Melanthium woodii
| Ozark bunch-flower | |
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| Scientific classification | |
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| Species: | M. woodii
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| Binomial name | |
| Melanthium woodii (J.W. Robbins ex Alph. Wood) Bodkin
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Melanthium woodii, common names Wood's bunchflower[3] or Ozark bunch-flower, is a species formerly known as Veratrum woodii.[4][5] It is native to the central and southeastern parts of the United States, from Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma and Tennessee. It can be found in forested areas at elevations less than 800 m (2700 feet).[6]
Melanthium woodii is a perennial herb forming bulbs up to 1.6 cm (0.64 inches) and spreading by means of underground rhizomes. Leaves are elliptic to oblanceolate, up to 50 cm long. Inflorescences can be up to 60 cm (2 feet) long. The flowers contain the most distinguishing features of the species, as no other species in the genus has chocolate brown tepals and tomentose young ovaries.[7][8]
References
- ^ Tropicos
- ^ The Plant List
- ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Veratrum woodii". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
- ^ Zomlefer, W. B., W. S. Judd & K.N. Gandhi. 2010. Proposal to conserve the name Veratrum against Melanthium (Melanthiaceae). Taxon 59(2): 644–645.
- ^ Bodkin, N. L. 1978. A Revision of North American Melanthium L. (Liliaceae). Ph.D. dissertation. University of Maryland.
- ^ Flora of North America v26 p 79
- ^ Bodkin, Norlyn L. A new combination in Melanthium L.(Liliaceae). Novon 8(4): 332. 1998.
- ^ Illinois Natural History Survey