The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

Siskiyou false-hellebore, Siskiyou wild hellebore

Stems

1–1.5 m, grayish-hairy distally.

Leaf

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

Inflorescences

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

bracts ovate to lanceolate, shorter than flowers.

Capsules

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

Seeds

flat, broadly winged, 10–15 mm.

Tepals

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.

Veratrum insolitum

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

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.
Parent taxa Liliaceae > Veratrum
Sibling taxa
V. album, V. californicum, V. fimbriatum, V. viride
Name authority Jepson: Fl. Calif. 1: 266. (1921)
Web links