''Scoliopus'', or fetid adderstongue, is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of plant within the family

Liliaceae The lily family, Liliaceae, consists of about 15 genera and 610 species of flowering plants within the order Liliales. They are monocotyledonous, perennial, herbaceous, often bulbous geophytes. Plants in this family have evolved with a fair ...

consisting of two species, '' Scoliopus bigelovii'' and '' S. hallii.'' Both are found in deep shaded forests, primarily in the coastal counties of the western United States from central California to northern Oregon. The name "''Scoliopus''" derives from the Greek words ''skolios'' and ''pous'', meaning curved foot, a reference to the shape of the

pedicel Pedicle or pedicel may refer to: Human anatomy *Pedicle of vertebral arch, the segment between the transverse process and the vertebral body, and is often used as a radiographic marker and entry point in vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures ...

Taxonomists In biology, taxonomy () is the scientific study of naming, defining ( circumscribing) and classifying groups of biological organisms based on shared characteristics. Organisms are grouped into taxa (singular: taxon) and these groups are given ...

believe that ''Scoliopus'' is closely related to ''

Calochortus ''Calochortus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the lily family. The group includes herbaceous, perennial and bulbous species, all native to North America (primarily the Western United States). The genus ''Calochortus'' includes mariposas ( ...

'', ''

Prosartes ''Prosartes'', the fairybells, is a North American genus of flowering plants in the lily family. For several decades plants of this genus were considered part of the otherwise Asian genus ''Disporum''. Studies of morphology and cytology, as we ...

'', '' Streptopus'' and '' Tricyrtis'', which all have creeping

rhizomes In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

as well as styles that divide at the tip.

Description

''Scoliopus'' has two mottled leaves at its base and a long pedicel that, over time, bends and twists so that the fruit touches the ground. The flowers, which bloom in the late winter and early spring, are pale green or yellow when fresh, lined with narrow purple or dark brown veins, with wide, spreading

sepals A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...

and narrower

petals Petals are modified leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corolla''. Petals are usually ...

, three

stamens The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

, and a three-angled

ovary The ovary is an organ in the female reproductive system that produces an ovum. When released, this travels down the fallopian tube into the uterus, where it may become fertilized by a sperm. There is an ovary () found on each side of the body. ...

. The flower's

nectaries Nectar is a sugar-rich liquid produced by plants in glands called nectaries or nectarines, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to animal mutualists ...

induce insects to enter and crawl around, with

pollen Pollen is a powdery substance produced by seed plants. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm cells). Pollen grains have a hard coat made of sporopollenin that protects the gametophyt ...

generally deposited on the insect's back. Fungus gnats (Sciaridae and Mycetophilidae) are the principle pollinators of ''Scoliopus bigelovii''.Michael Mesler, James D. Ackerman, Karen L. Lu. 1980. The Effectiveness of Fungus Gnats as Pollinators. American Journal of Botany, 67(4): 564-567. Botanist

John Thomas Howell John Thomas Howell (November 6, 1903 – May 7, 1994) was an American botanist and taxonomist. He became an expert of ''Eriogonum'' (buckwheat) species, which are widely represented in the native California flora. He was the assistant of Alice ...

described ''S. bigelovii'' as thrusting "ill-scented flowers" from two tightly rolled leaves as soon as they sprout. By the time the leaves develop, "the first fruits are already well formed at the ends of elongate sprawling twisting pedicels."

Species

Two characteristics separating the species are the shade of the flower and the regions where they grow. ''S. bigelovii'' flowers are greenish; ''S. hallii'' flowers are grayish-yellow. ''S. bigelovii'' grows in California from

San Luis Obispo County San Luis Obispo County (), officially the County of San Luis Obispo, is a county on the Central Coast of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 282,424. The county seat is San Luis Obispo. Junípero Serra founded the Mission ...

to Humboldt County. ''S. hallii'' grows in Oregon, often along streams, on the western slopes of the Cascades and in the state's coastal mountains, ranging from near Oregon's southern border to

Tillamook County Tillamook County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 27,390. The county seat is Tillamook. The county is named for the Tillamook or Killamook people, a Native American tribe who we ...

References

External links

Calflora Database: ''Scoliopus bigelovii'' (California fetid adderstongue) Jepson Manual eFlora (TJM2) treatment of ''Scoliopus bigelovii''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2708150 Liliaceae Endemic flora of California Natural history of the California Coast Ranges Natural history of the San Francisco Bay Area Liliaceae genera Taxa named by John Torrey