Trillium viride
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Liliales
Family: Melanthiaceae
Genus: Trillium
Species:
T. viride
Binomial name
Trillium viride

Trillium viride, commonly called the wood wakerobin,[1] is a species of flowering plant in the family Melanthiaceae. It is found in the central United States, in certain parts of Missouri and Illinois.[2][3] The specific epithet viride means "youthful" or "fresh-green",[4] an apparent reference to the color of the plant's flower petals. For this reason, it is also called the green trillium, not to be confused with other green-flowered trilliums such as T. viridescens and the green form of T. sessile, both of which are found in Missouri.

Description

Trillium viride was first described by Lewis Caleb Beck in 1826.[5] It is a perennial herb up to 35 cm tall. Flowers are sometimes entirely green, sometimes entirely purple, sometimes 2-tone with green and purple streaks or bands. The plant grows in richly wooded areas, often on steep hillsides.[6]

Similar species

Since T. viride and T. viridescens are morphologically similar, they are often confused. The following table compares the two species character by character:[7][8]

T. viride T. viridescens
Leaves Leaves narrowly to broadly elliptic; apex blunt to rounded-acute Leaves ovate-elliptic to broadly so; apex acuminate
Flowers Petals green or yellowish-green (rarely all purple) above a weak purplish claw; odor of rotten fruit Petals green or yellowish-green (rarely all purple) above a distinct purplish claw; odor musty
Floral organs Carpels two-thirds the height of the stamens; anthers introrse/latrorse; stigmas rarely extending between stamens Carpels half the height of the stamens; anthers latrorse; stigmas usually extending between the stamens
Fruits Fruit ovoid, angled, green-white Fruit ovoid, angled, dark purplish-green or green

Most importantly, T. viride exhibits one unique feature among all trilliums: the entire upper surface of each leaf is covered with numerous stomata, seen to the naked eye as tiny white dots. In comparison, T. viridescens has at most a few stomata near the leaf tip only.

T. viride has numerous other look-alikes. Of particular importance is T. sessile, which may have yellow-green petals. The two are readily distinguished by examining their respective floral dimensions. The stamens of T. sessile are more than half the length of its petals whereas the stamens of T. viride are less than half the length of its petals.

Distribution

Trillium viride occurs within a relatively small region along the Missouri River in east-central Missouri, and along both sides of the Mississippi River in eastern Missouri and southwestern Illinois. It prefers rich woods, bluffs, and rocky hillsides.

T. viride is known to occur in the following counties in Missouri and Illinois:[2][3][9]

  • Missouri: Audrain, Barry, Benton, Bollinger, Boone, Butler, Callaway, Carter, Crawford, Franklin, Iron, Jefferson, Lincoln, Madison, Moniteau, Montgomery, Perry, Pike, Ralls, Saint Charles, Saint Francois, Saint Genevieve, Saint Louis, Saint Louis City, Taney, Warren, Washington, Wayne
  • Illinois: Adams, Franklin, Jackson, Macoupin, Perry, Pike, Union, Williamson

In the above lists, boldface indicate those counties where both T. viride and T. viridescens are known to occur.

Bibliography

  • Case, Frederick W.; Case, Roberta B. (1997). Trilliums. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. ISBN 978-0-88192-374-2.
  • Freeman, J. D. (1975). "Revision of Trillium subgenus Phyllantherum (Liliaceae)". Brittonia. 27 (1): 1–62. doi:10.2307/2805646. JSTOR 2805646. S2CID 20824379.

References

  1. ↑ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Trillium viride". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Trillium viride L.C.Beck". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Trillium viride". County-level distribution map from the North American Plant Atlas (NAPA). Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2014.
  4. ↑ Gledhill, David (2008). The Names of Plants (4th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 402. ISBN 978-0-521-86645-3.
  5. ↑ Beck, Lewis Caleb (1826). "Trillium viride". American Journal of Science and Arts. 11 (1): 178. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  6. ↑ Case Jr., Frederick W. (2002). "Trillium viride". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 26. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  7. ↑ Freeman (1975), p. 45.
  8. ↑ Case & Case (1997), p. 81.
  9. ↑ "Trillium viridescens". County-level distribution map from the North American Plant Atlas (NAPA). Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2014.
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