| Schoenocaulon | |
|---|---|
| Schoenocaulon officinale | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Monocots |
| Order: | Liliales |
| Family: | Melanthiaceae |
| Genus: | Schoenocaulon Asa Gray |
Schoenocaulon is a North American genus of 26 species of perennial herbaceous flowering plants, ranging from the southern United States to Peru.[1] It is a member of the Melanthiaceae, according to the AGP II. Unlike related genera, the flowers are arranged in a spike; depending on the species the flower stalks for each flower are either very short or completely absent.[2]
Plants generally grow in chaparral, oak, or pine forests. Grazing has narrowed the natural ranges of some species to only steep, rocky terrain.[3] Mexico is the center of Schoenocaulon diversity, with 22 endemic species - some with distributions limited to single mountain ranges.[2] The two species with the widest distributions, S. yucatanense (sometimes treated as part of S. ghiesbreghtii) and S. officinale (sabadilla), may have been spread by pre-Columbians who used the seeds as pesticides.[2]
The petal and sepal color varies by species, with some shade of green being most common, but with maroon, cream, and bright red also represented.[2]