Trillium ludovicianum

Rhizomes ± horizontal, brownish, short, thick, praemorse, not brittle. Scapes 1–3, round in cross section, 1.4–2.6 dm, ± slender, glabrous. Bracts held well above ground, sessile; blade strongly mottled in dark and bronzy green, often with central light strip, mottling becoming somewhat obscure with age, lanceolate-ovate, 5.3–9.5 × 2.3–5 cm, not glossy, margins of distal 1/3 convex-curved to apex, apex rounded-acute. Flower erect, odor of carrion; sepals displayed above bracts, spreading, green, lanceolate-oblanceolate, 19–35 × 2.7–4 mm, margins entire, apex rounded or acute to sometimes weakly reflexed; petals long-lasting, faintly introrsely curved-erect-spreading, weakly connivent, ± concealing stamens and ovary, dark maroon-brown, purplish, or dull greenish, or 2-colored, basal portion purple, distal portion grayish green, not spirally twisted, oblanceolate-linear, 3.5–5.5 × 0.4–0.8 cm, thick-textured, thickened and weakly clawed basally, margins entire, apex acute; stamens erect, straight, 10–18 mm; filaments olive-orange, 2–3 mm, widened basally; anthers erect, straight, olive to orange, 7–20 mm, slender, dehiscence latrorse; connectives olive to orange, straight, scarcely extended beyond anther sac; ovary purple, ovoid, 6-angled, 8–9 mm; stigmas erect, with spreading or coiled tips, distinct, pale purple, subulate, 3–6 mm, ± fleshy. Fruits dark purplish green, little or no odor, ovoid, 6-angled, pulpy.

Phenology: Flowering late winter–early spring (early Mar–Apr).
Habitat: Low flatwoods, floodplains along streams, steep ravine slopes leading to floodplains, mixed pine-beech woods
Elevation: 50–500 m

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

La., Miss.

Discussion

The range of Trillium ludovicianum is near to that of T. cuneatum in Mississippi, and the two appear to intergrade.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.