Stenanthium gramineum

(Ker Gawler) Morong

Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 5: 110. 1894.

Common names: Feather-bells feather-fleece
IllustratedEndemic
Basionym: Helonias graminea Ker Gawler Bot. Mag. 39: plate 1599. 1813
Synonyms: Stenanthium gramineum var. micranthum Fernald Stenanthium gramineum var. robustum (S. Watson) Fernald Stenanthium robustum
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 26. Treatment on page 89. Mentioned on page 87, 88.

Bulbs slender, ellipsoid, 3–8 cm. Stems 5–20 dm. Leaves numerous, ascending; blade narrowly linear, channeled, 20–70 × 0.5–3 cm, apex acuminate to obtuse. Inflorescences freely branching, terminal panicles of many compound racemes; terminal racemes longer than lateral; bracts linear, 2 mm. Flowers erect; perianth rotate; tepals not recurved distally, white to greenish yellow, narrowly lanceolate, 4–10 × 1–2 mm, apex acute to narrowly acuminate; tepal glands absent; stamens 1–4 mm; filaments equal; pedicel divergent, 4–6 mm. Capsules oblong, cylindric to ovoid, 6–10 mm including divergent style beaks. Seeds brown, ellipsoid to lanceoloid, 5–8(–10) mm. 2n = 20.


Phenology: Flowering mid–late summer.
Habitat: Moist woods, thickets, and meadows
Elevation: 0–1200 m

Distribution

V26 92-distribution-map.jpg

Ala., Ark., D.C., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Ky., La., Md., Mich., Mo., N.C., Ohio, Pa., S.C., Tenn., Tex., Va., W.Va.

Discussion

Stenanthium gramineum shares molecular affinities with the Zigadenus densus (Desrousseaux) Fernald and Z. leimanthoides A. Gray species pair (W. B. Zomlefer et al. 2001).

The varieties of Stenanthium gramineum recognized by M. L. Fernald, but not here, are indistinct and sympatric (R. R. Gates 1918; R. G. Johnson 1969). The disjunct upper Michigan localities represent locally established waifs (E. G. Voss 1972–1985, vol. 1).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Stenanthium gramineum"
Frederick H. Utech +
(Ker Gawler) Morong +
Helonias graminea +
Feather-bells +  and feather-fleece +
Ala. +, Ark. +, D.C. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Ky. +, La. +, Md. +, Mich. +, Mo. +, N.C. +, Ohio +, Pa. +, S.C. +, Tenn. +, Tex. +, Va. +  and W.Va. +
0–1200 m +
Moist woods, thickets, and meadows +
Flowering mid–late summer. +
Mem. Torrey Bot. Club +
Illustrated +  and Endemic +
Stenanthium gramineum var. micranthum +, Stenanthium gramineum var. robustum +  and Stenanthium robustum +
Stenanthium gramineum +
Stenanthium +
species +