Jepson Herbarium
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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

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]

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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 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