Veratrum
Veratrum viride
corn-lily, false-hellebore, skunk-cabbage, varaire, vérâtre
American false hellebore, corn lily, green false-hellebore, Indian hellebore, Indian-poke, showy false hellebore, vérâtre verti
erect, simple, hollow, robust, basally thickened, leafy.
0.5–2 m, nearly glabrous to densely tomentose.
alternate, simple, strongly veined, narrowly to broadly orbicular, often plicate, reduced upwards, narrowed into closed, tubular, often overlapping sheaths.
ovate to elliptic, reduced distally, to lanceolate, 15–35 × 8–20 cm, glabrous to densely hairy, especially on abaxial surface.
compound-racemose or large terminal-paniculate, bracteate, pubescent.
paniculate, with ascending to spreading or distinctly drooping (particularly in w North America) branches, 30–70 cm, tomentose;
bracts lanceolate, shorter than flowers.
bisexual or some proximal ones staminate;
perianth perigynous, rotate to ± campanulate, with hypanthium fused to base of ovary;
tepals persistent, 6, spreading to erect, distinct to weakly connate basally, off-white, green, yellow, or purple, petaloid, not clawed, equal to subequal, margins entire or erose-fimbriate;
glands 1–2, basal, on adaxial surface, V-shaped over midrib or marginal pair;
stamens 6, perigynous;
filaments distinct, filiform;
anthers persistent, 1-locular with confluent thecae, cordate-reniform, dehiscence apical/valvate;
ovary superior or partly inferior, 3-locular;
styles 3, erect to divergent, distinct, short;
stigmas elongate, extending down inner style surfaces.
capsular, deeply 3-lobed, style beaks persistent, dehiscence septicidal.
oblong-ovoid, 2–3 cm, glabrous.
ellipsoid to fusiform, flat, broadly winged (± globose with wings reduced to basal ridges in V. fimbriatum).
flat, broadly winged, 8–10 mm.
deep green to yellowish, lanceolate to oblong-elliptic, narrowed to short, broad claw, 5–12 mm, tomentose adaxially, margins of both whorls or at least inner obviously erose-serrulate;
gland 1, basal, dark green or yellowish green, V-shaped;
ovary glabrous;
pedicel 2–10 mm.
= 8.
Veratrum
Veratrum viride
Species 25–30 (5 in the flora).
The number of Veratrum species depends on the taxonomic treatment of four wide-ranging species complexes, three of which are entirely or mainly Eurasian (V. album, V. nigrum Linnaeus, and V. maackii Regel) and one North American (V. viride) (O. Loesener 1926, 1927, 1928; B. Mathew 1989; J. H. Zimmerman 1958). The Asian species have been variously circumscribed (Chen S. C. and H. Takahashi 2000; H. Kato et al. 1996; T. Nakai 1937, 1937b; N. S. Lee 1985, 1985b). Generic size further depends on inclusion or not of the closely related Melanthium (J. D. Ambrose 1975, 1980; P. Goldblatt 1995; M. N. Tamura 1998; W. B. Zomlefer 1997b), here treated as a separate genus.
The medicinal/poisonous properties of Veratrum involve a complex of cerveratrum and jerveratrum alkaloids, some with proven hypotensive properties and others that are highly toxic to humans and livestock (S. M. Kupchan et al. 1961; A. Osol et al. 1960; I. W. Southon and J. Buckingham 1989). Veraloid, a standard mixture of the most hypotensive Veratrum alkaloids, was widely prescribed until late in the nineteenth century, when emetic side effects greatly curtailed its use. The types and concentrations of alkaloids vary with the species, plant part, and season (C. A. Taylor 1956, 1956b).
Several Veratrum species are occasionally cultivated surrounded by low-growing plants for their architectural appeal in mesic or bog gardens. Century-old plants grow from the long-lived rhizome-bulb.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
Veratrum viride consists of two clearly related, disjunct populations, one in eastern and one in western North America. These were clearly separated by continental glaciation and have subsequently evolved in isolation. Nonetheless they show many critical features in common, and individual plants from either region occasionally show one or more features common to plants in the other. The two populations have been variously classified as separate species, varieties, or subspecies, or as a single taxon. We have chosen to recognize two distinctive, if subtle, varieties.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Ovary and fruit densely tomentose; tepal margins (at least inner) irregularly and shallowly fringed. | V. insolitum |
1. Ovary and fruit glabrous or sparsely pubescent with few ± straight hairs; tepal margins entire to deeply fringed. | → 2 |
2. Tepal margins deeply fimbriate; seeds ± globose, wingless; coastal n California. | V. fimbriatum |
2. Tepal margins entire to finely erose-dentate; seeds flattened, winged; widespread. | → 3 |
3. Tepals green to yellowish green; inflorescence branches drooping or, if spreading to ascending; from east of 85th meridian. | V. viride |
3. Tepals whitish to yellowish green; inflorescence branches spreading to ascending; west of 104th meridian. | → 4 |
4. Stems 1–2.5 m, inflorescences freely branching; south of 50th parallel. | V. californicum |
4. Stems 0.3–1 m, inflorescences spiciform-racemose or few-branched proximally; Seward Peninsula, adjacent Alaska, w Aleutian Islands. | V. album |
1. Inflorescence branches ascending to spreading, only rarely drooping; flowers spreading to rarely erect; east of 85th meridian. | var. viride |
1. Inflorescence branches spreading to commonly drooping; flowers erect; west of 110th meridian. | var. eschscholzianum |
- Local floras:
BC, 
CA, 
OR, 
WA - Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos,
Flora NW, 
PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. 
WildflowerSearch
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USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
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