Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Liliales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Trillium discolor
FAMILY
Trilliaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Test-drive A Teaching Key to Trillium.
You may enjoy Trillium in the South by Will Stuart.
Learn more about Trillium from the Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Trillium discolor
FAMILY
Liliaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Trillium discolor
SYNONYMOUS WITH Trilliums of Georgia. Tipularia (Patrick, 2007)
Trillium discolor
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 26 (2002)
Trillium discolor
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Trillium discolor
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 041-03-003:
Trillium discolor FAMILY Liliaceae
COMMON NAME:
Pale Yellow Trillium, Faded Trillium, Small Yellow Toadshade, Savannah River Trillium
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
JK Marlow jkm120326_983b
March McCormick County SC
Stevens Creek Heritage Preserve
The floral fragrance is spicy like cloves, per Trilliums of Georgia (Patrick, 2007).
)
JK Marlow jkm120330_229
March Pickens County SC
Jocassee Gorges
Lesson: Don't get in the way of a flower ready to bloom!
)
JK Marlow jkm120330_235
March Pickens County SC
Jocassee Gorges
)
JK Marlow jkm120330_248
March Pickens County SC
Jocassee Gorges
What do you call a two-leaved trillium?
)
Alan S. Weakley asw_1739408613145358
April SC
Jocassee Gorges
Stamens dark purple, about twice as long as the pistil, per Wildflowers of the Eastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1999).
COMPARE
stamen color in yellow-flowering Trilliums
)
Alan S. Weakley asw_767847131393861
April SC
Jocassee Gorges
Petals spoon-shaped, per Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 1st ed. (Porcher & Rayner, 2001).
)
Alan S. Weakley asw_914175469662523
April SC
Jocassee Gorges
)
Bill Sharpton gws1546_a
April McCormick County SC
Stevens Creek Heritage Preserve
Leaves mottled and sometimes almost circular, per Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 1st ed. (Porcher & Rayner, 2001).
)
JK Marlow jkm090419_059
April Pickens County SC
Keowee Toxaway State Natural Area
Sepals usually 2/3 or less the length of the petals, erect to divergent, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
JK Marlow jkm120415_001
April Pickens County SC
Clemson Forest
Petals pale yellow with a greenish or purplish stalklike base, per Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 1st ed. (Porcher & Rayner, 2001).
)
JK Marlow jkm180408_240
April McCormick County SC
Stevens Creek Heritage Preserve
)
Richard and Teresa Ware rtw_trillium_discolor_18
April
)
Ben Geer Keys bgk1546_a
May
The only sessile-flowered Trillium with clawed spatulate pale yellow petals, per Wildflowers of the Eastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1999).
COMPARE
petal shape in yellow-flowering Trilliums
)
Keith Bradley kab_t_discolor_73561
May NC
Nantahala National Forest
)
Keith Bradley kab_t_discolor_73568
May NC
Nantahala National Forest
Stamens dark purple, curved inward, per Trilliums of Georgia (Patrick, 2007).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Trillium discolor
FAMILY
Trilliaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Trillium discolor
FAMILY
Liliaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Trillium discolor
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Trilliums of Georgia. Tipularia (Patrick, 2007)
Trillium discolor
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 26
Trillium discolor
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Trillium discolor
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 041-03-003:
Trillium discolor
FAMILY
Liliaceae
1546
Forb
Perennial
Habitat: Rich cove and bluff forests, restricted to the Savannah River drainage; rare, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Rare
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Simple
A single terminal whorl of 3 leaves
Leaves sessile
FLOWER:
Spring
Petals pale yellow
with maroon or greenish claws
Flowers are sessile.
Radially symmetrical
3 sepals
3 petals
Bisexual
FRUIT:
Summer
Greenish-white
Berry
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 1st ed. (Porcher & Rayner, 2001) p176
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 2nd ed. (McMillan, Porcher, Rayner, & White; 2022) p134
- Wildflowers of the Eastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1999) p168
- Wild Flowers of NC, 2nd edition (Justice, Bell, & Lindsey, 2005) p018
- Field Guide to the Wildflowers of Georgia (Chafin, 2016) p424
- Wildflowers & Plant Communities of the Southern Appalachian Mountains and Piedmont (Spira, 2011) p456
- Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998) p017
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".