Key to Erythronium

View taxon page for Erythronium

(For a list of species in Erythronium, use the above link.)

Jepson Manual glossary definitions can be seen by moving your cursor over words underlined with dots.

1. Leaves uniformly green, not mottled

2. Perianth yellow; stigma 

entire 

Having margins that are continuous and smooth (i.e., without teeth, lobes, etc.).

or lobed

3. Perianth parts 15–28 mm; style, filaments yellow; stigma entire or 

lobes 

1. A major expansion or bulge, such as on the margin of a leaf, sepal, or petal, or on the surface of an ovary. 2. The free tips of otherwise fused structures, such as sepals or petals; larger than teeth.

< 1 mm; flowers 1–10 ..... E. pluriflorum

3' Perianth parts 20–35 mm; style, filaments white; stigma ± entire or lobes < 1 mm or 2–4 mm; flowers 1–5

4. Flowers 1(3); style 10–15 mm; fresh perianth parts with narrow, pale zone at base; stigma lobes 2–4 mm; KR, NCoR ..... E. grandiflorum subsp. grandiflorum

4' Flowers 1–5; style 8–10 mm; fresh perianth parts without pale zone at base; stigma ± entire or lobes < 1 mm; c SNF ..... E. tuolumnense

2' Perianth white with yellow base; stigma ± entire

5. Perianth parts 10–20 mm, without sac-like folds at base ..... E. purpurascens

5' Perianth parts 18–45 mm, inner with small sac-like folds at base

6. Perianth parts < 1/3 yellow; leaves 6–17 cm; flowers 1–3; KR, CaRH ..... E. klamathense

6' Perianth parts 1/3–2/3 yellow; leaves 10–35 cm; flowers 1–8; c&s SNH

7. Filaments ± white, anthers yellow; s SNH (Tulare Co.) ..... E. pusaterii

7' Filaments ± yellow, anthers cream; c SNH (Tuolumne Co.) ..... E. taylorii

1' Leaves irregularly mottled with brown or white

8. Filaments >= 1 mm wide; stigma lobed

9. Perianth parts white with yellow base ..... E. oregonum

9' Perianth parts violet-pink with yellow base ..... E. revolutum

8' Filaments < 0.8 mm wide; stigma entire to lobed

10. Perianth violet to pink with dark purple base ..... E. hendersonii

10' Perianth ± white with yellow base

11. Longest style > 10 mm

12. Anthers yellow; style generally bent downward; largest leaves > 20 cm ..... E. shastense

12' Anthers white to cream; style straight; largest leaves <=15 cm

13. Peduncle when flowers > 1 branched well above leaves; 

bulblets 

1. Small bulb generally produced at the base of a bulb. 2. Any small, bulb-like structure that propagates a plant, often in a leaf or bract axil.

0 ..... E. californicum

13' Peduncle when flowers > 1 branched near ground; bulblets from long, slender rhizomes ..... E. multiscapideum

11' Longest style <= 10 mm

14. Anthers yellow; style ± bent; bulblets 0 or 

sessile 

Without a petiole, peduncle, pedicel, or other kind of stalk.

..... E. helenae

14' Anthers white to cream, pink to brown- or purple-red; style ± straight; bulblets 0 ..... E. citrinum

15. Anthers white to cream ..... var. citrinum

15' Anthers pink to brown- or purple-red ..... var. roderickii

Please use this Google Form for Contact/Feedback

Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) . Jepson eFlora, https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/ [accessed on ]

Citation for an individual treatment: [Author of taxon treatment] [year]. [Taxon name] in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, [URL for treatment]. Accessed on .

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.