trillium

Trillium
Trillium erectum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Monocots
Order:	Liliales
Family:	Melanthiaceae
Genus:	Trillium L.
Species
See text box.

Trillium is a genus of about 40-50 species of perennial herbaceous flowering plants, native to temperate regions of North America and Asia. They used to be treated in the family Trilliaceae or Trillium family, a part of the Liliales or Lily order. The AGP II treats Trilliaceae as a synonym of the family Melanthiaceae. Common names include trillium, wakerobin, Tri Flower, and birthroot. The above ground parts of Trilliums are scapes with three large, leafy bracts with the true leaves reduced to underground papery coverings around the rhizomes.

Western Wake Robin Trillium ovatum

In the east of North America, the most common is Trillium grandiflorum (Large-flowered Trillium). This plant has a large, often white, three-petaled flower above three broad bracts that look like leaves. The name was given by Linnaeus. Trillium grandiflorum is often the first wildflower noticed by casual walkers; other spring wildflowers are much less apparent.

In western North America, a typical species is Trillium ovatum (Western Trillium) also with white flowers, that slowly turn into a shade of purple in the middle of spring.

Trillium grandiflorum

Picking Trillium for their flower can seriously injure the plant. The three leaves (more correctly leafy bracts) below the flower are the plant's only ability to produce food stores and a picked trillium can take many years to recover. For this reason in many areas, e.g. Michigan,^[1] New York, Wisconsin, Minnesota,^[2] and Washington, it is illegal to pick and/or transplant trilliums from public lands without a permit from the State.

Trillium grandiflorum flower detail.

While it is a popular belief that it is illegal to pick the common Trillium grandiflorum (white trillium) in Ontario, in reality they are only protected in provincial parks and land owned by conservation authorities[1]. However, the rare Trillium flexipes (drooping trillium) is protected by law in Ontario [2], because of its very small Canadian population.

Trillium is one of many plants whose seeds are spread by ants and mice. At maturity, the base and core of the Trillium ovary turns soft and spongy. Trillium seeds have a fleshy organ called an elaiosome that attracts ants. The ants extract the seeds from the decaying ovary and take them to their nest, where they eat the elaiosomes and put the seeds in their garbage, where they can be protected until they germinate. They also get the added bonus of growing in a medium made richer by the ant garbage.

Some trilliums have a flower which is bent downward, below the leaves.

A white trillium serves as the emblem and official flower of the Canadian province of Ontario. It is an official symbol of the Government of Ontario. The large white trillium is the official wildflower of Ohio.^[3]

In a 1918 publication, Joseph E. Meyer called it "Beth Root" (probably a corruption of "birthroot") and claimed that an astringent tonic derived from the root was useful in controlling bleeding and diarrhea.^[4]

The fruit of purple trillium (Trillium erectum)	Foliage of the prairie trillium (Trillium recurvatum)	Trillium recurvatum ovaries and seeds	Nodding trillium (Trillium cernuum) flower
Trillium grandiflorum flower among the leaves	Trillium reliquum, an endangered species

References

External links

• Media related to Trillium at Wikimedia Commons
• Trillium and the Trillium family
• Trillium Interactive Identification Key
• Trillium Fact Sheets
• Trillium at the Encyclopedia of Life