Trillium undulatum: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 00:40, 10 February 2025

Species of flowering plant

Trillium undulatum, commonly known as the painted trillium, is a species of flowering plant in the family Melanthiaceae. It is native to the northeastern United States and eastern Canada.

Description

Trillium undulatum is a perennial herbaceous plant that grows from a rhizome. It typically reaches a height of 15 to 40 cm. The plant is characterized by its three broad, wavy-margined leaves that are arranged in a whorl. The leaves are typically green with a distinctive mottled pattern.

The flower of T. undulatum is its most striking feature. It has three white petals with a central pink or red "V"-shaped marking. The petals are wavy and can be up to 5 cm long. The flower blooms in late spring to early summer.

Distribution and habitat

Trillium undulatum is found in cool, moist, acidic woodlands. It prefers shaded areas with rich, well-drained soil. The species is distributed across the northeastern United States, including states such as Maine, New York, and Pennsylvania, and extends into eastern Canada, including Quebec and Nova Scotia.

Ecology

The painted trillium is pollinated by insects, including bees and flies. The plant's seeds are dispersed by ants, a process known as myrmecochory. The seeds have a fleshy appendage called an elaiosome, which attracts ants.

Conservation

Trillium undulatum is considered to be of conservation concern in some areas due to habitat loss and over-collection. Efforts to conserve its habitat are important for maintaining healthy populations of this species.

Gallery

Trillium undulatum in bloom
Seedling in Vermont
Habitat of T. undulatum
Fruit of T. undulatum
Seeds of T. undulatum
Four-leaf variant
Distribution map in the USA

Related pages

References

Case, F. W., & Case, R. B. (1997). Trilliums. Timber Press.
Gleason, H. A., & Cronquist, A. (1991). Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. New York Botanical Garden.

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-'''Trillium undulatum''' is a species of flowering plant in the family [[Melanthiaceae]]. It is commonly known as the '''Painted Trillium''' due to its distinctive, three-petaled white flowers with a central splash of red. This perennial herb is native to the eastern [[United States]] and [[Canada]], where it is found in rich, moist, deciduous or mixed forests.
+{{short description|Species of flowering plant}}
+{{Taxobox
+| name = Trillium undulatum
+| image = Trillium_undulatum.jpg
+| image_caption = Trillium undulatum in bloom
+| regnum = Plantae
+| unranked_divisio = Angiosperms
+| unranked_classis = Monocots
+| ordo = Liliales
+| familia = Melanthiaceae
+| genus = Trillium
+| species = '''T. undulatum'''
+| binomial = ''Trillium undulatum''
+| binomial_authority = Willd.
+}}
-== Description ==
+'''''Trillium undulatum''''', commonly known as the painted trillium, is a species of flowering plant in the family [[Melanthiaceae]]. It is native to the northeastern [[United States]] and eastern [[Canada]].
-[[Trillium undulatum]] is a perennial herb that grows up to 40 cm tall. The plant has a single, unbranched stem with a whorl of three leaves at the top. The leaves are broadly ovate, up to 15 cm long and 11 cm wide, with a pointed tip and a wavy margin. The flowers are solitary, borne on a short stalk above the leaves. They have three white petals, each with a central red stripe, and three green sepals. The fruit is a red berry.
-== Distribution and habitat ==
+==Description==
-The Painted Trillium is native to the eastern United States and Canada. Its range extends from [[Nova Scotia]] and [[Quebec]] in the north, south to [[Georgia]] and west to [[Michigan]] and [[Minnesota]]. It is found in rich, moist, deciduous or mixed forests, often in the shade of mature trees.
+''Trillium undulatum'' is a perennial herbaceous plant that grows from a rhizome. It typically reaches a height of 15 to 40 cm. The plant is characterized by its three broad, wavy-margined leaves that are arranged in a whorl. The leaves are typically green with a distinctive mottled pattern.
-== Ecology ==
+The flower of ''T. undulatum'' is its most striking feature. It has three white petals with a central pink or red "V"-shaped marking. The petals are wavy and can be up to 5 cm long. The flower blooms in late spring to early summer.
-[[Trillium undulatum]] is a spring ephemeral, flowering in May and June before the canopy of the forest closes. The flowers are pollinated by insects, including bees and flies. The seeds are dispersed by ants, which are attracted to the elaiosomes, a fleshy structure attached to the seeds.
-== Conservation ==
+==Distribution and habitat==
-The Painted Trillium is not currently considered to be at risk of extinction. However, like all species of [[Trillium]], it is sensitive to habitat disturbance and loss. In some parts of its range, it is protected by law.
+''Trillium undulatum'' is found in cool, moist, acidic woodlands. It prefers shaded areas with rich, well-drained soil. The species is distributed across the northeastern United States, including states such as [[Maine]], [[New York]], and [[Pennsylvania]], and extends into eastern Canada, including [[Quebec]] and [[Nova Scotia]].
-== Cultivation ==
+==Ecology==
-[[Trillium undulatum]] is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant in gardens. It prefers a shady location and well-drained, humus-rich soil.
+The painted trillium is pollinated by insects, including bees and flies. The plant's seeds are dispersed by ants, a process known as myrmecochory. The seeds have a fleshy appendage called an elaiosome, which attracts ants.
-== References ==
+==Conservation==
-<references />
+''Trillium undulatum'' is considered to be of conservation concern in some areas due to habitat loss and over-collection. Efforts to conserve its habitat are important for maintaining healthy populations of this species.
-[[Category:Flora of the Eastern United States]]
+==Gallery==
-[[Category:Flora of Canada]]
+<gallery>
-[[Category:Melanthiaceae]]
+File:Trillium_undulatum.jpg|''Trillium undulatum'' in bloom
-{{Melanthiaceae-stub}}
+File:Trillium_undulatum_seedling_Vermont_August_2021.jpg|Seedling in Vermont
+File:2014-05-20_Bloc_B_JPA_(3).jpg|Habitat of ''T. undulatum''
+File:Trillium_fruit.jpg|Fruit of ''T. undulatum''
+File:Trillium_undulatum_seeds_Vermont_August_2020.jpg|Seeds of ''T. undulatum''
+File:Trillium_undulatum_(four-leaf)_Vermont_2019-07-18.jpg|Four-leaf variant
+File:Trillium_undulatum_in_the_USA.svg|Distribution map in the USA
+</gallery>
+==Related pages==
+* [[Trillium]]
+* [[Melanthiaceae]]
+* [[Myrmecochory]]
+==References==
+* Case, F. W., & Case, R. B. (1997). ''Trilliums''. Timber Press.
+* Gleason, H. A., & Cronquist, A. (1991). ''Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada''. New York Botanical Garden.
+[[Category:Trillium|undulatum]]
+[[Category:Flora of the Northeastern United States]]
+[[Category:Flora of Eastern Canada]]