Trillium flexipes

{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}

{{Speciesbox

|image = Trillium flexipes.jpg

|status = G5

|status_system = TNC

|status_ref = {{cite web|publisher=NatureServe|title=Trillium flexipes|work=NatureServe Explorer

|url=https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.146626/Trillium_flexipes|access-date=16 November 2021}}

|genus = Trillium

|species = flexipes

|authority = Raf.

|synonyms_ref = {{WCSP|290639}}

|synonyms =

  • Trillium declinatum Gleason 1906, nom. illeg.
  • Trillium declinatum f. walpolei Friesner
  • Trillium flexipes f. walpolei (Farw.) Fernald
  • Trillium gleasonii Fernald

}}

Trillium flexipes, known as the nodding wakerobin, bent trillium, or drooping trillium, is a species of flowering plant in the family Melanthiaceae.{{PLANTS|id=TRFL6|taxon=Trillium flexipes|accessdate=15 December 2015}}{{eFloras |1 |242101992 |Trillium flexipes |volume=26 |last=Case Jr. |first=Frederick W.}}{{cite web |last1=Stritch |first1=Larry |title=Nodding Wakerobin (Trillium flexipes) |url=https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/trillium_flexipes.shtml |publisher=United States Forest Service |access-date=7 October 2019}} It is found from Minnesota to Ohio, south to Tennessee, with isolated (and sometimes rare) populations in New York, Pennsylvania, Alabama, and other states.{{BONAP |ref |genus=Trillium |species=flexipes}} It is an endangered species in Ontario{{cite web |title=Drooping trillium |url=https://www.ontario.ca/page/drooping-trillium |publisher=Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks |access-date=25 August 2019}} and threatened in North Carolina.{{cite web |title=List of Rare Plant Species of North Carolina |url=https://www.ncnhp.org/documents/2022-rare-plant-list/open |publisher=North Carolina Natural Heritage Program |access-date=1 April 2024}}

Description

T. flexipes is a perennial herbaceous plant that spreads by means of underground rhizomes. In northern areas, the flower tends to hang below the leaves, while central and southern strains have a large erect flower.{{sfnp|Case|Case|1997|p=103}} The flower petals are normally white but can be reddish or maroon. The fruit is rosy red to purplish and fragrant of ripe fruit.

{{Gallery |mode=packed

|Trillium_flexipes_flower_detail.jpg|Typical flower with white petals

|Trillium_flexipes_red_morph_flower_flip.jpg|Variant with red petals

}}

T. flexipes is known to hybridize with other Trillium species. In particular, hybrids between T. flexipes and T. erectum can occur. Indeed, the red-petaled forms of T. flexipes tend to occur in regions where the ranges of both species coincide.{{cite web |last1=Jalava |first1=Jarmo V. |last2=Ambrose |first2=John D. |title=Recovery Strategy for the Drooping Trillium (Trillium flexipes) in Ontario |url=https://www.ontario.ca/page/drooping-trillium-recovery-strategy |website=Ontario Recovery Strategy Series |access-date=23 January 2020 |date=2012}} Hybridization is also suspected between T. flexipes and T. sulcatum.{{sfnp|Patrick|1984|pp=34-35}}

Bibliography

  • {{cite book |last1=Case |first1=Frederick W. |last2=Case |first2=Roberta B. |year=1997 |title=Trilliums |location=Portland, Oregon |publisher=Timber Press |isbn=978-0-88192-374-2 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/trilliums00case }}
  • {{cite journal |last=Patrick |first=Thomas S. |title=Trillium sulcatum (Liliaceae), a New Species of the Southern Appalachians |journal=Brittonia |publisher=New York Botanical Garden |volume=36 |issue=1 |pages=26–36 |year=1984 |doi=10.2307/2806287 |jstor=2806287 |s2cid=85116255 }}

References

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