Flora of North America species comparison

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Trollius laxus

American globe-flower, spreading globe-flower
Stems

to 0.5-5.2 dm, base with few petioles (occasionally thatchlike) persisting from previous year.
Leaves

basal leaves with petioles to 5-30 cm;

cauline leaves 2-5, base scarcely membranous or clasping.
Flowers

2.5-5 cm diam.;

sepals 5-7(-9), spreading, bright to pale yellow when fresh, ovate to obovate or nearly orbiculate, 10-20 mm;

petals 10-15(-25), yellow, 1/2-2/3 length of stamens when pollen shed, 3-6 mm.
Follicles

usually 5-12, 8-12 mm including beak;

beak usually straight or slightly incurved (rarely slightly recurved).
2n

=32.

Trollius laxus
Phenology Flowering spring–summer.
Habitat Calcareous soils (rarely not calcareous) in alkaline meadows and open swamps
Elevation 100-500 m (300-1600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CT; DE; NJ; NY; OH; PA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Trollius laxus is closely related to the widespread, relatively common, western species T. albiflorus. Morphologically, the two are separated only by sepal color and the tendency for T. albiflorus to have slightly recurved follicular beaks and slightly smaller seeds.

Trollius laxus has been extirpated from central Pennsylvania. The species has been reported from Michigan; E. G. Voss (1972+, vol. 2) cast doubt on its occurrence there because no specimens to substantiate the reports have been found.

The Cherokee used infusions prepared from the leaves and stems of Trollius laxus to treat thrash (D. E. Moerman 1986).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Ranunculaceae > Trollius
Sibling taxa
T. albiflorus, T. riederianus
Synonyms T. americanus
Name authority Salisbury: Trans. Linn. Soc. London 8: 303. (1807)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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