Flora of North America species comparison

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Streptopus

twisted-stalk
Habit Herbs, perennial, rhizomatous.
Stems

simple to highly branched.
Leaves

numerous, sessile;

blade elliptic to ovate, base rounded to cordate-clasping, apex acute to acuminate.
Inflorescences

1–2-flowered, peduncle slender, adnate to stem for 1 internode and arising opposite next leaf axil, junction with pedicel abrupt or not, entire structure recurved.
Flowers

small, borne beneath leaves;

perianth rotate or campanulate;

tepals deciduous, erect to spreading or recurved, distinct, white to greenish yellow to rose, oblanceolate to oblong;

stamens hypogynous;

filaments short, broad, flat;

anthers basifixed, apex minutely apiculate or with tapering, setose points, extrorse;

ovary superior, 3-locular;

style slender to bulbous;

stigma unlobed or 3-lobed;

pedicel geniculate.
Fruits

baccate, orangish to dark red, ellipsoid to globose.
Seeds

pale yellow, elongate, grooved longitudinally.
x

= 8.

Streptopus
Distribution
from USDA
n temperate North America and Eurasia
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Species 7 (3 in the flora).

Streptopus ×oreopolus Fernald (as species) is a sterile hybrid (2n = 24) between S. amplexifolius and S. lanceolatus, and is found in subalpine woods and meadows in glaciated areas of Newfoundland, eastern Quebec, western Ontario, Maine, and New Hampshire (D. Löve and H. Harries 1963; C. Gervais 1979). Its characteristics are intermediate between those of the parent species, except that the leaves are distinctly ciliate-denticulate, the tepals are roseate to deep purple overall, and the berries are deep red.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Key
1. Stems simple, 1–2 dm; perianth rotate; tepals 3–5 mm; anther apex minutely apiculate; style bulbous-conical, 0.5 mm.
S. streptopoides
1. Stems often branched, 1.5–12 dm; perianth campanulate; tepals 6–15 mm; anther apex long-pointed; style slender or stout, 3.5–5 mm.
→ 2
2. Stems simple or occasionally branched, 1.5–4(–8) dm; leaf base rounded; pedicel rarely geniculate at junction with peduncle, pubescent; tepals slightly spreading, streaked or spotted with pale rose to reddish purple; anthers 2 mm, apex 2-pointed; stigma weakly 3-lobed.
S. lanceolatus
2. Stems freely branched, 5–12 dm; leaf base cordate-clasping; pedicel sharply geniculate at junction with peduncle, glabrous; tepals spreading, recurved at tips, whitish to greenish yellow; anthers 3–3.5 mm, apex 1-pointed; stigma fused from base to tip, unlobed.
S. amplexifolius
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 145. Author: Frederick H. Utech.
Parent taxa Liliaceae
Subordinate taxa
S. amplexifolius, S. lanceolatus, S. streptopoides
Name authority Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 200. (1803)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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