Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Liliales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Stenanthium gramineum var. gramineum
FAMILY
Melanthiaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Learn more about Featherbells from the Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
INCLUDING
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Stenanthium gramineum var. gramineum
FAMILY
Liliaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Stenanthium gramineum
INCLUDED WITHIN Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 26 (2002)
Stenanthium gramineum
INCLUDING Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Stenanthium gramineum var. gramineum
INCLUDING Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Stenanthium gramineum var. micranthum
INCLUDED WITHIN VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 041-25-001:
Stenanthium gramineum FAMILY Liliaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Stenanthium gramineum
COMMON NAME:
Featherbells, Eastern Featherbells
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
JK Marlow jkm060521_203
May Macon County NC
Highlands Biological Station
Leaves 8-30" long and linear in outline, per Atlantic Coastal Plain Wildflowers (Nelson, 2006).
)
Rick Huffman frh_082518_4127
August
Smooth herb arising from a slender bulb, to 5' tall, with a 1-3' panicle, per Atlantic Coastal Plain Wildflowers (Nelson, 2006).
)
JK Marlow jkm0408k_30
August Oconee County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm060805_393
August Haywood County NC
Blue Ridge Parkway
)
JK Marlow jkm060805_397
August Haywood County NC
Blue Ridge Parkway
)
JK Marlow jkm080802_073
August Jackson County NC
Blue Ridge Parkway
)
JK Marlow jkm080802_083
August Jackson County NC
Blue Ridge Parkway
Perianth segments are 1/4" long, narrow, and acuminate, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998).
)
Keith Bradley kab_s_gramineum_2967
August Macon County NC
Nantahala National Forest
)
Tim Spira tpssgraminium
August
A branching 1-3' inflorescence (technically a panicle) tops the stem, per Atlantic Coastal Plain Wildflowers (Nelson, 2006).
)
JK Marlow jkm061029_169
October Oconee County SC
Sumter National Forest: Andrew Pickens Ranger District
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Stenanthium gramineum var. gramineum
FAMILY
Melanthiaceae
INCLUDING
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Stenanthium gramineum var. gramineum
FAMILY
Liliaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Stenanthium gramineum
INCLUDED WITHIN
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 26
Stenanthium gramineum
INCLUDING
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Stenanthium gramineum var. gramineum
INCLUDING
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Stenanthium gramineum var. micranthum
INCLUDED WITHIN
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 041-25-001:
Stenanthium gramineum
FAMILY
Liliaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Stenanthium gramineum
1465
Forb
Perennial
Polygamous
Habitat: Dry and mesic forests and woodlands, grassy balds, serpentine barrens, to at least 1700m in elevation, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Common in Carolina Mountains, uncommon in GA Mountains (rare elsewhere in GA-NC-SC)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Simple
Basal & alternate
FLOWER:
Summer/Fall
White
Radially symmetrical
6 persistent tepals
6 stamens
Ovary superior to partly inferior
Bisexual & staminate
Inflorescence a panicle
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Capsule
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Wildflowers (Nelson, 2006) p229
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 2nd ed. (McMillan, Porcher, Rayner, & White; 2022) p196
- Newcomb's Wildflower Guide (Newcomb, 1977) p344
- Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast (Cotterman, Waitt, & Weakley, 2019) p165
- Wildflowers of the Eastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1999) p161
- Wild Flowers of NC, 2nd edition (Justice, Bell, & Lindsey, 2005) p034
- Field Guide to the Wildflowers of Georgia (Chafin, 2016) p394
- Wildflowers of Tennessee (Carman, 2005) p368
- Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005) p423
- Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998) p014
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