Synonym(s): Maianthemum canadense var. interius, Maianthemum canadense var. pubescens
Image ID: 15572
Image by: Sorrie, Bruce A.
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library
PLANT INDEX
ID_PLANT: MACA4
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Maianthemum canadense
Include in WOTAS: 1
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2018-02-06
GENUS INDEX
GENUS CODE: MAIAN GENUS SCIENTIFIC:Maianthemum GENUS AUTHORITY: F.H. Wigg. GENUS COMMON: Mayflower GENUS SUMMARY: A genus of about 28 species, herbs, of n. Europe, e. Asia, North America, and Central America. The inclusion of the traditional Smilacina in Maianthemum remains controversial and uncertain. GENUS IDENTIFICATION: GENUS REFERENCES: LaFrankie (1986)=Z; Judd (2003)=Y; LaFrankie in FNA (2002a); Conran & Tamura in Kubitzki (1998a).
FAMILY INDEX
FAMILY CODE: LILIAC FAMILY SCIENTIFIC:Liliaceae FAMILY AUTHORITY: A.L. de Jussieu 1789 FAMILY COMMON: Lily Family FAMILY SUMMARY: As here interpreted narrowly, the Liliaceae constitutes about 11 genera and 550 species, of the Northern Hemisphere. There has been much investigation and re-interpretation of evidence regarding the upper-level taxonomy of the Liliales, with strong suggestions that the broad Liliaceae recognized by Cronquist (1981) is artificial and polyphyletic. Cronquist (1981) himself concurs, at least to a degree: we still await a comprehensive reorganization of the lilies into several families more comparable to other recognized families of angiosperms. Dahlgren & Clifford (1982) and Dahlgren, Clifford, & Yeo (1985) synthesized an early phase in the modern revolution of monocot taxonomy. Since then, additional research, especially molecular (Duvall et al. 1993, Chase et al. 1993, Bogler & Simpson 1995, and many others more recently), has strongly validated the general lines (and many details) of Dahlgrens arrangement. FAMILY REFERENCE: Chen et al. (2013); Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (1998, 2003, 2009); Tamura in Kubitzki (1998a). [also see AGAVACEAE, ALLIACEAE, ALSTROEMERIACEAE, AMARYLLIDACEAE, ASPARAGACEAE, COLCHICACEAE, HELONIADACEAE, HEMEROCALLIDACEAE, HOSTACEAE, HYACINTHACEAE, HYPOXIDACEAE, MELANTHIACEAE, NARTHECIACEAE, RUSCACEAE, SMILACACEAE, THEMIDACEAE, TOFIELDIACEAE, TRILLIACEAE, XEROPHYLLACEAE]
NCBG DESCRIPTIVES
INTRO: Short, erect, colonial perennial found in moist forests, especially at high elevations. STEMS: Stems smooth, unbranched, sometimes seeming to zigzag. LEAVES: Leaves alternate,sessile with claspingbase,oval to lance-shaped, 1-4 in. long, shiny; typically only 1-3 per plant. INFLORESCENCE: FLOWERS: Flowers in single, narrow, terminalraceme to 1 1/2 in. long; white; consisting of 4 tiny, slightly reflexed, short-lived, pointed tepals and protruding, persistent stamens. FRUITS:Fruit a red-mottled-with-green, round berry. COMMENTS: HEIGHT: 1 1/2-7 in. DURATION:
Perennial
HABIT:
Herb
LEAF ARRANGEMENT:
Alternate LEAF COMPLEXITY:
Simple LEAF RETENTION: FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY:
Radial (Actinomorphic)
BLOOM TIME: Mid May-early Jul
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
x
x
x
x
BLOOM COLOR: White
White
Red
Pink
Orange
Yellow
Green
Blue
Lavender
Purple
Violet
Brown
Not Applicable
x
FRUITING PERIOD: Aug-Sep. DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE: High elevation, Moist forests
NATIVE RANGE: HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text:
This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2016 National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.3 (Lichvar, R.W., D.L. Banks, W.N. Kirchner, and N.C. Melvin. 2016. The National Wetland Plant List: 2016 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2016-30: 1-17. Published 28 April 2016. ISSN 2153 733X). Regions: AGCP-Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain, AK-Alaska, AW-Arid West, CB-Caribbean, EMP-Eastern Mountains and Piedmont, GP-Great Plains, HI-Hawaii, MW-Midwest, NCNE-Northcentral and Northeast, WMCV-Western Mountains, Valleys & Coast
WEAKLEY FLORA
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Maianthemum canadense
COMMON NAME: Canada Mayflower, "False Lily-of-the-valley"
SYNONYMY: [= FNA, K, Pa, RAB, Va, W, WV, Y, Z; > Maianthemum canadense Desfontaines var. canadense - C, F, G; = Unifolium canadense (Desfontaines) Greene - S]
PHENOLOGY: Mid May-early Jul; Aug-Sep.
HABITAT: Moist forests, especially at high elevations.
COMMENTS: NL (Labrador) and NL (Newfoundland) west to NT, south to MD, NC, n. GA (Jones & Coile 1988), KY and SD. Two varieties have been described, but their recognition is not strongly supported. Var. canadense, with leaves glabrous beneath, the margins entire or minutely crenulate, cross-veins of the leaf well-developed, is widepread in the distribution of the species. Var. interius Fernald has the leaves pubescent beneath, the leaf margins distinctly ciliate, and cross-veins obscure; it is not known from our area, but extends east and south as far as MA, NY, and OH. Further study of these varieties is needed. Weller (1970) reports equivocal results on the recognition of varieties, based on a study in n. MI.
RANGE MAP: Maianthemum canadense.png
Key to Map SymbolsABOUT FAMILY (Weakley Flora) Liliaceae A.L. de Jussieu 1789 (Lily Family) SUMMARY: As here interpreted narrowly, the Liliaceae constitutes about 11 genera and 550 species, of the Northern Hemisphere. There has been much investigation and re-interpretation of evidence regarding the upper-level taxonomy of the Liliales, with strong suggestions that the broad Liliaceae recognized by Cronquist (1981) is artificial and polyphyletic. Cronquist (1981) himself concurs, at least to a degree: we still await a comprehensive reorganization of the lilies into several families more comparable to other recognized families of angiosperms. Dahlgren & Clifford (1982) and Dahlgren, Clifford, & Yeo (1985) synthesized an early phase in the modern revolution of monocot taxonomy. Since then, additional research, especially molecular (Duvall et al. 1993, Chase et al. 1993, Bogler & Simpson 1995, and many others more recently), has strongly validated the general lines (and many details) of Dahlgrens arrangement. REFERENCE: Chen et al. (2013); Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (1998, 2003, 2009); Tamura in Kubitzki (1998a). [also see AGAVACEAE, ALLIACEAE, ALSTROEMERIACEAE, AMARYLLIDACEAE, ASPARAGACEAE, COLCHICACEAE, HELONIADACEAE, HEMEROCALLIDACEAE, HOSTACEAE, HYACINTHACEAE, HYPOXIDACEAE, MELANTHIACEAE, NARTHECIACEAE, RUSCACEAE, SMILACACEAE, THEMIDACEAE, TOFIELDIACEAE, TRILLIACEAE, XEROPHYLLACEAE]ABOUT GENUS (Weakley Flora) Maianthemum F.H. Wigg. (Mayflower) SUMMARY: A genus of about 28 species, herbs, of n. Europe, e. Asia, North America, and Central America. The inclusion of the traditional Smilacina in Maianthemum remains controversial and uncertain. REFERENCE: LaFrankie (1986)=Z; Judd (2003)=Y; LaFrankie in FNA (2002a); Conran & Tamura in Kubitzki (1998a).
HERBARIUM RESOURCES
SERNEC: Find Maianthemum canadense in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available) UNC SERNEC: Find Maianthemum canadense in
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)