Maianthemum

Maianthemum
Maianthemum racemosum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae (unranked): Angiosperms (unranked): Monocots Order: Asparagales Family: Ruscaceae Genus: Maianthemum F.H.Wigg.
Species
See text.
Synonyms
Smilacina (Desf.)

Maianthemum (including former Smilacina) is a genus of about 30 species of flowering plants in the family Ruscaceae, native to North America, Central America, northern Europe, northern and eastern Asia, and the Himalaya. The name derives from Latin for "May flower".

They are rhizomatous understory herbaceous plants. The flowers have six tepals, reduced to four in M. canadense, M. bifolium and M. dilatatum.

Because of genetic similarity, similar fruits, and evidence that the 4-tepal species evolved from a 6-tepal species, the genus Smilacina was combined with Maianthemum in the late 20th century.^[1] Smilacina was formerly included in the family Liliaceae.

Selected species

• Maianthemum atropurpureum
• Maianthemum bifolium May Lily
• Maianthemum canadense False Lily-of-the-valley
• Maianthemum dahuricum
• Maianthemum dilatatum Snakeberry, Wild Lilly of the Valley
• Maianthemum forrestii
• Maianthemum formosanum
• Maianthemum fusciduliflorum
• Maianthemum fuscum
• Maianthemum gongshanense
• Maianthemum henryi
• Maianthemum japonicum
• Maianthemum lichiangense
• Maianthemum nanchuanense
• Maianthemum oleraceum
• Maianthemum purpureum
• Maianthemum racemosum False Solomon's-seal
• Maianthemum stellatum Starry Solomon's-seal
• Maianthemum stenolobum
• Maianthemum szechuanicum
• Maianthemum tatsienense
• Maianthemum trifolium Three-leaf Solomon's-seal, False mayflower
• Maianthemum tubiferum

References

1. ^ "Maianthemum". Flora of North America. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=119474. 

See also

• Polygonatum