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RUSCACEAE BUTCHER'S-BROOM FAMILY

Dale W. McNeal, except as noted

Perennial to shrub, rhizomed or not.
Stem: leafy or scapose.
Leaf: 2–15, basal or cauline, cauline clasping or sheathing, petioled [or reduced to scales, with short branches flattened, green, appearing leaf-like].
Inflorescence: terminal or axillary, panicle or raceme.
Flower: unisexual or bisexual, generally white (± pink); perianth parts 4 or 6, fused or not, erect, nodding or pendent; stamens (4)6, ± fused to perianth, anthers attached near base; ovary superior, chambers 2–3, style 1, stigma ± 3-lobed.
Fruit: berry, spheric, red, orange-red, or blue-black, or capsule, papery.
Seed: 1–12.
26 genera, 475 species: n hemisphere, S.Africa, n Australia; species in several genera cultivated as ornamental, house plants. Smilacina moved to Maianthemum. —Scientific Editor: Thomas J. Rosatti.

Key to Ruscaceae

MAIANTHEMUM FALSE LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY, FALSE SOLOMON'S SEAL
Rhizome creeping.
Stem: erect, simple [0].
Leaf: alternate, generally ± clasping, lower reduced to sheathing scales.
Inflorescence: terminal, raceme to panicle.
Flower: perianth parts 4 or 6 in 2 petal-like whorls, white; stamens 4 or 6; ovary superior, chambers 2–3, style 1, stigmas 2–3.
Fruit: berry.
Seed: 1–3.
3 species: n temperate. (Greek: May flower, from flowering season) [LaFrankie 2002 FNANM 26:206–210] Historically divided into 2 genera, Maianthemum, Smilacina (1. vs 1' in key); otherwise ± equal morphologically, unique chromosomally.
Unabridged references: [LaFrankie, J. V. 1986. Transfer of the species of Smilacina Desf. to Maianthemum Wiggers (Liliaceae). Taxon 35:584–589; Rudall P. J. et al. 2000. Systematics of the Ruscaceae/Convallariaceae: A combined morphological and molecular investigation. Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 134:73–92]

Key to Maianthemum

M. stellatum (L.) Link
NATIVE
Rhizome 3–5 mm diam.
Stem: 30–70 cm, straight or ± zigzag above, glabrous to puberulent.
Leaf: > 5, 5–17 cm, (ob) lanceolate to elliptic, acuminate, abaxially puberulent; petioles 0.
Inflorescence: raceme (or few-branched near base), generally 2–8 cm; flowers 5–15.
Flower: perianth parts 6, 4–7 mm, > stamens, spreading, oblong to lanceolate; ovary chambers 3.
Fruit: 7–10 mm, red-purple to black.
Seed: 2.5–3 mm, brown.
n=18. Moist woodland, streambanks, open slopes; < 2400 m. Northwestern California, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, Central Western California, Southwestern California, Warner Mountains, East of Sierra Nevada; to British Columbia, e North America. [Smilacina stellata (L.) Desf.] Apr–Jun [Online Interchange]
Unabridged note: There are Consortium records that, if verified, would voucher elevations up to 3232 m. The following accessions, if verified, would represent range extensions (as indicated): RSA681122, RSA682530, RSA683331, RSA685435, UC1786767, UC1786997, RSA147604, RSA25122, RSA289160, RSA377719, RSA619267, RSA628686, UC429251, UC844215 (verified by McNeal), UC924284 (SNE); UC128882, RSA352942, UCR133038 (DMtns); RSA78906, JEPS62137, JEPS62142, JEPS62143, JEPS62146, UC1101053, UC119653, UC3887, UC71880, JEPS62138, UC3888, SJSU10452, UCR88862 (MP); UC128882 (n DMoj).

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Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) [year] Jepson eFlora, http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/IJM.html [accessed on month, day, year]
Citation for an individual treatment: [Author of taxon treatment] [year]. [Taxon name] in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, [URL for treatment]. Accessed on [month, day, year].

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Bioregions in which taxon occursRed area (if present) is the part of the bioregion lying between the upper and lower elevation limits of the taxon;
markers link to CCH specimen records. If the markers are obscured, reload the page [or change window size and reload]. Yellow markers indicate records that may have georeferencing or identification issues.
map of distribution 1

Chart based on elevation range in Manual and elevations and coordinates of CCH records.
Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria.
Note: About half of the CCH records include both elevation and coordinates.
Map made in collaboration with Scott Loarie. Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria.
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CCH collections by month

Duplicates counted once; synonyms included.
Species do not include records of infraspecific taxa.
Blue line denotes Manual flowering time.