Trillium cernuum
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''Trillium cernuum'' is a
species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of
flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
in the bunchflower
family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
Melanthiaceae Melanthiaceae, also called the bunchflower family, is a family of flowering herbaceous perennial plants native to the Northern Hemisphere. Along with many other lilioid monocots, early authors considered members of this family to belong to the ...
. The
specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...
''cernuum'' means "drooping, curving forwards, facing downwards", a distinctive habit of its flower. It is commonly called nodding trillium or nodding wakerobin (not to be confused with ''
Trillium flexipes ''Trillium flexipes'', known as the nodding wakerobin, bent trillium, or drooping trillium, is a species of flowering plant in the family Melanthiaceae. It is found from Minnesota to Ohio, south to Tennessee, with isolated (and sometimes rare) po ...
'') since the flower is invariably found nodding beneath the leaves. It is sometimes referred to as the northern nodding trillium to distinguish from ''
Trillium rugelii ''Trillium rugelii'', also known as the southern nodding trillium or illscented wakerobin, is a species of flowering plant in the family Melanthiaceae. It is native to parts of the southeastern United States. It is found in the Great Smoky Mounta ...
'', a similar nodding species native to the southern
Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...
. It is also called the whip-poor-will flower since presumably its bloom coincides with the spring arrival of the migrating bird with the same name. ''Trillium cernuum'' was thought to be one of three species of ''Trillium'' described by Swedish botanist
Carl Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the ...
in 1753 (the other two being ''
Trillium erectum ''Trillium erectum'', the red trillium, also known as wake robin, purple trillium, bethroot, or stinking benjamin, is a species of flowering plant in the family (biology), family Melanthiaceae. The plant takes its common name "wake robin" by anal ...
'' and ''
Trillium sessile ''Trillium sessile'' is a species of flowering plant in the bunchflower family Melanthiaceae. The specific epithet ''sessile'' means "attached without a distinct stalk", an apparent reference to its stalkless flower. It is commonly known as toads ...
''). The specimen examined by Linnaeus was actually '' Trillium catesbaei'', a nodding species native to the southern Appalachian Mountains where ''Trillium cernuum'' does not occur. This oversight led to much confusion, some of which continues to this day. Within its natural range, ''Trillium cernuum'' is often confused with two closely related ''Trillium'' species, ''Trillium erectum'' and ''Trillium flexipes''. The three species are known to interbreed with one another, which adds to the confusion. The nodding trillium is the most northerly ''Trillium'' species in
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
, occurring as far north as
Hudson Bay Hudson Bay ( crj, text=ᐐᓂᐯᒄ, translit=Wînipekw; crl, text=ᐐᓂᐹᒄ, translit=Wînipâkw; iu, text=ᑲᖏᖅᓱᐊᓗᒃ ᐃᓗᐊ, translit=Kangiqsualuk ilua or iu, text=ᑕᓯᐅᔭᕐᔪᐊᖅ, translit=Tasiujarjuaq; french: b ...
and as far south as northern
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
. (Reports south of Virginia are most likely other species such as ''Trillium rugelii'', ''Trillium catesbaei'', or ''Trillium flexipes''.) ''Trillium cernuum'' is found on rich, moist soils in both broadleaf and coniferous woodlands.


Description

''Trillium cernuum'' is a
perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...
herbaceous plant Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of t ...
that spreads by means of an underground
rhizome 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 ...
. Up to three scapes (stems) rise directly from the rhizome, each standing tall. At the apex of the scape is a
whorl A whorl ( or ) is an individual circle, oval, volution or equivalent in a whorled pattern, which consists of a spiral or multiple concentric objects (including circles, ovals and arcs). Whorls in nature File:Photograph and axial plane floral ...
of three leaf-like
bract In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of ...
s, each long and wide. Flowering occurs from late April to early June, possibly as late as July in the northern part of its range. A solitary
flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...
hangs below the bracts (leaves) on a short recurved
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 ...
long. The flower has three slender pale green
sepal 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 ...
s, each long, and three strongly recurved white (rarely pink)
petal Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...
s, each long and wide. The flower is
bisexual Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...
with six
stamen 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 ...
s and a single white (or pink)
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. ...
shaped like a pyramid. Each stamen consists of a thin white filament and a pale lavender-pink (or gray)
anther 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 filam ...
. The filaments and anthers are about the same length. If the flower is successfully
pollinated Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther of a plant to the stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds, most often by an animal or by wind. Pollinating agents can be animals such as insects, birds, ...
, a single
fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...
develops. Initially the fruit is white (or pink), ripening to a dark red by late summer. When ripe, the fruit is a plump six-lobed
berry A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples are strawberries, raspb ...
up to in diameter. Historically, ''Trillium cernuum'' has been confused with several nodding ''Trillium'' species native to the southern
Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...
. (See the
Taxonomy Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification. A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...
section for more background information.) Within its natural range, ''T. cernuum'' is often confused with two
sympatric In biology, two related species or populations are considered sympatric when they exist in the same geographic area and thus frequently encounter one another. An initially interbreeding population that splits into two or more distinct species sh ...
''Trillium'' species, ''T. erectum'' and ''T. flexipes''. The following table compares these three species character by character while emphasizing the important characteristics of ''T. cernuum'': Identification typically requires a mature, flowering plant. When not in flower, the three species are difficult to distinguish. Moreover, the three species are known to interbreed with one another, which can add to the confusion. To distinguish among ''T. cernuum'', ''T. erectum'', and ''T. flexipes'', start by examining the pedicel. If the pedicel is longer than , it is not ''T. cernuum''. More importantly, the pedicel of ''T. cernuum'' is strongly recurved below the leaves while the other two species rarely exhibit this behavior. Northern forms of ''T. flexipes'' tend to have recurved pedicels and/or recurved petals. These forms closely resemble large plants of ''T. cernuum'' and so the two are often confused. In such cases, examine the stamens. The anthers of ''T. cernuum'' are slender, lavender-pink or purplish, with the anthers and filaments approximately equal in length, while the anthers of ''T. flexipes'' are thick, creamy white or yellow, with the anthers greatly exceeding the length of the usually very short filaments.


Taxonomy

''Trillium cernuum'' was first thought to be described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. Linnaeus gave the location of his
type specimen In biology, a type is a particular wiktionary:en:specimen, specimen (or in some cases a group of specimens) of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached. In other words, a type is an example that serves to a ...
as "Carolina" but ''T. cernuum'' (in the modern sense) does not range that far south. The resulting confusion surrounding the pedicellate-flowered ''Trillium'' species persisted for 150 years. In 1906, Gleason shed some light on the confusion by showing how to distinguish ''T. cernuum'' from ''T. flexipes'' on the basis of anther-filament ratio. However, Gleason mistakenly believed that the range of ''T. cernuum'' extended south to Georgia. Finally, in 1938, Barksdale showed conclusively that the specimen described by Linnaeus was actually ''T. catesbaei'' and that ''T. cernuum'' is absent from the southern Appalachian Mountains. ,
Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It was launched in March 2017 with the ultimate aim being "to enable users to access information on all the world's known seed-bearing plants by ...
(POWO) lists 14 
synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...
s for ''T. cernuum''. Although POWO accepts no
infraspecific name In botany, an infraspecific name is the scientific name for any taxon below the rank of species, i.e. an infraspecific taxon or infraspecies. (A "taxon", plural "taxa", is a group of organisms to be given a particular name.) The scientific names ...
s, numerous varieties and forms have been described. For example,
Eames Eames is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Aled Eames (1921–1996), Welsh maritime historian * Arthur Johnson Eames (1881–1969), American botanist * Benjamin T. Eames (1818–1901), American politician, U.S. Representative ...
and Wiegand described ''T. cernuum'' var. ''macranthum'' in 1923. The typical variety, found along the North American coast from Delaware to Newfoundland, is described as a small delicate plant, while variety ''macranthum'', found elsewhere, is claimed to be larger and more robust. Although there may be regional size trends, much of the variation in size is largely dependent upon soil nutrients, and so the variety is not generally accepted by botanists. Edgar T. Wherry (1885-1982) described ''Trillium cernuum'' f. ''tangerae'' in 1945. With deep rose-colored petals, the form is thought to be a hybrid with ''T. erectum''.


Distribution and habitat

The range of ''Trillium cernuum'' extends across
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, from
Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...
in the west to
Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
in the east, and as far south as northern
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
in the mid-Atlantic
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. The species is known to occur in the following provinces, states, and territories: * Canada: Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan * United States: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin * Other: Saint Pierre and Miquelon At the southern end of its range, ''T. cernuum'' grows in rich, cool, moist to swampy deciduous woods, and along shrubby stream banks and pond edges of deep forests. In Michigan, it also occurs along streams and swamps, but in conifer-hardwood forests. In its northern range, it occurs in dryer (although still moist), upland deciduous-coniferous woods. , ''T. cernuum'' is globally secure. It is vulnerable (or worse) in at least a dozen states and provinces. In particular, it is critically imperiled in Illinois, Indiana, and West Virginia. In
Lake County, Ohio Lake County is a county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 232,603. The county seat is Painesville. The county was established on March 6, 1840, from land given by Cuyahoga and Geauga Counties. Its name is der ...
, a single specimen was collected in 1879, but ''T. cernuum'' is now thought to be
extirpated Local extinction, also known as extirpation, refers to a species (or other taxon) of plant or animal that ceases to exist in a chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere. Local extinctions are contrasted with global extinct ...
from Ohio.


Bibliography

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References


External links

* * * * * * * {{Taxonbar, from=Q3024334 cernuum Flora of Eastern Canada Flora of the Northeastern United States Flora of the North-Central United States Flora of the United States Flora of the Appalachian Mountains Flora of the Great Lakes region (North America) Least concern flora of the United States Least concern flora of North America Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus