Melanthium virescens

• Interesting Facts
• Description
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Interesting Facts

Description

Genus Melanthium

Herbs, perennial , subscapose , from erect , tunicate bulbs with short, vertical rhizomes; fibrils persistent , brown, stiff; roots contractile, fleshy . Stems erect, simple , leafy, hollow, basally thickened. Leaves basal, simple, reduced upwards, bases sheathing ; blade linear , oblanceolate , elliptic to obovate , rarely plicate , glabrous , basally canaliculate , apex tapered to acute; sheaths tubular , closed . Inflorescences terminal , compound-racemose to open-paniculate, flexible , axes floccose ; bracts clasping , linear to subulate . Flowers of distal racemes bisexual , progressively smaller distally, proximal flowers staminate ; tepals persistent, 6, spreading , distinct to weakly connate basally, slightly adnate to ovary base, petaloid , gradually to abruptly narrowed into claws or claws absent, subequal , margin entire or undulate , apex acute to obtuse ; perigonal nectaries obscure to very prominent , 2 per tepal, adaxially basal on either side of midvein ; stamens 6, adnate to tepal bases; filaments strongly incurving; anthers basifixed , 1-locular, cordate-reniform; pollen sacs fugacious , confluent , dehiscence apical/valvate; ovary superior to partly inferior, nearly distinct, 3-locular; sepal nectaries absent; styles persistent, 3, spreading to recurved, turning inwards with age, distinct; stigmas minute; pedicel pubescent . Fruits capsular , deeply 3-lobed, dehiscence septicidal, then adaxially loculicidal; styles persistent, 3, beaklike. Seeds pale yellow to tan, broadly winged , flat, elliptic to lanceolate. x = 8.

Species 4: e North America.

Melanthium, often wholly or partly included in the closely related Veratrum (J. D. Ambrose 1975, 1980; S. M. Kupchan et al. 1961; J. H. Zimmerman 1958; W. B . Zomlefer 1997b; W. B. Zomlefer et al. 2001), is treated here as distinct (N. L. Bodkin 1978; B. Mathew 1989; M. N. Tamura 1998; S. Fuse and M. N. Tamura 2000). The eastern North American species of Melanthium differ from Veratrum primarily in their open inflorescences, which appear delicate and flexible; glabrous leaves; clawed tepals with two distinct, nonmarginal glands on either side of the midrib ; and incurving, fugacious stamens adnate to the tepals (N. L. Bodkin 1978).

Resolution of the problematical Melanthium-Veratrum species series will require full molecular and phylogenetic analysis of the group, especially of the narrow-leaved Asian Veratrum, several of which approximate Melanthium, such as V. mengtzeanum Loesener, V. micranthum Wang & Tang , V. stenophyllum Diels , and V. taliense Loesener f. (B. Mathew 1989). In eastern North America, an ecological replacement gradient occurs within the genus. Melanthium virginicum occurs mostly in wet habitats at lower elevations , while the Appalachian M. latifolium and the Ozark M. woodii commonly grow on mesic slopes , and M. parviflorum is most frequently found on or near mountain crests . Species of Melanthium should be considered poisonous, since complex alkaloids derived from steroidal precursors, similar to those in Veratrum, are present (S. M. Kupchan et al. 1961; R. Hegnauer 1962+, vol. 2; R. M. T. Dahlgren et al. 1985).[1]

Taxonomy

Notes

Publishing author : Kunth Publication : Enum. Pl. [Kunth] iv . 193

Similar Species

Members of the genus Melanthium

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 4 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:

M. latifolium (Broadleaf Bunchflower) · M. parviflorum (Appalachian Bunchflower) · M. virginicum (Virginia Bunchflower) · M. woodii (Ozark Bunchflower)

More Info

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Further Reading

• Bodkin, N. L. 1978. A Revision of North American Melanthium L. (Liliaceae). Ph.D. dissertation. University of Maryland.
• Leinfellner, W. 1961. Zur Kenntnis des Monokotyledonen Perigons. III. Die Perigonblatter einiger weiterer Melanthioideen (Melanthium, Zygadenus, Anticlea, Toxicoscordion, Veratrum und Kreysigia). Osterr. Bot. Z. 108: 108210.
• Zimmerman, J. H. 1958. A Monograph of Veratrum. Ph.D. dissertation. University of Wisconsin.

Notes

Contributors

• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed January 12, 2012.

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 10710093
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 15609089
• Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:538246-1
• International Plant Names Index (IPNI) ID: 538246-1
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 1332790

Footnotes

1. Norlyn L. Bodkin & Frederick H. Utech "Melanthium". in Flora of North America Vol. 26 Page 14, 56, 73, 77. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]

©2004-2012 David Stang. All rights reserved.