Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Liliales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Trillium decumbens
FAMILY
Trilliaceae
Go to FSUS key
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Trillium decumbens
FAMILY
Liliaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Trillium decumbens
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Trillium decumbens
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Trillium decumbens
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Trillium decumbens
COMMON NAME:
Decumbent Trillium, Trailing Trillium
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
Richard and Teresa Ware rtw_trillium_decumbens_23
March
Flowers half or more as long as subtending leaves [vs. T. reliquum < half], per Trilliums of Georgia (Patrick, 2007).
)
Richard and Teresa Ware rtw_trillium_decumbens_4
March
)
Ed Pivorun ebp090404_4829
April Walker County GA
The Pocket on Pigeon Mountain
Leaves are strongly variegated & rest on the ground, per Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005).
)
Ed Pivorun ebp090404_4830
April Walker County GA
The Pocket on Pigeon Mountain
Petals are 2-3" long, about 4x longer than the stamens, per Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005).
)
Ed Pivorun ebp090404_4940
April Walker County GA
The Pocket on Pigeon Mountain
The three sessile petals are slightly twisted, per Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005).
)
Ed Pivorun ebp090404_5008
April Walker County GA
Pigeon Mountain
Sepals divergent, green- or maroon-streaked, lanceolate-ovate, per Flora of North America.
)
Ed Pivorun ebp090404_5056
April Walker County GA
Pigeon Mountain
)
Ed Pivorun ebp090404_5057
April Walker County GA
Pigeon Mountain
It should be sought in extreme sw. NC, an "under-botanized" area, per Weakley's Flora (2012).
)
JK Marlow jkm090404_005
April Walker County GA
Pigeon Mountain
Uppermost stem is fuzzy with tiny hairs (vs. that of T. reliquum is smooth), per Trilliums of Georgia (Patrick, 2007).
)
JK Marlow jkm110416_863
April Etowah County AL
Leaves often as broad as long, per Trilliums of Georgia (Patrick, 2007).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Trillium decumbens
FAMILY
Trilliaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Trillium decumbens
FAMILY
Liliaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Trillium decumbens
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America
Trillium decumbens
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Trillium decumbens
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Trillium decumbens
2918
Forb
Perennial
Habitat: Moist forests, per Weakley's Flora
Native to Georgia
Uncommon
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Simple
A single terminal whorl of 3 leaves
Leaves sessile
FLOWER:
Spring
Maroon
Flowers are sessile.
Radially symmetrical
3 sepals
3 petals
Bisexual
FRUIT:
Spring/Summer
Dark purple
Berry
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Field Guide to the Rare Plants of Georgia (Chafin, 2007) p413
- Wildflowers of the Eastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1999) p167
- Field Guide to the Wildflowers of Georgia (Chafin, 2016) p422
- Wildflowers of Tennessee (Carman, 2005) p373
- Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005) p426
- Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998) p017
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".