Contains 7 genera and 13 accepted taxa overall.
This family is completely databased for all specimens.
Characteristics
MELANTHIACEAE
Monocot
-
Classification
LILIALES
MELANTHIACEAE
Genera
| Genus | Common Name | Taxa Count | Herbarium Specimens | Photos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amianthium | FLYPOISON | 1 | ||
| Chamaelirium | FAIRYWAND | 1 | ||
| Schoenocaulon | FEATHERSHANK | 1 | ||
| Stenanthium | FEATHERBELLS | 3 | ||
| Trillium | WAKEROBIN | 4 | ||
| Veratrum | FALSE HELLEBORE | 2 | ||
| Zigadenus | DEATHCAMAS | 1 |
[Family identification key]
1. Scape with one whorl of large foliaceous bracts subtending the flowers (the rhizome has scale-like leaves or cataphylls); fruit a berry
1. Leaves basal or cauline, not in one whorl; fruit a capsule
2
2. Leaves 5-20 cm long, 4.5(6) cm wide, more or less petiolate with an elliptic, ovate, obovate, to oblanceolate blade; anthers 2-locular
2. Leaves 20-70 cm long, 0.5-10 cm wide, linear and sessile, or petiolate with an elliptic to lanceolate blade 5-10 cm wide; anthers 1-locular
3
3. Inflorescence a spike of subsessile to sessile flowers, pedicel 0-2 mm long
3. Inflorescence a raceme or panicle of pedicellate flowers, pedicel 2-20 mm long
4
4. Inflorescence floccose-puberulent; seeds winged
4. Inflorescence rachis glabrous to pubescent; seeds not winged, sometimes angled
4
5. Rhizomatous; tepals with conspicuous basal glands
5. Rhizomes weak or absent, plant base a bulb; tepals eglandular or the gland obscure
6
6. Inflorescence racemose, the bracts subtending flowers 1-2 times as long as wide; tepals glands absent; leaf apex rounded, obtuse, to abruptly acute; fruit about as long as wide
6. Inflorescence racemose or paniculate, the bracts subtending flowers 2-5 times as long as wide; tepals gland absent or obscure; leaf apex mostly attenuate; fruit longer than wide