Giant trillium facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Giant trillium |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Trillium
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| Species: |
chloropetalum
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| Synonyms | |
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Synonymy
Trillium sessile var. chloropetalum Torr.
Trillium giganteum var. chloropetalum (Torr.) R.R.Gates Trillium sessile var. giganteum Hook. & Arn., syn of var. giganteum Trillium giganteum (Hook. & Arn.) A.Heller, syn of var. giganteum Trillium sessile subsp. giganteum (Hook. & Arn.) A.E.Murray, syn of var. giganteum Trillium chloropetalum subsp. giganteum (Hook. & Arn.) A.E.Murray, syn of var. giganteum Trillium sessile var. californicum S.Watson, syn of var. giganteum Trillium sessile f. californicum (S.Watson) Farrer, syn of var. giganteum |
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Trillium chloropetalum, also known as giant trillium, giant wakerobin, or common trillium, is a species of flowering plant in the family Melanthiaceae. It is found in the coast ranges of California and the Sierra Nevada foothills, from Siskiyou County to Santa Barbara and Madera Counties.
Contents
Taxonomy
As of February 2021[update], Kew's Plants of the World Online (POWO) accepts two infraspecific names:
- Trillium chloropetalum var. chloropetalum
- Trillium chloropetalum var. giganteum (Hook. & Arn.) Munz
The petals of T. chloropetalum var. chloropetalum always show yellow pigments, which are often masked with purple or other pigments. In contrast, the petals of T. chloropetalum var. giganteum lack yellow pigments. Thus the varieties are only weakly differentiated and should probably be dropped.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, a white-petaled form of T. chloropetalum var. giganteum is often confused with T. albidum, which also has white petals. The former is distinguished by the purple pigment in its anther connective tissue, a character lacking in T. albidum.
Description
Trillium chloropetalum is a perennial herbaceous plant that blooms from late February to early or mid April. The petal color is variable, from dark red to white. Like other Trillium species the leaves and flowers are grouped in threes. It is clump-forming and prefers a shady woodland habitat.
Uses
The variety Trillium chloropetalum var. giganteum, with its deep maroon flower petals, gained the Award of Garden Merit (AGM) from the Royal Horticultural Society in 1993.
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