All species are prerennial, but most are herbaceous (not having a woody stem) and die back, after flowering or fruiting, to underground bulbs, corms, or rhizomes. New plants form from bulb division or sprout from seeds, but usually do not begin flowering until about the fourth year, after the bulb has developed sufficiently. The flowers have 3 petals and 3 sepals, often very similar (in which they are referred to as perianth segments: you needed to know that, I'm sure.) There are typically 6 stamens. The fruit is either dry and cracking at maturity or fleshy in certain species - it is divided into 3 segments. There are few exceptions to the above general description. |
Chlorogalum pomeridianum |
Fritillaria affinis |
Smilacine stellata |
Trillium ovatum |
Smilacine stellata Flowers: White, six petals, star-shaped on single pedicels at top of stem. Blooms: February - April. Leaves: Narrow ("slim"), parallel veined, alternate and semi-clasping along stem, 3 -6" long. Fruit/Seeds: Red-purple berries. Location: Damp slopes along trails. Status: Native - Common. |
Smilacine stellata var sessilifolia 400x600 JPEG - 44K | |
Further description & Comment: 1 - 3 feet tall, single stems that grow each year from a ground-level network of creeping rhizomes and succulent rootlets. The main difference between Smilacine
racemosa (Fat/False Solomon's Seal) and Smilacine stellata
(Slim/Starry Solomon's Seal) is apparent (I hope) in the
pictures: one's fat and the other's slim. There are, of course, substantial
differences in the leaves, flowers, and general plant structures of the
two species, but in the field it is the chunkiness and slimness that immediately
distinguishes the two.
The roots of both species, but primarily Smilacine racemosa, are used in herbal medicines as anti-imflammatories and astringents. The fresh chopped root, cooked with honey, makes an excellent cough syrup. Fresh Smilacine root, ground up with a rock, can be an effective and soothing field poultice for stings, bites, burns, and small localized Poison Oak or Stinging Nettle - Stinging Phacelia rashes. Can't work any worse than Mugwort. |
Trillium albidum: Flowers: White, single flower; 3 upright petals directly above the plant's major leaves on stems up to 10 inches tall. Flower may turn pinkish with age. Interior parts of flower yellow-green, maybe tinged with purple as plant ages. Blooms: February - March. Leaves: Large green leaves, often with purple blotches, large and triangular; three per plant, radiating off stout stem above the ground. Fruit/Seeds: ?? Location: Shady, Moist trails. Often growing in bottom story of bushy areas. Plaskon Nature Trail (San Pedro Valley County Park), Saddle Pass area on San Pedro Road (McNee Ranch State Park). Status: Native - Common, but not easy to find. |
Sitting serenely in the dappled light under a Coffee Berry Bush near the Saddle Pass Area. |
Further description & Comment: Up to 1 ft tall. Trillium are best found looking under other, taller plants, especially in the "multi-storied" communities at higher elevations. Along San Pedro Road, in the area of the Saddle Pass, they can be found growing right along side the trail. The picture to the left shows two white flowers growing under Coffee Berry. | |
Sweet Trillium and Giant Trillium (Trillium chloropetalum) may be distinguished from the Coast Trillium (Trillium ovatum) by the flowers that grow directly above the leaves - Coast Trillium have their flowers elevated above the leaves 2 to 3 inches. Also, the Coast Trillium always has solid green leaves, while the other may have purple blotches. The image to the right shows a good detail of the flower structure - 600x450 JPEG - 24K |
Trillium chloropetalum:
Flowers: Dark red to greenish-white, three erect petals one to two inches long; single flower directly above leaves. Interior parts of flower mainly purple. Blooms: February - March. Leaves: Dark green with purple blotches, large and triangular; three per plant. Fruit/Seeds: ?? Location: Shady, moist trails, woods and thickets. Status: Native - Common. Further description & Comment: 1 ft tall. Distinguished from Trillium albidum (Sweet Trillium) by the purple interior flower parts, darker flower and slightly larger size. |
Photo by Bill and Barbara VanderWerf. |
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