Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Liliales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (10/20/20):
Trillium discolor
FAMILY
Trilliaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Test-drive A Teaching Key to Trillium.
You may enjoy Trillium in the South by Will Stuart.
Learn more about Trillium from the Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Trillium discolor
FAMILY
Liliaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 041-03-003:
Trillium discolor FAMILY Liliaceae
COMMON NAME:
Pale Yellow Trillium, Faded Trillium, Small Yellow Toadshade, Savannah River Trillium
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
JK Marlow jkm120326_983
March McCormick County SC
Stevens Creek Heritage Preserve
The floral fragrance is spicy like cloves, per Trilliums of Georgia (Patrick, 2007).
)
JK Marlow jkm120326_983b
March McCormick County SC
Stevens Creek Heritage Preserve
Stamens dark purple, curved inward, per Trilliums of Georgia (Patrick, 2007).
)
JK Marlow jkm120330_229
March Pickens County SC
Jocassee Gorges
Lesson: Don't get in the way of a flower ready to bloom!
)
JK Marlow jkm120330_235
March Pickens County SC
Jocassee Gorges
)
JK Marlow jkm120330_248
March Pickens County SC
Jocassee Gorges
What do you call a two-leaved trillium?
)
Bill Sharpton gws1546_a
April McCormick County SC
Stevens Creek Heritage Preserve
Leaves mottled and sometimes almost circular, per Guide to the Wildflowers of SC (Porcher & Rayner, 2001).
)
JK Marlow jkm080421_054
April Haywood County NC
Corneille Bryan Native Garden
Petals spoon-shaped, per Guide to the Wildflowers of SC (Porcher & Rayner, 2001).
)
JK Marlow jkm090419_059
April Pickens County SC
Keowee Toxaway State Natural Area
Sepals usually 2/3 or less the length of the petals, erect to divergent, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
JK Marlow jkm120415_001
April Pickens County SC
Clemson Forest
Petals pale yellow with a greenish or purplish stalklike base, per Guide to the Wildflowers of SC (Porcher & Rayner, 2001).
)
JK Marlow jkm180408_240
April McCormick County SC
Stevens Creek Heritage Preserve
)
Richard and Teresa Ware rtw_trillium_discolor_18
April
)
Ben Geer Keys bgk1546_a
May
The only sessile-flowered Trillium with clawed spatulate pale yellow petals, per Wildflowers of the Eastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1999).
COMPARE
petal shape in yellow-flowering Trilliums
)
JK Marlow jkm080507_040
May Greenville County SC
In cultivation
Stamens dark purple, about twice as long as the pistil, per Wildflowers of the Eastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1999).
COMPARE
stamen color in yellow-flowering Trilliums
)
Keith Bradley kab_t_discolor_73561
May NC
Nantahala National Forest
)
Keith Bradley kab_t_discolor_73568
May NC
Nantahala National Forest
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (10/20/20):
Trillium discolor
FAMILY
Trilliaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Trillium discolor
FAMILY
Liliaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 041-03-003:
Trillium discolor
FAMILY
Liliaceae
1546
Forb
Perennial
Habitat: Rich cove and bluff forests, restricted to the Savannah River drainage; rare, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Click here to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
Click here to see a map showing all occurrences known to SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria. (Zoom in to see more detail.)
LEAVES:
Simple
A single terminal whorl of 3 leaves
Leaves sessile
FLOWER:
Spring
Pale yellow
with maroon or greenish claws
Flowers are sessile.
Bisexual
Radially symmetrical
3 sepals
3 petals
FRUIT:
Summer
Berry
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC (Porcher & Rayner, 2001) p176
- Wildflowers of the Eastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1999) p168
- Wild Flowers of NC, 2nd edition (Justice, Bell, & Lindsey, 2005) p018
- Field Guide to the Wildflowers of Georgia (Chafin, 2016) p424
- Wildflowers & Plant Communities of the Southern Appalachian Mountains and Piedmont (Spira, 2011) p456
- Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998) p017