Maianthemum stellatum

(L.) Desf.

Star-flowered lily of the valley, Starry False Solomon's-seal

Asparagaceae Edible: Fruit, Leaves, Root 46,408 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Maianthemum stellatum (star-flowered, starry, or little false Solomon's seal, or simply false Solomon's seal; star-flowered lily-of-the-valley or starry false lily of the valley; syn. Smilacina stellata) is a species of flowering plant, native across North America. It has been found in northern Mexico, every Canadian province and territory except Nunavut, and every US state except Hawaii and the states of the Southeast. It has little white buds in the spring, followed by delicate starry flowers, then green-and-black striped berries, and finally deep red berries in the fall.

Description

A small plant. It keeps growing from year to year. The stem is leafy and 10-40 cm high. The rootstock in long. The leaves do not have leaf stalks but clasp the stem. They have very small hairs underneath. The flowers are small and cream-coloured. The fruit are green berries with red stripes. They turn black when ripe.

Edible Uses

The fruit are chewed with the juice swallowed, or preferably cooked before eating. The leaves and roots are also edible parts of the plant.

Traditional Uses

The fruit are chewed and the juice swallowed. The fruit are eaten preferably cooked.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Distribution

It is a temperate plant. It grows in damp places in the Rocky Mountains often amongst alders and willows.

Where It Grows

Australia, Canada, North America, USA,

Notes

There are about 25 Smilacina species. Also put in the family Convallariaceae.

Synonyms

Asteranthemum stellatum (L.) Nieuwl.Asteranthemum vulgare var. uniflorum (Pursh) KunthConvallaria hybrida MarchalConvallaria stellata L.Smilacina liliacea (Greene) WyndSmilacina stellata (L.) Desf.Tovaria sessilifolia BakerTovaria stellata (L.) Neck. ex BakerUnifolium liliaceum GreeneUnifolium sessilifolium (Baker) GreeneUnifolium stellatum (L.) GreeneVagnera angustifolia Raf.Vagnera leptopetala Rydb.Vagnera liliacea (Greene) Rydb.Vagnera sessilifolia (Baker) GreeneVagnera stellata (L.) MorongVagnera stellata var. mollis Farw.

References (14)

Ann. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat. 9:52. 1807 (As Smilacina stellata)
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) (As Vagnera stellata)
Cormack, R. G. H., 1967, Wild Flowers of Alberta. Commercial Printers Edmonton, Canada. p 42 (As Smilacina stellata)
Fisk, J. R. & Hoover, E., 2015, Wild Fruits of Minnesota. A Field Guide. University of Minnesota p 26
Hibbert, M., 2002, The Aussie Plant Finder 2002, Florilegium. p 291 (As Smilacina stellata)

Show all 14 references

Kermath, B. M., et al, 2014, Food Plants in the Americas: A survey of the domesticated, cultivated and wild plants used for Human food in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. On line draft. p 508
MacKinnon, A., et al, 2009, Edible & Medicinal Plants of Canada. Lone Pine. p 171 (As Smilacina stellata)
Moerman, D. F., 2010, Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press. p 332
Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/ (As Smilacina stellata)
Porsild, A.E., 1974, Rocky Mountain Wild Flowers. Natural History Series No. 2 National Museums of Canada. p 100 (As Smilacina stellata)
Reis, S. V. and Lipp, F. L., 1982, New Plant Sources for Drugs and Foods from the New York Botanical Garden herbarium. Harvard. p 26 (As Smilacina liliacea)
Ryan, S., 2008, Dicksonia. Rare Plants Manual. Hyland House. p 116 (As Smilacina stellata)
Turner, N., 1995, Food Plants of Coastal First Peoples. Royal BC Museum Handbook p 51 (As Smilacina stellata)
Turner, N., 1997, Food Plants of Interior First Peoples. Royal BC Museum Handbook p 75 (As Smilacina stellata)