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- Trillium nivale
Trillium nivale — snow wakerobin
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New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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Facts
Snow wakerobin is native to parts of the Midwest, where it is typically scattered and uncommon. It is not currently a resident of New England. One population known historically from Connecticut, likely originating from planting, may no longer be present. It is one of the smallest and earliest-flowering of the wakerobins (Trillium).
Habitat
Forests
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
- Connecticut
- Leaf arrangement
- whorled: there are three or more leaves per node along the stem
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blade is elliptic (widest near the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)
- Leaf blade length
- 15–45 mm
- Flower petal color
- white
- Flower petal length
- 15–35 mm
- Petal fusion
- the perianth parts are separate
- Inflorescence type
- the inflorescence has only one flower on it
- Ovary position
- the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment
- Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is a berry (fleshy, with the wall enclosing one or more sections, with two or more seeds)
- Fruit length
- 6–10 mm
-
Clonal plantlets
- Axillary bulblets
- there are no bulblets being produced in axils
-
Flowers
- Anther attachment
- the anther is attached by its base to the filament
- Bulblets replace flowers
- there are no bulblets where the flowers are located
- Carpels fused
- the carpels are fused (the number of carpels equals the number of locules)
- Flower number
- 1
- Flower petal color
- white
- Flower petal length
- 15–35 mm
- Flower symmetry
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)
- Form of style
- NA
- Fringed petal edges
- the petals are not fringed
- Hairs on flower stalk
- the flower stalk has no hairs on it
- Inflorescence type
- the inflorescence has only one flower on it
- Marks on petals
- there are no noticeable marks on the petals
- Nectar spur
- the flower has no nectar spurs
- Number of pistils
- 1
- Number of styles
- 1
- Ovary position
- the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment
- Petal appearance
- the petals are thin and delicate, and pigmented (colored other than green or brown)
- Petal fusion
- the perianth parts are separate
- Sepal appearance
- the sepals resemble leaves in color and texture
- Sepal length
- 10–32 mm
- Sepals fused only to sepals
- the sepals are separate from one another
- Spathe
- the plant does not have a spathe
- Spathe form
- NA
- Stamen number
- 6
- Stamen position relative to petals
- NA
- Stamens fused
- the stamens are not fused to one another
- Stamens fused outwards
- the stamens are not fused to the petals or tepals
- Style length
- 0.5–1 mm
- Style petal-like
- the style is not broad and flattened like a petal
- Tepals
- the petals and sepals are different in size and color
-
Fruits or seeds
- Berry color
-
- green
- white
- Capsule ridges
- NA
- Fruit compartments
- there are three locules in the fruit
- Fruit length
- 6–10 mm
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is fleshy
- Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is a berry (fleshy, with the wall enclosing one or more sections, with two or more seeds)
- Other markings on berry
- the ripe fruits are mostly one color without spots or streaks
-
Glands or sap
- Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
-
Growth form
- Lifespan
- the plant lives more than two years
- Underground organs
- the plant has a rhizome (a horizontal underground stem with roots growing from it)
-
Leaves
- Leaf arrangement
- whorled: there are three or more leaves per node along the stem
- Leaf blade basal lobes
- the leaf blades do not have basal lobes
- Leaf blade base
- the leaf has a distinct leaf stalk (petiole)
- Leaf blade base shape
- the base of the leaf blade is rounded
- Leaf blade cross-section
- the leaf blade is more or less flat in cross-section
- Leaf blade faces
- both surfaces of the leaf blade are exposed
- Leaf blade form
- Fully-formed (i.e., expanded), +/- green leaf blades are found somewhere on the plant
- Leaf blade length
- 15–45 mm
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blade is elliptic (widest near the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)
- Leaf blade surface colors
- the upper side of the leaf blade is relatively uniform in color
- Leaf blade tip
-
- the tip of the leaf blade is obtuse (bluntly pointed)
- the tip of the leaf blade is rounded, with no point
- Leaf blade veins
- the lateral veins are palmate, (and do not arch towards the leaf tip) or pinnate
- Leaf type
- the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets
- Stipule twining
- NA
- Stipules
- there are no stipules on this plant
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
- Connecticut
- Specific habitat
- forests
-
Scent
- Plant odor
- the leaves have no particular smell
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Flowering stem growth form
- the flowering stem is held upright
- Flowering stem leaves
- there are no true leaves on the flowering stem
Wetland status
Not classified
New England distribution and conservation status
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- absent
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- absent
Conservation status
None
Native to North America?
Yes and no (some introduced)
Sometimes confused with
- Trillium cernuum:
- stems 15–40 cm tall, leaf blades 5–15 cm long, and flowers nodding beneath the leaves (vs. T. nivale, with stems at anthesis 3–5 cm tall, elongating to 9 cm post anthesis, leaf blades 1.5–4.5 cm long, and flowers erect).
Family
Genus
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
4. Trillium nivale Riddell E
snow wakerobin. CT. Mesic, deciduous, often rich, forests. Noted from a single naturalized population along the Farmington River but not found in recent searches.