familyLiliaceae
genusPleea

Pleea

Michaux

Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 247. 1803.

Common names: Rush-featherling
Etymology: for Auguste Plée, 1787–1825, French traveller in the New World
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 26. Treatment on page 59. Mentioned on page 11, 56, 58, 60.

Herbs, perennial, rhizomatous, glabrous. Leaves 2-ranked, equitant, mostly basal; blade linear. Inflorescences terminal, racemose, open, bracteate, bracteolate; bracteoles connate in epicalyx. Flowers arising singly; tepals persistent, 6, in 2 somewhat dissimiliar series, distinct; stamens 9(–10), 2 opposite each outer tepal, 1 opposite each inner; filaments dilated basally, flattened; anthers versatile, 2-locular, introrse, without appendages; ovary superior, stipitate, apocarpous basally, glabrous; intercarpellary nectary present; styles 3. Fruits capsular, ovoid to broadly ellipsoid, glabrous, dehiscence septicidal, then adaxially loculicidal. Seeds appendaged. x =15.

Distribution

North America.

Discussion

Species 1.

F. H. Utech (1978, 1979) clearly demonstrated the relationship of Pleea to Tofieldia sensu lato and reassigned the only species of the former to the latter. Morphologically, though, P. tenuifolia is a very distinctive species and, while it shares characteristics with both Tofieldia and Triantha, it is not in any way an intermediate.

Lower Taxa