North Carolina Botanical Garden

Plant Index

Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Genus:
Family:

Tofieldia glabra

Tofieldia glabra Nutt.

carolina bog asphodel, smooth tofieldia, white asphodel

Tofieldia glabra (Carolina Bog Asphodel)

Image ID: 17824
Image by: Sorrie, Bruce A.
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library

PLANT INDEX

ID_PLANT: TOGL
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Tofieldia glabra
Include in WOTAS: 1
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2018-09-21

GENUS INDEX

GENUS CODE: TOFIE
GENUS SCIENTIFIC: Tofieldia
GENUS AUTHORITY: Huds.
GENUS COMMON: Tofieldia
GENUS SUMMARY: A genus of about 7-8 species, of temperate to subarctic North America and Eurasia. There is controversy about the circumscription of Tofieldia relative to the related genera Pleea and Triantha (here recognized, but sometimes subsumed into Tofieldia). Some have contended that Tofieldia, Triantha, and Pleea should be treated together in a broadly circumscribed Tofieldia (Utech 1978, Zomlefer 1997c); others that all three should be treated separately (Ambrose 1980; Packer 1993; Cruden 1991). Packer in FNA (2002a) has recently recognized Triantha, Pleea, and Tofieldia as separate genera, a conclusion followed here in part because of the ancient, relictual nature of these units.
GENUS IDENTIFICATION: Identification notes: In sterile condition, Tofieldia glabra can be distinguished from Iris verna by its minutely upwardly-scabrous margins (Iris has smooth margins).
GENUS REFERENCES: Zomlefer (1997c)=Z; Packer (1993); Ambrose (1980); Utech (1978); Hitchcock (1944)=Y; Tamura in Kubitzki (1998a); Packer in FNA (2002a); Cruden (1991).

FAMILY INDEX

FAMILY CODE: TOFIEL
FAMILY SCIENTIFIC: Tofieldiaceae
FAMILY AUTHORITY: Takhtajan 1994
FAMILY COMMON: False-asphodel Family
FAMILY SUMMARY: A family of 4 genera and about 30 species, of disjunct distribution in north temperate and subarctic areas, and in the Guayana Shield and northern Andes areas of n. South America. There is controversy about the circumscription of the genera; Azuma & Tobe (2011) have clarified the phylogeny and generic subscriptions in the family. Some have believed that Tofieldia, Triantha, and Pleea should be treated together in a broadly circumscribed Tofieldia (Utech 1978, Zomlefer 1997c); others that all three should be treated separately (Ambrose 1980; Packer 1993; Cruden 1991). Packer in FNA (2002a) has recently recognized Triantha, Pleea, and Tofieldia as separate genera, a conclusion followed here in part because of the ancient, relictual nature of these units, and additionally supported by the molecular analysis of Azuma & Tobe (2011). Reveal & Zomlefer (1998) place the Tofieldiaceae in the monotypic order Tofieldiales, only distantly related to the Liliaceae. Tamura in Kubitzki (1998a) treats this group as subfamily Tofieldioideae of the Nartheciaceae; this treatment is not tenable following more recent research.
FAMILY REFERENCE: Azuma & Tobe (2011); Zomlefer (1997c, 1999); Tamura in Kubitzki (1998a).

NCBG DESCRIPTIVES

INTRO: Erect, rhizomatous perennial of savanna-pocosin ecotones, wet savannas and seepage bogs.
STEMS: Stems scape-like, unbranched, smooth.
LEAVES: Leaves mostly basal, erect, grass-like, 3-12 in. long and less than 1/3 in. wide, rapidly reduced in size up the stem, with a succulent texture and smooth.
INFLORESCENCE:
FLOWERS: Flowers in a dense terminal raceme, with a single flower at each node; white; less than 1/2 in. wide; consisting of 6 spreading, oblong-lance-shaped tepals with rounded tips, 6 erect stamens equal to or slightly shorter than the tepals and a white, 3-celled ovary
FRUITS: Fruit a 3-celled capsule.
COMMENTS:
HEIGHT: 1-2 ft.

DURATION: Perennial
HABIT: Herb

LEAF ARRANGEMENT: Basal
LEAF COMPLEXITY: Simple
LEAF RETENTION:

FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY: Radial (Actinomorphic)
BLOOM TIME: (Late Aug-) late Sep-Oct (-Nov).

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
								x	x

BLOOM COLOR: White

White	Red	Pink	Orange	Yellow	Green	Blue	Lavender	Purple	Violet	Brown	Not Applicable
x

FRUITING PERIOD: Oct-Nov.

DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE: Bogs/pocosins, Pine savannas
NATIVE RANGE: North Carolina & South Carolina

HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text:

Bloom Table Text:

NCBG Location:

Cultural Notes:

SOIL MOISTURE:
LIGHT EXPOSURE:
MINIMUM HARDINESS ZONE:
MAXIMUM HARDINESS ZONE:
GERMINATION CODE:
WILDLIFE VALUE:
DEER RESISTANCE:

GRIM COLLECTIONS

Coll_id	Project	Collection date	Collector	Action
309	HORT	2009-12-08	Poythress	View

GRIM ACCESSIONS

acc_id	acc_num	acc_dt	coll_id	Action
304	2011-0170	2011-07-09	309	View
1858	1986-1639			View

GRIM PLANTINGS

plt_num	acc_id	loc_num	pers_num	inst_dt	Action
717	304	44	NCBG staff	2011-05-10	View
718	304	44	NCBG staff	2011-10-18	View
2950	1858	63	NCBG staff	1984-03-11	View

USDA PLANTS DATABASE

USDA Symbol: TOGL
USDA Common Name: Smooth Tofieldia
Native Status: L48 (N)
Distribution: USA (NC, SC)
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Forb/herb

NATIONAL WETLAND INDICATOR STATUS

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	FACW				FACW

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: Tofieldia glabra
COMMON NAME: Carolina Bog Asphodel, White Asphodel
SYNONYMY: [= FNA, GW, K, RAB, S, Z]
PHENOLOGY: (Late Aug-) late Sep-Oct (-Nov); Oct-Nov.
HABITAT: Savanna-pocosin ecotones, wet savannas, seepage bogs.
COMMENTS: Endemic to the Coastal Plain (including Sandhills) of NC and northern SC; reports from GA are dubious.
RANGE MAP: Tofieldia glabra.png

Key to Map Symbols

ABOUT FAMILY (Weakley Flora)
Tofieldiaceae Takhtajan 1994 (False-asphodel Family)
SUMMARY: A family of 4 genera and about 30 species, of disjunct distribution in north temperate and subarctic areas, and in the Guayana Shield and northern Andes areas of n. South America. There is controversy about the circumscription of the genera; Azuma & Tobe (2011) have clarified the phylogeny and generic subscriptions in the family. Some have believed that Tofieldia, Triantha, and Pleea should be treated together in a broadly circumscribed Tofieldia (Utech 1978, Zomlefer 1997c); others that all three should be treated separately (Ambrose 1980; Packer 1993; Cruden 1991). Packer in FNA (2002a) has recently recognized Triantha, Pleea, and Tofieldia as separate genera, a conclusion followed here in part because of the ancient, relictual nature of these units, and additionally supported by the molecular analysis of Azuma & Tobe (2011). Reveal & Zomlefer (1998) place the Tofieldiaceae in the monotypic order Tofieldiales, only distantly related to the Liliaceae. Tamura in Kubitzki (1998a) treats this group as subfamily Tofieldioideae of the Nartheciaceae; this treatment is not tenable following more recent research.
REFERENCE: Azuma & Tobe (2011); Zomlefer (1997c, 1999); Tamura in Kubitzki (1998a).

ABOUT GENUS (Weakley Flora)
Tofieldia Huds. (Tofieldia)
SUMMARY: A genus of about 7-8 species, of temperate to subarctic North America and Eurasia. There is controversy about the circumscription of Tofieldia relative to the related genera Pleea and Triantha (here recognized, but sometimes subsumed into Tofieldia). Some have contended that Tofieldia, Triantha, and Pleea should be treated together in a broadly circumscribed Tofieldia (Utech 1978, Zomlefer 1997c); others that all three should be treated separately (Ambrose 1980; Packer 1993; Cruden 1991). Packer in FNA (2002a) has recently recognized Triantha, Pleea, and Tofieldia as separate genera, a conclusion followed here in part because of the ancient, relictual nature of these units.
REFERENCE: Zomlefer (1997c)=Z; Packer (1993); Ambrose (1980); Utech (1978); Hitchcock (1944)=Y; Tamura in Kubitzki (1998a); Packer in FNA (2002a); Cruden (1991).

HERBARIUM RESOURCES

SERNEC: Find Tofieldia glabra in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)
UNC SERNEC: Find Tofieldia glabra in University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)

WEB RESOURCES

USDA: Find Tofieldia glabra in USDA Plants
NPIN: Find Tofieldia glabra in NPIN Database
FNA: Find Tofieldia glabra in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Tofieldia glabra

IMAGE USE RECORDS

ID IMAGE: 17824 - Primary Image FloraQuest Plant Detail Page (Landscape Preferred)
ID IMAGE1: 19415 - Primary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE2: 0 - Secondary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE3: 19413 - Primary Image Plant Sale Sign (Landscape Only)
ID IMAGE4: 0 - Primary Image New Plant Sale Label (Portrait Only)