Photo by DLK

Trout lily

(Dogtooth violet)

Erythronium americanum

Family name

 

General features:

Habit (annual, perennial, vine, shrub)

Stem details (hairy, fleshy, etc)

Size (height, inches, feet): 4-10 inches tall

 

Dates in flower: April-May; Among first wildflowers to bloom in spring

 

Dates in fruit:

 

Leaf characteristics: Mottled basal leaves

Arrangement (opposite, alternate, whorled, basal)

Size (in inches, feet)

Division (simple, compound, twice compound, etc)

 

Flower characteristics: 6 yellow tepals (sepals and petals); Anthers yellow to bright cinnamon

Color

Size (inches)

Number

Shape (skip if obvious from photo)

Fragrance

Petal # (skip if obvious from photo)

Other (morphological aspects, e.g. dioecious, wilting daily, etc)

 

Fruit characteristics:

Type (capsule, berry, other)

Color

Size (inches)

Seed #

Seed size (small, large, etc)

 

Location in Buffalo Mt Park:

Trails (and approx. loc. if needed)

Elevations (upper, middle, lower)

Forest type (Oak-pine; Oak-tulip poplar; Oak-hickory): Basic soil in woods at low elevations

 

Folk uses:

Medicines

Foods

Beverages

Other

 

Natural history notes:

Pollination biology

Animals using this plant

 

Distribution notes:

Original distribution if non-native

Distribution this species

Related species in this region

 

Etymology of name:

Latin name

Common names

Photo by Anne Whittemore

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. Illustrated flora of the northern states and Canada. Vol. 1: 506.

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