Featherbells

Appearance

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.

Naming

Helonias graminea Ker Gawler, Bot. Mag. 39: plate 1599. 1813; Stenanthium gramineum var. micranthum Fernald; S. gramineum var. robustum (S. Watson) Fernald; S. robustum S. Watson

Distribution

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

Habitat

Moist woods, thickets, and meadows; 0--1200m.