Trillium cuneatum

Rhizomes horizontal, brownish, short, thick, praemorse, not brittle. Scapes 1–5, 1.6–4.5 dm, smooth to rough near bract attachment. Bracts held well above ground, sessile; blade green to purplish green, weakly to strongly mottled, mottling becoming obscure with age, ovate, ovate-elliptic, occasionally ovate-orbicular with margins overlapping, 7–18.5 × 7–13 cm, usually widest below middle, not glossy, base ± rounded, margins of distal 1/3 convex-curved to apex, apex acuminate to acute. Flower borne upon bracts, erect, odor usually pleasant, faint, spicy, reminiscent of odor of bruised sweetshrub (Calycanthus) leaves, occasionally musty or unpleasant; sepals widely spreading, variably green, purple-streaked to all purple, oblong-lanceolate, 27–60 × 7–13 mm, margins entire, apex rounded to acute; petals long-lasting, erect, ± connivent, ± concealing stamens and ovary, maroon, maroon-purple, brownish purple, bronze, greenish purple, clear green, yellowish green, pale lemon yellow, or 2-colored, yellow distally with purple base, in occasional clones, flowers open or quickly fade to bright copper bronze, the particular color pattern is consistent from year to year, fading to browner tones with age except in yellow or green forms, not spirally twisted, shape quite variable across range, elliptic-obovate to oblanceolate, 4–7 × 0.9–2.7 cm, thick-textured, with widest portion at or above middle, narrowed to usually cuneate basally, not clawed, margins flat, entire, apex acute, rounded-acute to obtuse; stamens erect, straight, brownish purple-green, 11–18 mm; filaments brownish purple, 1.5–3.5 mm, widest at base; anthers erect, straight, brownish gray, 7–14 mm, dehiscence latrorse or occasionally introrse; connectives straight, scarcely (0.5 mm or less) if at all extended beyond anther sacs; ovary maroon, ovoid to vase-shaped, weakly 6-angled or -ridged when mature, 12–15 mm; stigmas erect, slightly diverging to spreading, distinct, purplish gray, linear-subulate to thickly subulate, 4–15 mm, fleshy. Fruits green or with purple streaks, ovoid, very obscurely angled or angles no longer apparent, 2 × 1–1.5 cm, mealy or pulpy, fleshy, not juicy. 2n = 10.

Water moderately, allowing the top 3cm to dry out between watering.

Trillium Cuneatum

Trillium cuneatum

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