WILDFLOWERS OF NEW MEXICO

 

This colony-forming plant with 6–20-inch tall, stout, unbranched stems spreads by rhizomes. Broad, sword-like leaves with parallel veins line the stem with a terminal spike-like cluster of star-shaped, white flowers. Note only one flower blooms on each short side branch.


FLOWERS: May–July. Each 1–4-inch long (2.5–10 cm) terminal cluster (raceme) has 6–18 flowers borne singly on short side branches; flowers have 6 petal-like tepals 1/4-inch long (8 mm). Note the 6 stamens are shorter than the petal-like tepals. Fruit a round, red berry about 3/8-inch diameter (8 mm).


LEAVES: Alternate on opposite sides of stem. Blades broad, lance-shaped, 2–6-inches long (5–15 cm), base rounded, tips pointed, margins entire.


HABITAT: Sandy, gravelly loam soils, streambanks, shaded areas; ponderosa-oak, Douglas fir, spruce-fir forests.


ELEVATION: 6,500–12,100 feet.


RANGE: Widespread western and northern states east to Atlantic.


SIMILAR SPECIES: False Solomon’s Seal, M. racemosum, in the same range and habitats, has a flower panicle with small branches covered with multiple flowers. The False Solomon’s Seal genus, Maianthemum, is variously placed in the Lily (Liliaceae), Asparagus (Asparagaceae), and Lily-of-the-Valley (Convallariaceae) families.


NM COUNTIES: Widespread statewide in mountains in mid- to high-elevation habitats: Bernalillo, Catron, Cibola, Colfax, Grant, Hidalgo, Lincoln, Los Alamos, McKinley, Mora, Otero, Rio Arriba, San Juan, San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Sierra, Socorro, Taos, Torrance, Union.

STAR  SOLOMON’S SEAL

MAIANTHEMUM  STELLATUM

Asparagus Family, Asparagaceae (formerly in Lily Family, Liliaceae)

Perennial herb

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Flowers in clusters on stem tips.  Alternate leaves with parallel veins grow on opposite sides of the stem.

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