Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Liliales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Trillium sulcatum
FAMILY
Trilliaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Test-drive A Teaching Key to Trillium.
Learn more about Southern Red Trillium from the Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
This species seems quite distinctive for its small, generally maroon flowers (with strongly sulcate sepals purplish as well), borne on very long pedicels. Read more in Weakley's Flora (2023).
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Trillium sulcatum
FAMILY
Liliaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Trillium sulcatum
SYNONYMOUS WITH Trilliums of Georgia. Tipularia (Patrick, 2007)
Trillium sulcatum
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 26 (2002)
Trillium sulcatum
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Trillium sulcatum
INCLUDED WITHIN VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 041-03-006a?:
Trillium erectum var. erectum FAMILY Liliaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Trillium erectum
COMMON NAME:
Southern Red Trillium, Barksdale's Trillium
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
Richard and Teresa Ware rtw_trillium_sulcatum
April
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Richard and Teresa Ware rtw_trillium_sulcatum_3
April
Flowers small and generally maroon, but petals may be white, per Weakley's Flora (2015).
)
Will Stuart wil_5623868805_9ebfa5ff12
April Burke County NC
South Mountains State Park
Flowers on long stalks more than 2x long as sepals, held at or above leaves, per Trilliums of Georgia (Patrick, 2007).
)
Will Stuart wil_5624458262_3c2fe98b8c
April Burke County NC
South Mountains State Park
The flower gaping in profile; petals ovate, gradually spreading, per Trilliums of Georgia (Patrick, 2007).
)
Will Stuart wil5624458262_2a6c736b91b
April Burke County NC
South Mountains State Park
Stamens longer than ovary, 0.9-1.6 x the height of the pistil, per Trilliums of Georgia (Patrick, 2007).
)
Will Stuart wil5624458262_2a6c736b91c
April Burke County NC
South Mountains State Park
"Sulcate" means having furrows or grooves, and that texturing is attractive. — Will Stuart
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Trillium sulcatum
FAMILY
Trilliaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Trillium sulcatum
FAMILY
Liliaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Trillium sulcatum
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Trilliums of Georgia. Tipularia (Patrick, 2007)
Trillium sulcatum
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 26
Trillium sulcatum
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Trillium sulcatum
INCLUDED WITHIN
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 041-03-006a?:
Trillium erectum var. erectum
FAMILY
Liliaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Trillium erectum
2809
Forb
Perennial
Habitat: Coves and moist slopes, per Weakley's Flora
Native to North Carolina & Georgia
Uncommon in NC Mountains, rare in GA
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 subsessile
FLOWER:
Spring
Maroon or white
Pedicel more than 2x length of sepals
Flowers above the leaves
Radially symmetrical
3 sepals
3 petals
Bisexual
FRUIT:
Summer
Dull purplish-red, maroon
Berry
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Gardening with the Native Plants of Tennessee (Hunter, 2002) p183
- Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast (Cotterman, Waitt, & Weakley, 2019) p350
- Field Guide to the Wildflowers of Georgia (Chafin, 2016) p426
- Wildflowers of Tennessee (Carman, 2005) p379
- Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005) p432
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