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Henderson's stars, Henderson's triteleia, yellow tiger-lily

fool's-onion, hyacinth brodiaea, hyacinth cluster-lily, hyacinth triteleia, white brodiaea, white triteleia, wild hyacinth

Leaves

15–40 cm × 3–12 mm.

10–40 cm × 4–22 mm.

Scape

10–35 cm, smooth or slightly scabrous near base.

30–60 cm, smooth to scabrous.

Flowers

perianth yellow or white, often tinged or fading blue, 18–26 mm, tube slenderly funnelform, moderately attenuate at base, 6–10 mm, lobes widely spreading, with conspicuous dark purple midvein, 12–16 mm, ca. twice as long as tube;

stamens attached at 1 level, nearly equal;

filaments narrowly subulate, 3–4 mm, apical appendages absent;

anthers blue or sometimes white, 1.5–2 mm;

ovary 1/2 as long as stipe;

pedicel 1.5–4 cm.

perianth white, sometimes flushed purple abaxially, 9–16 mm, tube shallowly bowl-shaped, 2–4 mm, lobes ascending to spreading, with green midvein, 7–12 mm, 2–3 times longer than tube;

stamens attached at 1 level, equal;

filaments usually triangular-dilated, 2–4 mm, apical appendages absent;

anthers whitish to yellow, rarely blue, 1–2 mm;

ovary twice as long as stipe;

pedicel 0.5–5 cm.

2n

= 32.

= 28, 84.

Triteleia hendersonii

Triteleia hyacinthina

Phenology Flowering spring (May–Jul). Flowering spring (Mar–Jun).
Habitat Dry slopes Grasslands, vernally wet meadows, occasionally on drier slopes
Elevation 100–3000 m (300–9800 ft) 0–2000 m (0–6600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; ID; NV; OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Triteleia hendersonii is common within its restricted range. The plants previously recognized as var. leachiae, or separately as T. leachiae, differ primarily in having a white perianth and are limited to Curry County, Oregon. Intermediates have been found, and further study of this variation is required to determine whether formal recognition of infraspecific taxa is warranted.

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

Triteleia hyacinthina is one of the most widely distributed members of the genus, common in low, moist places such as meadows, vernal pools, and along streams, and found occasionally in drier valley grasslands, foothill woodlands, and closed-cone pine forests. It is cytologically and morphologically variable, with large-flowered forms found in wet places; smaller, scabrous forms found in dry places; forms with rather long pedicels (sometimes recognized as var. lactea); and forms with filaments lacking dilated triangular bases. Most plants have white flowers, but a few interesting forms with restricted distributions have lilac, blue, or even purple flowers. Triteleia ×versicolor Hoover is a sterile hybrid of T. ixioides and T. hyacinthina found in Monterey. Triteleia lilacina is recognized here as a species distinct from T. hyacinthina because of its different base chromosome number (2n = 16) and presence of hyaline vesicles (R. F. Hoover 1955).

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

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 342. FNA vol. 26, p. 342.
Parent taxa Liliaceae > Triteleia Liliaceae > Triteleia
Sibling taxa
T. bridgesii, T. clementina, T. crocea, T. dudleyi, T. grandiflora, T. hyacinthina, T. ixioides, T. laxa, T. lemmoniae, T. lilacina, T. lugens, T. montana, T. peduncularis
T. bridgesii, T. clementina, T. crocea, T. dudleyi, T. grandiflora, T. hendersonii, T. ixioides, T. laxa, T. lemmoniae, T. lilacina, T. lugens, T. montana, T. peduncularis
Synonyms Brodiaea hendersonii, Brodiaea leachiae, T. hendersonii var. leachiae Hesperoscordum hyacinthinum, Allium lacteum, Allium tilingii, Brodiaea dissimulata, Brodiaea hyacinthina, Brodiaea hyacinthina var. lactea, Brodiaea hyacinthina var. lilacina, Brodiaea lactea, Brodiaea lactea var. lilacina, Hesperoscordum lacteum, Hesperoscordum lewisii, Hookera hyacinthina, Hookera hyacinthina var. lactea, Milla hyacinthina, Milla hyacinthina var. lactea, T. lactea, Veatchia crystallina
Name authority Greene: Pittonia 1: 164. (1888) (Lindley) Greene: Bull. Calif. Acad. Sci. 2: 142. (1886)
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