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Smith, R.W.

Trillium delicatum

Trillium delicatum A. Floden & E. E. Schill.

Ocmulgee Trillium

Liliaceae (Lily Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: TRDE11

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

"Rhizomes slender, ca. 1 cm diam, generally branching from side or ends. Scapes 5–8 cm tall, purple at base, green distally, slightly hexagonal distally, densely puberulent on angles with short 0.25–0.5 mm long trichomes, exserted from ground at angle with leaves held just on leaf litter, appearing prostrate from a distance. Leaves [bracts] ovate, broadest near base (in lower third), apex obtuse, 3.5–5 cm long × 2–4 cm broad, mottled heavily in 3 or more shades of green, abaxially strongly 3-veined with trichomes along the proximal portion of the leaf. Flower solitary, sessile, with strong odor of animal dung. Sepals elliptic-lanceolate, apex acuminate, sulcate, 1–2 cm long, 0.5–0.75 cm wide, reddish proximally, green distally. Petals oblanceolate, 2.4–2.9 × 0.7–1.1 cm, dark purple-maroon, undulate distally and acuminate, twisted at apex. Stamens 1–1.2 cm long, filaments 0.5–0.7 cm long, anther sacs 0.4–0.5 cm long, introrse, connectives extending ca. 2 mm past anther sacs, purple, incurved. Ovary depressed globose, 6-lobed, purple, ca. 0.4–0.5 cm tall (shorter than staminal filaments), stigmatic lobes ca. 1–1.5 mm, curved strongly outward. Fruit a fleshy, irregularly dehiscent capsule, weakly six-angled, greenish white, purplish at the apex, subglobose, ca. 12–13 mm in diam. Seeds not observed." (Reslit: 3177).

Endemic to Georgia.