Stenanthium densum

Stenanthium densum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
Order: Liliales
Family: Melanthiaceae
Genus: Stenanthium
(A.Gray) Kunth
Species: S. densum
Binomial name
Stenanthium densum
(Desr.) Zomlefer & Judd
Synonyms[1]

Many, including

  • Amianthium leimanthoides A.Gray
  • Melanthium densum Desr.
  • Stenanthium leimanthoides (A.Gray) Zomlefer & Judd
  • Zigadenus densus (Desr.) Fernald
  • Zigadenus leimanthoides (A.Gray) A.Gray

Stenanthium densum is a poisonous but spectacular monocot wildflower native to pine barrens of the eastern United States. Stenanthium leimanthoides is either treated as a synonym of this species[2] or as a separate species.[3] It is known variously as Osceola's plume, crowpoison, or black snakeroot.

Within the family Melanthiaceae, it is placed in the tribe Melanthieae. Molecular phylogenetic studies in the 21st century have resulted in substantial rearrangement of the species in this tribe, many being moved to different genera. S. densum was previously placed in Zigadenus as Z. densum, and will be found under this name in older sources.[4][5]

It is native to the southernmost Gulf Coast, from eastern Louisiana east, down through most of Florida, and to the easternmost Atlantic Coast north to Rhode Island, seldom far from the coast.

References

  1. "Stenanthium densum". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2013-08-23.
  2. Search for "Stenanthium", "World Checklist of Selected Plant Families". Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2013-08-23.
  3. Weldy, Troy; Werier, David; Nelson, Andrew (2013). "Stenanthium leimanthoides". New York Flora Atlas. Florida Center for Community Design and Research, New York Flora Association. Retrieved 2013-08-21.
  4. Zomlefer, Wendy B.; Williams, Norris H.; Whitten, W. Mark; Judd, Walter S. (2001). "Generic Circumscription and Relationships in the Tribe Melanthieae (Liliales, Melanthiaceae), with Emphasis on Zigadenus: Evidence from ITS and trnL-F Sequence Data". American Journal of Botany 88 (9): 1657–1669. doi:10.2307/3558411. JSTOR 3558411. PMID 21669700.
  5. "Zigadenus densum". Flora of North America. Retrieved 2013-08-16.