(Uvularia grandiflora)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Biology • Use • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status |
|
|||||||
IUCN Red List | not listed |
|||||||
NatureServe | N5? - Secure SNR - Unranked |
|||||||
Minnesota | not listed |
|||||||
Description |
||
Large-flowered bellwort is a 8″ to 20″ tall, erect, herbaceous perennial rising on one to several stems from a short, slender rhizome with clustered, fleshy roots. It often forms colonies. The stems are 8″ to 20″ tall, rounded, forked once or twice above the middle, and have sheathing bracts at the base. They are light green or reddish-green, hairless, are covered with a whitish, waxy coating (glaucous). On young, flowering plants the stem is usually unforked and the upper stem nods under the weight of the leaves and flowers. On mature, fruiting plants the stems are forked once or twice and are reclining. There is usually just a single leaf below the fork of the stem. One branch is sterile and has 4 to 8 leaves, one branch is fertile and has several leaves and 1 to 3 flowers. The leaves are alternate, untoothed, 2⅓″ to 5⅓″ long and ¾″ to 2″ wide, oval to oblong egg-shaped, with a pointed tip and a rounded base. Near the base the leaf entirely surrounds the stem, giving the appearance that the stem is growing through the leaf (perfoliate). The upper surface of the leaf is hairless and bright green to bluish-green. They have 3 to 5 prominent, parallel veins. On the underside of the leaf the veins are covered with minute white hairs. On young plants the leaves are soft, drooping, and somewhat rolled. On mature plants the leaves are firm and are held horizontally. The inflorescence is 1 to 3 flowers at the end of a flowering branch. They may appear to be born in a leaf axil, since the forked stem on which they are borne ends abruptly after forking. The flowers are bell-shaped, 1″ to 2″ long, elongated, slightly twisted, nodding and slightly fragrant. They are borne on ⅜″ to 1″ long flower stalks and are subtended with a single bract. There are 6 yellow overlapping tepals. The interior surface of the tepals are hairless. The fruit is a 3-celled, greenish to yellowish-brown, ⅜″ to ⅔″ long, ⅜″ to ¾″ wide capsule. The capsule is egg-shaped to pyramid-shaped, with a rounded tip, 3 well-rounded lobes, and 2 beaks on each lobe. Each cell contains several seeds. |
||
Height |
||
8″ to 20″ |
||
Flower Color |
||
Yellow |
||
Similar Species |
||
Common false Solomon’s seal (Maianthemum racemosum var. racemosum), hairy Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum pubescens), rose twisted-stalk (Streptopus lanceolatus var. roseus), and smooth Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum biflorum) all have similar leaf shape and plant form. None have perfoliate leaves. Wild oats (Uvularia sessilifolia) is a shorter plant, 4″ to 12″ tall. The leaves are smaller, 1½″ to 2½″ long and ⅔″ to 1¼″ wide. They attach to the stem without a stalk (sessile) but do not wrap around the stem at their base. The flowers are cream to pale straw-yellow, and smaller, ½″ to 1″ long. There is only 1 flower per stem. The seed capsules are sharply lobed and longer, ⅔″ to 1⅛″ long. |
||
Habitat |
||
Dry to moist. Rich woods, forests. |
||
Biology |
||
Flowering |
||
April to May |
||
Pests and Diseases |
||
|
||
Use |
||
|
||
Distribution |
||||
Sources |
||||
Nativity |
||||
Native |
||||
Occurrence |
||||
Common |
||||
Taxonomy |
|||
Kingdom | Plantae (green algae and land plants) | ||
Subkingdom | Viridiplantae (green plants) | ||
Infrakingdom | Streptophyta (land plants and green algae) | ||
Superdivision | Embryophyta (land plants) | ||
Division | Tracheophyta (vascular plants) | ||
Subdivision | Spermatophytina (seed plants) | ||
Class | Liliopsida (monocots) | ||
Order |
Liliales (lilies, supplejacks, and allies) | ||
Family |
Colchicaceae (bellworts and allies) | ||
Tribe | Uvularieae | ||
Genus |
Uvularia (bellworts) | ||
Section | Uvularia (perfoliate-leaved bellworts) | ||
Synonyms |
|||
|
|||
Common Names |
|||
bellwort fairybells large bellwort large marybells large merrybells largeflower bellwort large-flower bellwort large-flowered bellwort |
|||
Glossary
Beak
A comparatively short and stout, narrow or prolonged tip on a thickened organ, as on some fruits and seeds.
Bract
Modified leaf at the base of a flower stalk, flower cluster, or inflorescence.
Glaucous
Covered with a whitish, waxy coating, as on a plum or a grape.
Perfoliate
A leaf having margins that entirely surround the stem, giving the appearance that the stem is growing through the leaf.
Rhizome
A horizontal, usually underground stem. It serves as a reproductive structure, producing roots below and shoots above at the nodes.
Sepal
An outer floral leaf, usually green but sometimes colored, at the base of a flower.
Sessile
Stalkless; attached at the base without a petiole, peduncle, pedicel, or stalk.
Sheath
The lower part of the leaf that surrounds the stem.
Tepal
Refers to both the petals and the sepals of a flower when they are similar in appearance and difficult to tell apart. Tepals are common in lilies and tulips.
Visitor Photos |
|||||
Share your photo of this plant. |
|||||
This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Attach one or more photos and, if you like, a caption. |
|||||
Wayne Rasmussen |
|||||
![]() |
|||||
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
|||||
Flower |
|||||
![]() |
|||||
Leaves |
|||||
![]() |
![]() |
||||
![]() |
![]() |
||||
Plant in Fruit |
|||||
![]() |
![]() |
||||
Infructescence |
|||||
![]() |
|||||
Visitor Videos |
|||
Share your video of this plant. |
|||
This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Attach a video, a YouTube link, or a cloud storage link. |
|||
Other Videos |
|||
Bellwort Uvularia grandiflora PrairieMoonNursery |
|||
About
Uploaded on Jun 2, 2010 http://www.prairiemoon.com Bellwort is an attractive early spring woodland native that spreads slowly by underground rhizomes. Shown blooming with Rue Anemone. |
|||
13 Uvularia grandiflora Séquence 15-Vivaces printanières 1.m4v Jeanfilm2 |
|||
About
Uploaded on Jan 9, 2010 L'Uvulaire à grande fleurs du printemps à l'automne. Uvularia grandiflora, de la prima vera hasta el otoño. Uvularia grandiflora from spring to fall. |
|||
Visitor Sightings |
|||||
Report a sighting of this plant. |
|||||
This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Be sure to include a location. |
|||||
Wayne Rasmussen 5/31/2016 |
Location: Nerstrand Big Woods State Park |
![]() |
|||
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
|||||
Avon Hills Forest SNA, North Unit Bertram Chain of Lakes Regional Park Cannon River Turtle Preserve SNA Charles A. Lindbergh State Park Clinton Falls Dwarf Trout Lily SNA Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park Hardscrabble Woods / MG Tusler Sanctuary Itasca Wilderness Sanctuary SNA Lake Alexander Woods SNA, South Unit Mary Schmidt Crawford Woods SNA Nerstrand Big Woods State Park |
|||||
Last Updated: