Erythronium elegans
Encyclopedia
Erythronium elegans is a rare species of flowering plant in the lily family
known by the common names Coast Range fawnlily and elegant fawnlily. It is endemic to Oregon
in the United States, where it is known from about 12 occurrences in the northern Coast Range
.
This plant grows from a slender bulb 3 to 5 centimeters long. It produces two leaves up to 20 centimeters long which are green, sometimes with brownish or white mottling. The scape
grows up to 30 centimeters tall and bears one to four flowers. The flower has six tepal
s, the inner three white and the outer three white tinged with pink. The tepals have yellow bands near the bases. They are 2 to 4 centimeters long. The protruding stamen
s are tipped with yellow anthers each 1 to 2 centimeters long. Blooming occurs in May and June.
This plant is very restricted in distribution but it grows in a range of habitat conditions, with varying light and moisture levels. It can be found in open and deep forests, the edges of bog
s, cliffs, and meadows. The local forests are dominated by Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and other plants in the habitat may include Pacific silver fir (Abies amabilis), western redcedar
(Thuja plicata), spruce (Picea sp.), false lily-of-the-valley
(Maianthemum dilatatum), California glacier lily
(Erythronium grandiflorum var. pallidum), strawberry
(Fragaria sp.), snowberry
(Gaultheria sp.), blueberry
(Vaccinium sp.), and lupine
(Lupinus spp.).
In the wild this plant appears to be a poor competitor, persisting in areas with low soil nutrients where competition with other plants is low. However, it has been shown to grow well in cultivation.
Liliaceae
The Liliaceae, or the lily family, is a family of monocotyledons in the order Liliales. Plants in this family have linear leaves, mostly with parallel veins but with several having net venation , and flower arranged in threes. Several have bulbs, while others have rhizomes...
known by the common names Coast Range fawnlily and elegant fawnlily. It is endemic to Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
in the United States, where it is known from about 12 occurrences in the northern Coast Range
Oregon Coast Range
The Oregon Coast Range, often called simply the Coast Range and sometimes the Pacific Coast Range, is a mountain range, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region, in the U.S. state of Oregon along the Pacific Ocean...
.
This plant grows from a slender bulb 3 to 5 centimeters long. It produces two leaves up to 20 centimeters long which are green, sometimes with brownish or white mottling. The scape
Scape (botany)
In botany, scapes are leafless flowering stems that rise from the ground. Scapes can have a single flower or many flowers, depending on the species....
grows up to 30 centimeters tall and bears one to four flowers. The flower has six tepal
Tepal
Tepals are elements of the perianth, or outer part of a flower, which include the petals or sepals. The term tepal is more often applied specifically when all segments of the perianth are of similar shape and color, or undifferentiated, which is called perigone...
s, the inner three white and the outer three white tinged with pink. The tepals have yellow bands near the bases. They are 2 to 4 centimeters long. The protruding stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s are tipped with yellow anthers each 1 to 2 centimeters long. Blooming occurs in May and June.
This plant is very restricted in distribution but it grows in a range of habitat conditions, with varying light and moisture levels. It can be found in open and deep forests, the edges of bog
Bog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
s, cliffs, and meadows. The local forests are dominated by Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and other plants in the habitat may include Pacific silver fir (Abies amabilis), western redcedar
Thuja plicata
Thuja plicata, commonly called Western or pacific red cedar, giant or western arborvitae, giant cedar, or shinglewood, is a species of Thuja, an evergreen coniferous tree in the cypress family Cupressaceae native to western North America...
(Thuja plicata), spruce (Picea sp.), false lily-of-the-valley
Maianthemum dilatatum
Maianthemum dilatatum is a common rhizomatous perennial flowering plant that is native to western North America from northern California to the Aleutian islands, and Asia across the Kamchatka Peninsula, Japan, and Korea...
(Maianthemum dilatatum), California glacier lily
Erythronium grandiflorum
Erythronium grandiflorum is a species of flowering plant in the lily family which is known by several common names, including yellow avalanche lily, glacier lily, and dogtooth fawn lily....
(Erythronium grandiflorum var. pallidum), strawberry
Strawberry
Fragaria is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible fruits. Although it is commonly thought that strawberries get their name from straw being used as a mulch in cultivating the plants, the etymology of the word is uncertain. There...
(Fragaria sp.), snowberry
Gaultheria
Gaultheria is a genus of about 170-180 species of shrubs in the family Ericaceae. The name memorializes Jean François Gauthier of Quebec, a mis-spelt honour bestowed by the Scandinavian Pehr Kalm in 1748. These plants are native to Asia, North and South America, and Australasia...
(Gaultheria sp.), blueberry
Vaccinium
Vaccinium is a genus of shrubs or dwarf shrubs in the plant Family Ericaceae. The fruit of many species are eaten by humans and some are of commercial importance, including the cranberry, blueberry, bilberry or whortleberry, lingonberry or cowberry, and huckleberry...
(Vaccinium sp.), and lupine
Lupin
Lupinus, commonly known as Lupins or lupines , is a genus in the legume family . The genus comprises about 280 species , with major centers of diversity in South and western North America , and the Andes and secondary centers in the Mediterranean region and Africa Lupinus, commonly known as Lupins...
(Lupinus spp.).
In the wild this plant appears to be a poor competitor, persisting in areas with low soil nutrients where competition with other plants is low. However, it has been shown to grow well in cultivation.