''Erythronium oregonum'' is a North American species of flowering plant in the lily family which is known by the common name giant white fawnlily or Oregon fawn-lily.

It is native to western North America, where it grows in the

Pacific Coast Ranges The Pacific Coast Ranges (officially gazetted as the Pacific Mountain System in the United States) are the series of mountain ranges that stretch along the West Coast of North America from Alaska south to Northern and Central Mexico. Although the ...

from southwestern

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

to northern

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

Distribution and habitat

In North America from southern

south to northern

, west of the Cascade Range to the Coast Range and Siskiyous. It grows in meadows, rocky outcrops, and coniferous forests.

Description

''Erythronium oregonum'' is wildflower growing from a bulb 3 to 5 centimeters wide and produces basal, lance-shaped green leaves up to 22 centimeters long and often mottled with brown and white. Thin naked stalks reach up to about 40 centimeters in height, each bearing one flower or sometimes more. Each flower has white

tepal A tepal is one of the outer parts of a flower (collectively the perianth). The term is used when these parts cannot easily be classified as either sepals or petals. This may be because the parts of the perianth are undifferentiated (i.e. of very ...

s with yellow bases, sometimes streaked with dull red. The flower is often nodding, facing the ground. Its tepals are recurved so their points face upward. The stamens and stigma are white and the anthers may be white to yellow. They are pollinated by beetles and flies.

Uses

Bears have been known to eat the entire plant. Native Americans ate the roots raw or cooked.

History

" John Burroughs is said to have named this species 'fawn lily' because he thought the two leaves looked like the pricked ears of a fawn. more likely, 'fawn' alludes to the mottled leaf coloring."

References

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment - ''Erythronium oregonumUnited States Department of Agriculture Plants Profile: Erythronium oregonum'''Erythronium oregonum - Calphotos Photo gallery
oregonum Flora of the West Coast of the United States Flora of British Columbia Natural history of the California Coast Ranges Plants described in 1935 {{Liliales-stub