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Stenanthium gramineum

(Eastern Featherbells)

Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Common Names in English:

Eastern Featherbells, Feather-Bells, Feather-Fleece, Featherbells

Description

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Genus Stenanthium

Herbs, perennial , from tunicate bulbs and reduced rhizomes; roots fibrous . Stems simple , mostly with 2-3 reduced bracts, glabrous . Leaves mostly basal, reduced distally, spiral , arching downward, sheathing proximally; blade narrowly linear to oblanceolate , strap-shaped , glabrous, apex acuminate or obtuse . Inflorescences terminal , racemose or paniculate , open, bracteate , glabrous. Flowers: proximalmost usually bisexual , distalmost staminate ; perianth tubular-campanulate or rotate; tepals persistent , 6, distinct or weakly connate basally, glandular or not, oblong-lanceolate or lanceolate, equal to subequal , apex acute to acuminate; claws absent; tepal glands, when present, 2-lobed, adaxial ; stamens 6, distinct or connate basally, equal or subequal; filaments lanceolate; anthers basifixed , 1-locular, obcordate-reniform; pollen sacs apically confluent , extrorse , opening into peltate disc; ovary superior to half-inferior, 3-locular proximally, 1-locular distal to ovules; septal nectaries absent; styles persistent, 3, spreading to recurved, distinct; stigmas minute. Fruits capsular , deeply 3-lobed, membranous, slenderly 3-beaked, dehiscence septicidal , then adaxially loculicidal. Seeds 3-4 per locule, brown to brownish black, narrowly oblong or ellipsoid to lanceoloid, flat, angled to winged . x = 8, 10.

Species 4: North America (including Mexico) ; e Asia.

The species of Stenanthium other than S. gramineum have at times been transferred to the segregate genus Stenanthella based on their racemose inflorescences, darker, campanulate flowers, and apically recurved tepals, leaving a monotypic Stenanthium with paniculate inflorescences, lighter colored , rotate flowers, and spreading tepals (P. A. Rydberg 1900). These differences are not sufficiently constant, however, to warrant the generic distinction (F. H. Utech 1987, 1987b). Among the melanthioid genera, Stenanthium shows greatest morphological similarities to Zigadenus Michaux (J. D. Ambrose 1975, 1980; S. J. Preece 1956; W. B . Zomlefer 1997b; W. B. Zomlefer et al. 2001).

Stenathium gramineum and S. occidentale are occasionally cultivated as garden ornamentals .[1]

Physical Description

Species Stenanthium gramineum

Bulbs slender, ellipsoid , 3-8 cm. Stems 5-20 dm. Leaves numerous , ascending ; blade narrowly linear , channeled , 20-70 × 0.5-3 cm, apex acuminate to obtuse . Inflorescences freely branching, terminal panicles of many compound racemes ; terminal racemes longer than lateral ; bracts linear, 2 mm. Flowers erect ; perianth rotate; tepals not recurved distally, white to greenish yellow, narrowly lanceolate, 4-10 × 1-2 mm, apex acute to narrowly acuminate; tepal glands absent; stamens 1-4 mm; filaments equal; pedicel divergent, 4-6 mm. Capsules oblong , cylindric to ovoid , 6-10 mm including divergent style beaks . Seeds brown, ellipsoid to lanceoloid, 5-8(-10) mm. 2n = 20. [source]

Stenanthium gramineum shares molecular affinities with the Zigadenus densus (Desrousseaux) Fernald and Z. leimanthoides A. Gray species pair (W. B . Zomlefer et al. 2001). [source]

The varieties of Stenanthium gramineum recognized by M. L. Fernald, but not here, are indistinct and sympatric (R. R. Gates 1918; R. G. Johnson 1969). The disjunct upper Michigan localities represent locally established waifs (E. G. Voss 1972-1985, vol. 1). [source]

Habit: Forb/herb

Flowers: Bloom Period: July. • Flower Color: near white, white

Size/Age/Growth

Size: 36-48" tall.

Habitat

Moist woods , thickets, and meadows; 0--1200 m [2].

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 1,672 meters (0 to 5,486 feet).[3]

Biology

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Reproduction

Duration: Perennial

Growth

Culture: Space 18-24" apart.

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Light Shade.

Temperature: Cold Hardiness: 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b. (map)

Taxonomy

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Unambiguous Synonyms

  1. Helonias graminea Ker Gawler, Bot. Mag. 39: Plate 1599. 1813
  2. S. gramineum var. robustum (S. Watson) Fernald
  3. S. robustum S. Watson
  4. Stenanthium gramineum var. micranthum Fernald

Notes

Publishing author : S.WatsonA tentatively accepted name in the RHS Horticultural Database.

Publishing author: [Ker-Gawl.] Publication : Bot. Mag. t. 1599; Pursh, Fl. Am. Sept. ii. 733 Name Status: Accepted Name. Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 15-Mar-2000

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Stenanthium

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 14 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:

S. angustifolium · S. densum · S. diffusum · S. frigidum · S. gramineum (Eastern Featherbells) · S. gramineum var. gramineum (Eastern Featherbells) · S. gramineum var. micranthum (Eastern Featherbells) · S. gramineum var. robustum (Eastern Featherbells) · S. gramineum var. typicum · S. leimanthoides · S. occidentale (Western Featherbells) · S. rhombipetalum · S. robustum · S. sachalinense

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 22, 2007:

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. Frederick H. Utech "Stenanthium". in Flora of North America Vol. 26 Page 55, 56, 82, 88. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
  2. "Stenanthium gramineum". in Flora of North America Vol. 26 Page 87, 88, 89. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
  3. Mean = 310.440 meters (1,018.504 feet), Standard Deviation = 308.950 based on 2,069 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]
Last Revised: 7/2/2009