Melanthium woodii

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
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Liliales
Family: Melanthiaceae
Genus: Melanthium
Species:
M. woodii
Binomial name
Melanthium woodii
(J.W. Robbins ex Alph. Wood) Bodkin
Synonyms[1][2]
  • Veratrum intermedium Chapm.
  • Veratrum woodii J.W. Robbins ex Alph. Wood

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
  1. Tropicos
  2. The Plant List
  3. "Veratrum woodii". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  4. Zomlefer, W. B., W. S. Judd & K.N. Gandhi. 2010. Proposal to conserve the name Veratrum against Melanthium (Melanthiaceae). Taxon 59(2): 644–645.
  5. Bodkin, N. L. 1978. A Revision of North American Melanthium L. (Liliaceae). Ph.D. dissertation. University of Maryland.
  6. Flora of North America v26 p 79
  7. Bodkin, Norlyn L. A new combination in Melanthium L.(Liliaceae). Novon 8(4): 332. 1998.
  8. Illinois Natural History Survey


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