Erythronium mesochoreum

Knerr

Midland College Monthly 2: 5. 1891.

Common names: Prairie trout-lily
IllustratedEndemic
Synonyms: Erythronium albidum var. coloratum Sterns Erythronium albidum var. mesochoreum (Knerr) Rickett
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 26. Treatment on page 163. Mentioned on page 153, 154, 155, 162.

Bulbs ovoid to ± globose, 10–25 mm; stolons absent; flowering plants reproducing vegetatively by droppers or offshoots. Leaves 5–14 cm; blade green, usually not mottled, elliptic-lanceolate to ovatelanceolate, conduplicate, glaucous, base and margins sometimes purple-brown, margins even. Scape 5–15 cm. Inflorescences 1-flowered. Flowers: tepals spreading at anthesis, white, tinged pink, blue, or lavender abaxially, with yellow adaxial spot at base, lanceolate, 15–30 mm, auricles absent; stamens 8–15 mm; filaments yellow, lanceolate; anthers yellow; pollen yellow; style white, 7–10 mm; stigma lobes recurving, 1–1.5 mm. Capsules resting on ground at maturity due to reclining peduncle, obovoid, 10–15 mm, apex rounded to faintly apiculate or umbilicate. 2n = 22.


Phenology: Flowering spring.
Habitat: Prairies, glades, dry, open woods, occasionally pastures
Elevation: 100–700 m

Distribution

V26 276-distribution-map.jpg

Ark., Ill., Iowa, Kans., Mo., Nebr., Okla., Tex.

Discussion

Because stolons are absent in Erythronium mesochoreum, most plants in a population produce flowers; nonflowering plants may sometimes appear after flowering plants have flowered. This species is well adapted to prairie fires. The seeds have elaiosomes, and ants may act as dispersal agents (Great Plains Flora Association 1986). C. C. Deam et al. (1941) reported E. mesochoreum from Indiana, but an examination of the specimens cited, now at IND, showed that these are E. albidum. E. L. Braun (1967) reported that many populations of E. albidum in southwestern Ohio indicate introgression with “the Ozarkean var. mesochoreum….” However, personal observation by K. R. Robertson of several Ohio populations in flower confirmed that these plants are true E. albidum, although they occur in prairies and have more or less conduplicate leaves.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"broad" is not a number."thicker" is not a number.

... more about "Erythronium mesochoreum"
versatile +  and dorsifixed +
cordate +  and linear +
loculicidal +
rounded +  and faintly apiculate or umbilicate +
Geraldine A. Allen +  and Kenneth R. Robertson +
whorled +, opposite +  and alternate +
purple-brown +
narrowed +
reticulate-veined +  and parallel-veined +
mottled +  and green +
elliptic-lanceolate +  and ovatelanceolate +
6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br /> (60 cm600 mm <br />0.6 m <br />) +
sheathing +  and involucrate +
1;several +
tunicate +  and scaly +
additional +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
Prairie trout-lily +
Ark. +, Ill. +, Iowa +, Kans. +, Mo. +, Nebr. +, Okla. +  and Tex. +
100–700 m +
lanceolate +
sessile +  and pedicellate +
erect +  and nodding +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
indehiscent +, septicidal +  and loculicidal +
obovoid +  and oblong +
membranaceous +  and leathery +
Prairies, glades, dry, open woods, occasionally pastures +
persistent +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (14 cm140 mm <br />0.14 m <br />) +
recurved +  and erect +
purple-brown +
many;several +
due-to-reclining +
zygomorphic +  and actinomorphic +
Flowering spring. +
Midland College Monthly +
reddish +  and green +
elongating +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
wind-distributed +
1 +  and many +
Illustrated +  and Endemic +
many +  and few +
more sparingly without than those extensive vegetative reproduction +
adnate +  and free +
staminodial +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
1 +  and several +
3-lobed +  and unlobed +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
Erythronium albidum var. coloratum +  and Erythronium albidum var. mesochoreum +
Erythronium mesochoreum +
Erythronium +
species +
lavender;blue;lavender;blue;tinged pink;white +
distinct +
lanceolate +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
sepaloid +  and petaloid +
narrower +
lanceolate;ovate +
3 +  and 2 +