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Erythronium mesochoreum

Knerr

Midland fawnlily

iNaturalist· cc-by-nc

(c) MC Barnhart, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by MC Barnhart

iNaturalist· cc-by-nc

(c) Megan Sebasky, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Megan Sebasky

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Erythronium mesochoreum, the prairie fawn lily or midland fawnlily, is a plant species in the lily family, native to the US states of Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas. Erythronium mesochoreum forms flattened to egg-shaped corms up to 25 mm long. The corms grow offsets in a manner similar to tulips, creating new plants as well as setting seed. Leaves are elliptic to lanceolate, up to 14 cm long. Scape is up to 15 cm tall, bearing only one flower. Tepals are spreading at flowering time, white with blue or purple tinge on the underside and a yellow spot on the upper side. Anthers are yellow, and style is white.

Description

A temperate bulb plant in the Liliaceae family that grows in prairie regions of southern USA.

This description is brief — help expand it

Edible Uses

The freshly dug plant is eaten, especially by children.

Traditional Uses

The newly dug fresh plant is eaten especially by children.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Distribution

It is a temperate plant. It grows in the prairie in southern USA.

Where It Grows

North America, USA,

Notes

There are about 22 Erythronium species.

Synonyms

Erythronium albidum var. coloratum SternsErythronium albidum var. mesochoreum (Knerr) Rickett

References (3)

  • Beckstrom-Sternberg, Stephen M., and James A. Duke. "The Foodplant Database." http://probe.nalusda.gov:8300/cgi-bin/browse/foodplantdb.(ACEDB version 4.0 - data version July 1994)
  • Marinelli, J. (Ed), 2004, Plant. DK. p 234
  • Moerman, D. F., 2010, Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press. p 227

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