Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Dioscoreales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA (11/30/12):
Aletris farinosa
FAMILY
Nartheciaceae
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Learn more about Aletris from the Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Aletris farinosa
FAMILY
Liliaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 041-20-003:
Aletris farinosa
FAMILY
Liliaceae
COMMON NAME:
Northern White Colicroot, White-star Grass, Stargrass, Mealy Colicroot
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
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USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_alfa2_001_lvd
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JK Marlow jkm0505u_26
May Williamsburg County SC
Whitish flowers in a stiff, spikelike raceme 4-12" long, per Newcomb's Wildflower Guide.
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JK Marlow jkm090516_029
May
Francis Marion National Forest
Outer surface of perianth finely covered with blunt projections, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas..
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JK Marlow jkm090516_230
May Charleston County SC
Francis Marion National Forest
Perianth constricted just below the lobes; lobes lanceolate, spreading, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
)
JK Marlow jkm120525_504
May Oconee County SC
A close-set cluster of yellowish-green lance-shaped 2-5" basal leaves, per Atlantic Coastal Plain Wildflowers.
)
Steve Marlow snm090516_063
May Charleston County SC
Francis Marion National Forest
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JK Marlow jkm0406k_18
June Oconee County SC
The only Colicroot that occurs outside of the Southeastern Coastal Plain, per Atlantic Coastal Plain Wildflowers.
)
JK Marlow jkm0506i_22
June Oconee County SC
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JK Marlow jkm090613_012
June Greenville County SC
Ashmore Heritage Preserve
Pollinator at work.
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JK Marlow jkm090613_016
June
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JK Marlow jkm120623_095
June Greenville County SC
Ashmore Heritage Preserve
Fruit a 3-chambered capsule, tapered to a long beak, per Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians.
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Richard and Teresa Ware rtw_a_farinosa_colicroot2
June Floyd County GA
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JK Marlow jkm151108_659
November Oconee County SC
WEAKLEY'S FLORA (11/30/12):
Aletris farinosa
FAMILY
Nartheciaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Aletris farinosa
FAMILY
Liliaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 041-20-003:
Aletris farinosa
FAMILY
Liliaceae
47
Forb
Perennial
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Documented growing wild in GA NC SC
Common
Look for it in pine savannas, pine flatwoods, seepage bogs, upland woodlands, roadbanks, per Weakley's Flora
Click here to see a more detailed map from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Herbarium,
or click here to see a map from SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
...Wet
...Variable
LEAVES:
Simple
Mostly basal
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
White
Bisexual
Radially symmetrical
6 tepals, connate basally
6 stamens
Ovary partly superior
FRUIT:
Summer
Capsule
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Wildflowers p146
- Newcomb's Wildflower Guide p336
- Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast p171
- Wildflowers of the Carolina Lowcountry p176
- Wild Flowers of NC, 1st edition p030
- Wild Flowers of NC, 2nd edition p031
- Wildflowers of Tennessee p352
- Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians p408
- Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains p007
- Wildflowers of the Sandhills Region p193