familyLiliaceae
genusMedeola

Medeola

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 1: 339. 1753.

,

Gen. Pl. ed. 5, 158. 1754.

Common names: Indian cucumber-root concombre sauvage jarnotte
Etymology: for Medea, mythical sorceress
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 26. Treatment on page 150. Mentioned on page 15, 51, 56, 152.
 TaxonIllustrator 
FNA26 Plate 019.jpegUvularia grandiflora
Medeola virginiana
Clintonia uniflora
Clintonia andrewsiana
Barbara Alongi
Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey
Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey
Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey

Herbs, perennial, from tapered, white, tuberlike, horizontal rhizomes. Stems simple, slender. Leaves in 2 whorls; proximal blades oblong-oblanceolate, base attenuate, margins entire, apex acuminate; distal blades ovate, rounded at base, apex acuminate. Inflorescences terminal, umbellate, (2–) 3–9-flowered, sessile. Flowers: tepals caducous, 6, similar, recurved, distinct; stamens 6; anthers versatile, oblong, extrorse; ovary superior, 3-locular; styles 3, recurved, distinct to base, often purple; pedicel declined or spreading in flower, erect in fruit. Fruits baccate, dark purple to black, globose. Seeds few, shiny brown, subglobose. x = 7.

Distribution

e North America

Discussion

Species 1.

Medeola was removed from its long association with Trillium and Paris (tribe Parideae) when A. L. Takhtajan (1987, 1997) created the monotypic Medeolaceae, placing it next to a strictly defined Liliaceae. M. N. Tamura (1998c) included Medeola and Clintonia in the tribe Medeoloideae within a narrowly defined Liliaceae. The association of Medeola and Clintonia is supported by molecular analysis (K. Hayashi et al. 1998, 2001; T. B. Patterson and T. J. Givnish 1998) as well as morphology (R. Y. Berg 1962; M. Takahashi 1984; F. H. Utech 1978e), embryology (R. Y. Berg 1962b), and cytology (R. M. Stewart and R. Bamford 1942; M. N. Tamura 1995).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

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

... more about "Medeola"
acuminate +
Frederick H. Utech +
Linnaeus +
whorled +, opposite +  and alternate +
attenuate +
reticulate-veined +  and parallel-veined +
sheathing +  and involucrate +
1;several +
tunicate +  and scaly +
Indian cucumber-root +, concombre sauvage +  and jarnotte +
rounded +  and ovate +
e North America +
for Medea, mythical sorceress +
connate-coroniform +  and dilated +
sessile +  and pedicellate +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
dark purple;black +
indehiscent +, septicidal +  and loculicidal +
globose +
membranaceous +  and leathery +
sessile +, (2-)3-9-flowered +  and umbellate +
paired +, paniculate +  and racemose +
persistent +
many;several +
erect +, spreading +  and declined +
zygomorphic +  and actinomorphic +
oblong-oblanceolate +
Sp. Pl. +  and Gen. Pl. ed. +
1753 +  and 1754 +
tuberlike +  and tapered +
wind-distributed +
subglobose +
adnate +  and free +
staminodial +
slender +
1 +  and several +
distinct +
Medeola +
Liliaceae +
distinct +
sepaloid +  and petaloid +
narrower +
caulescent +  and scapose +