|
|
| Photo
by Renee Brecht |
Britton and Brown. See
credits below.** |
| Botanical name: |
Erythronium americanum ker Gawl |
| Common
name: |
trout lily; dog-tooth violet |
| Synonomy: |
|
| Group: |
Monocot |
| Family: |
Liliaceae |
| Growth
Type: |
Forb/herb |
| Duration: |
Perennial |
| Origin: |
Native |
| Plant
height: |
4-10" |
| Foliage: |
Basal, petiolate Green leaves with purple mottling, reminiscent of
speckled skin of a trout (hence the common name "trout" lily). Fertile
plants generally have 2 leaves; sterile plants, one. |
| Flower
color: |
yellow |
| Flower
size: |
1" wide; 3 petals and 3 petal-like sepals |
| Flowering/fruiting time |
March to May |
| Habitat: |
rich, moist woods and meadows |
| Range
in
New Jersey: |
all counties except Burlington, Atlantic, Cape May, Passaic, Essex, and Union |
| Heritage ranking if any: |
n/a |
| Distribution: |
 |
| Misc.: |
Erythronium americanum, from the Greek word erythros, meaning “red.” This is a reference either to the red flower or the reddish blotching of some Erythronium species.
Low-growing plants that form colonies of plants of different ages. The
youngsters are flowerless and have only one leaf, while older plants
produce two leaves and a single flower.
Traditionally
the bulbs and leaves were eaten by Native Americans; the plants were
also used for ulcers and as a contraceptive. Excessive ingestion of
this plant can cause vomitting.
Although one of the common names
of this plant is "dogtooth violet", it refers to the shape of the corm;
it is not a violet, but a lily.
|
| |
Not sure what a word means? Use Answers.com:
|
|
Sources
**USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. Vol. 1: 506. |
|
