Jepson Herbarium
		University of California, Berkeley

Directory       News       Site Map       Home

Indexes to all accepted names and synonyms: | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |

Perennial, from rhizome or bulb, or rhizomes ending in weakly developed bulbs, scapose or not.
Leaf: alternate, whorled, or mostly basal and spirally arranged, deciduous after 1 yr or not.
Inflorescence: raceme, panicle, or flowers 1.
Flower: perianth parts 6, in 2 petal-like whorls or of sepals and petals, free or fused below, ± spreading; stamens 6, from perianth, anthers attached at base or near middle; ovary superior or partly inferior, chambers 3, styles 3, persistent.
Fruit: capsule, loculicidal or septicidal.
10 genera, 130 species: n hemisphere. W North America Zigadenus moved to Toxicoscordion. —Scientific Editors: Dale W. McNeal, Thomas J. Rosatti.

Key to Melanthiaceae

Plant coarse, leafy; rhizome thick.
Stem: erect, 1–2 m, simple, hollow.
Leaf: many, alternate, lanceolate to widely ovate, clasping, generally acute at tip, coarse-veined, reduced upward.
Inflorescence: panicle; flowers many.
Flower: bisexual or staminate; perianth parts 6, free, spreading, petal-like, white or ± green to red-brown, nectary glands 1–2 near base; stamens 6, attached to perianth; ovary ± inferior, chambers 3, styles 3, short, stigmas long.
Fruit: capsule, septicidal.
± 25 species: n temperate. (Latin: dark roots) Alkaloids used medicinally and TOXIC to both livestock and humans.

Leaf: lanceolate; lower 20–50 cm, glabrous or sparsely hairy.
Inflorescence: generally 15–50 cm, tomentose; branches spreading; pedicels 6–12 mm.
Flower: 6–10 mm; perianth parts diamond-shaped to ovate, white, glabrous, deeply fringed, glands 2, elliptic, yellow; stamens ± 1/2 perianth; ovary glabrous.
Fruit: ± 8 mm, obovoid.
Seed: ± 6 mm, ± margined.
n=16. Wet meadows in coastal scrub; < ± 100 m. c North Coast, w Outer North Coast Ranges (Mendocino, Sonoma cos.).

Previous taxon: Veratrum californicum var. californicum
Next taxon: Veratrum insolitum

Contact/Feedback

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].

Copyright © 2012 Regents of the University of California
We encourage links to these pages, but the content may not be downloaded for reposting, repackaging, redistributing, or sale in any form, without written permission from The Jepson Herbarium.

Bioregions in which taxon occurs	Red 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.
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. View all CCH records   CCH collections by month Duplicates counted once; synonyms included. Species do not include records of infraspecific taxa. Blue line denotes Manual flowering time.