White fawn lily
Also known as: white dog's-tooth violet, fawn lily, trout lily
Erythronium albidum Nutt.
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Morphology
- Stem
- Stemless
- Leaves
- 2 in flowering form, 1 in non-flowering sterile form; elliptical-lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, up to 6 inches long, .2 to 1.6 inch wide, flat to slightly folded, waxy, brownish-purplish mottled (occasionally not so when mature); tips tapering to slender points.
- Inflorescence
- Solitary flower terminating stout stalk 4 to 8 inches long.
- Flower
- About 1 inch wide; perianth segments 6, similar, lanceolate, .8 to 1.6 inches long, white, tinged pink or lavender abaxially, with yellow adaxial spot at base, reflexed in bloom; stamens 6, yellow.
- Fruit
- Capsule, rounded, erect or nodding, held off ground; seeds 1-3.
Ecology
- Habitat
- Moist woods and thickets, often on south slopes.
- Distribution
- East 1/2 of Kansas.
Additional Notes
Comments
Occurs in large colonies, but often only a few plants flower. The common names "fawn lily" and "trout lily" refer to the mottling of the leaves which resembles the spots on a fawn's back or the speckling on a trout. The common name "dog's-tooth" refers to the resemblance of the bulb to a dog's tooth in Erythronium dens-canis which was used by Linnaeus to establish the genus. North American species have thick bulbs that bear little resemblance to a dog's tooth, so the name makes no sense here. English authors often formerly referred to any delicate flower as a "violet".
Quick Facts
- Plant Type
- Wildflower
- Family
- Liliaceae - Lily Family
- Life Span
- Perennial
- Height
- 4-8 inches
- Last Updated
- 2021-02-20
Color Groups
Flowering Period
Blooms: March, April