Melanthium woodii

(Robbins ex Alph. Wood) Bodkin

Novon 8: 332. 1998.

Common names: Ozark bunch-flower Wood’s bunch-flower
Endemic
Basionym: Veratrum woodii Robbins ex Alph. Wood Class-book Bot. ed. 2, 557. 1847
Synonyms: Veratrum intermedium Chapman
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 26. Treatment on page 79. Mentioned on page 77, 78.

Rhizomes 1.5–2 × 0.5–1 cm; bulbs 1–1.6 cm. Stems 1/2–2/3 floriferous, 0.7–1.5 (–2) m. Leaf-blades elliptic to oblanceolate, 20–50 × 3–10 cm, apex acute. Inflorescences 3–6 dm; terminal raceme 1–4 dm; secondary racemes spreading to ascending, 0.6–1.2 (–2.2) dm; tertiary racemes rare; bracts lanceolate to subulate, brownish green, 2–6 (–9) mm, floccose abaxially, proximally, and marginally. Tepals purplish maroon to chocolate brown adaxially, green abaxially, aging to dark green, obovate-oblanceolate, 5–10 × 1.8–4 mm, base gradually attenuate, not clawed, margins entire, apex obtuse; glands dark purple to nearly black, obcuneate, not nectariferous; stamens 4.5–6.5 mm; filaments adnate to tepal bases, 0.3 mm from ovary base, dilated basally, 1/2 or more as wide as tepals at insertion point; anthers 0.7 mm; ovary conic-ovoid, finely tomentose, becoming glabrate; styles 1.6–4 mm; pedicel spreading to ascending, 2–11 mm. Capsules elliptic-oblong, 18–25 × 10–15 mm, sparsely pubescent. Seeds 8–13 × 4–6 mm (including wings). 2n = 16.


Phenology: Flowering summer.
Habitat: Rich, moist, deciduous forests
Elevation: 10–800 m

Distribution

V26 68-distribution-map.jpg

Ark., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Ky., Mo., N.C., Ohio, Okla., Tenn.

Discussion

The purplish maroon to chocolate-brown tepals and the tomentose young ovaries are distinguishing characteristics of Melanthium woodii. In parts of Illinois and the Ozark regions of Missouri and Arkansas, this species sometimes is locally common, but often in the leafy sterile condition. Flowering is sporadic and appears to be promoted by fire (J. E. Ebinger 1993).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"broad" is not a number."dm" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property."dm" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

... more about "Melanthium woodii"
cordate-reniform +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (?) +
obtuse +  and acute +
Norlyn L. Bodkin +  and Frederick H. Utech +
(Robbins ex Alph. Wood) Bodkin +
whorled +, opposite +  and alternate +
not clawed +  and attenuate +
Veratrum woodii +
reticulate-veined +  and parallel-veined +
canaliculate +, elliptic +  and obovate +
sheathing +  and involucrate +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br />) +
brownish green +
1;several +
lanceolate;subulate +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.6 cm16 mm <br />0.016 m <br />) +
1.8 cm18 mm <br />0.018 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
elliptic-oblong +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
Ozark bunch-flower +  and Wood’s bunch-flower +
Ark. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Ky. +, Mo. +, N.C. +, Ohio +, Okla. +  and Tenn. +
10–800 m +
persistent +
sessile +  and pedicellate +
smaller +
loculicidal +  and septicidal +
3-lobed +
membranaceous +  and leathery +
dark purple +  and nearly black +
not nectariferous +
obcuneate +
Rich, moist, deciduous forests +
umbellate +, cymose +  and spicate +
compound-racemose +  and open-paniculate +
20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br /> (50 cm500 mm <br />0.5 m <br />) +
elliptic +  and oblanceolate +
persistent +
reduced +
undulate +  and entire +
distinct +
superior +  and partly inferior +
glabrate +  and tomentose +
conic-ovoid +
many;several +
spreading +  and ascending +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br />) +
zygomorphic +  and actinomorphic +
prominent +  and obscure to very +
Flowering summer. +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (?) +  and 2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (?) +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (?) +  and 1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (?) +
contractile +
wind-distributed +
pale-yellow +  and tan +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1.3 cm13 mm <br />0.013 m <br />) +
1 +  and many +
elliptic +  and lanceolate +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (?) +
staminodial +
0.45 cm4.5 mm <br />0.0045 m <br /> (0.65 cm6.5 mm <br />0.0065 m <br />) +
floriferous +
150 cm1,500 mm <br />1.5 m <br /> (200 cm2,000 mm <br />2 m <br />) +
70 cm700 mm <br />0.7 m <br /> (150 cm1,500 mm <br />1.5 m <br />) +
1 +  and several +
persistent +
distinct +
spreading +  and recurved +
beaklike +
0.16 cm1.6 mm <br />0.0016 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
Veratrum intermedium +
Melanthium woodii +
Melanthium +
species +
dark green;green;purplish maroon;chocolate brown adaxially +
persistent +
adnate +, distinct +  and weakly connate basally +
5mm;10mm +
obovate-oblanceolate +
subequal +
1.8mm;4mm +
sepaloid +  and petaloid +
narrower +
3 +  and 2 +