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fringe cornlily, fringe false-hellebore

Siskiyou false-hellebore, Siskiyou wild hellebore

Stems

1–2 m, densely tomentose distally.

1–1.5 m, grayish-hairy distally.

Leaves

elliptic-lanceolate, reduced distally, 20–50 × 10–25 cm, glabrous or sparsely hairy.

blades elliptic, distal lanceolate, 10–35 × 7–21 cm, reduced distally, grayish-hairy, at least when young.

Inflorescences

paniculate, with spreading to ascending branches, 30–50 cm, densely tomentose;

bracts ovate to ovate-lanceolate, shorter than flowers.

paniculate, with ascending branches, 20–50 cm, grayish-hairy;

bracts ovate to lanceolate, shorter than flowers.

Capsules

oblong-ovoid, 8–10 mm, glabrous.

oblong-ovoid, 2–3 cm, densely tomentose.

Seeds

± globose, wingless, 5–7 mm.

flat, broadly winged, 10–15 mm.

Tepals

white, rhomboid-ovate to ovate, not clawed, 6–9 mm, margins ± deeply and irregularly fimbriate;

glands 2, basal, ± mid tepal, yellow, elliptic;

ovary glabrous;

pedicel 6–12 mm.

creamy white to yellow, broadly ovate, not clawed, 6–15 mm, margins strongly erose-ciliate or inner shallowly fimbriate;

gland 1, basal, green, V-shaped, elliptic;

ovary densely tomentose;

pedicel 6–15 mm.

2n

= 32.

= 32.

Veratrum fimbriatum

Veratrum insolitum

Phenology Flowering summer–early fall. Flowering summer–fall.
Habitat Wet meadows in coastal scrub Stream banks, moist meadows, mixed-evergreen forest margins
Elevation 0–100 m (0–300 ft) 0–1500 m (0–4900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

This showy Veratrum species differs from others in its fragrant flowers with deeply fringed tepals, wingless seeds, and auxiliary bulbs in the lower leaf sheaths, and is restricted as a paleo-endemic to a 96-km coastal stretch of Sonoma and Mendocino counties (C. A. Taylor 1956, 1956b).

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

The only other whitish-flowered species in North America, Veratrum californicum, which might be confused with V. insolitum, has entire, unfringed tepals, and only slightly hairy ovaries.

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

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 74. FNA vol. 26, p. 74.
Parent taxa Liliaceae > Veratrum Liliaceae > Veratrum
Sibling taxa
V. album, V. californicum, V. insolitum, V. viride
V. album, V. californicum, V. fimbriatum, V. viride
Name authority A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 7: 391. (1868) Jepson: Fl. Calif. 1: 266. (1921)
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