertical but mostly subterranean, round in cross section, 0.4–1.7 dm, robust, glabrous.

Bracts

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.

just at or slightly above soil, long-petiolate;

blade medium green, not mottled, ovate to elliptic, 7–14 × 5.5–10.2 cm, not glossy, apex obtuse or rounded;

petiole arising from scape apex at or near ground surface, 5–12 cm;

bract and petiole strongly resembling leaves of Plantago.

Flower

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.

in axil of bracts at or near ground level, ± erect, odor unknown;

sepals erect to widely spreading, often weakly recurved near middle, green, oblong-elliptic to oblanceolate, 22–47 × 7–10 mm, margins entire, apex acute;

petals long-lasting, ± connivent, ± concealing stamens and ovary, or erect-spreading early then ± connivent, erect to incurved, light maroon-red, purple, or greenish to yellowish, not spirally twisted, flat, linear-lanceolate, 3–5.5 × 0.4–1 cm, thick-textured, margins entire, apex acute;

stamens erect, (15–) 22–30 mm;

filaments olive, (3–)5–7 mm, slender;

anthers straight, brown or olive, 16–20 mm, slender, dehiscence latrose;

connectives yellow or orange, ± not extending beyond anther sacs;

ovary white, greenish, purplish distally, ovoid, sharply angled, 4–9 mm;

stigmas erect, divergent, distinct, purple or olive, linear-subulate, 7–20 mm, apex somewhat recurved.

Fruits

dark red, with fruity fragrance, ovoid, to 3 cm diam., fleshy, juicy.

fragrance not reported, ovoid, strongly angled/winged, ca. 1 cm, pulpy, moist.

2n

= 10.

= 10.

Trillium cernuum

Trillium petiolatum

Phenology Flowering spring–summer (Apr–Jul). Flowering spring (early Apr–late May).
Habitat Rich, mostly deciduous forest southward, mixed deciduous-coniferous forests, swamps, moist coniferous forests northward Lower rocky hillsides just above stream flats, under brush, edges of coniferous and deciduous forests, open grassy glades, river-flats, wet, seasonally swampy ground and edges of sloughs
Elevation 30–600 m (100–2000 ft) 400–1400 m (1300–4600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CT; DC; DE; IA; IL; IN; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; ND; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; SD; VA; VT; WI; WV; MB; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC; SK; SPM
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
ID; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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.)

Source FNA vol. 26. FNA vol. 26, p. 113.
Parent taxa Liliaceae > Trillium > subg. Trillium Liliaceae > Trillium > subg. Phyllantherum
Sibling taxa
T. albidum, T. angustipetalum, T. catesbaei, 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
T. albidum, 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. 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
Synonyms T. cernuum var. macranthum
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 339. (1753) Pursh: Fl. Amer. Sept. 1: 244. (1814)
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