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- Uvularia grandiflora
Uvularia grandiflora — large-flowered bellwort
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Facts
Large-flowered bellwort is distributed in rich, moist, deciduous forests in western New England. Deer favor the foliage as browse, and consequently it tends to decline in areas with an overpopulation of deer. The Potawatomi made a salve out of the root to treat sore muscles, tendons and backaches.
Habitat
Forests
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.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf 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 oblong (rectangular but with rounded ends)
- the leaf blade is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)
- Leaf blade length
- 60–135 mm
- Flower petal color
- yellow
- Flower petal length
- 25–50 mm
- Petal fusion
- the perianth parts are separate
- Inflorescence type
- the flowers grow out of the axil (point where a branch or leaf is attached to the main stem)
- Ovary position
- the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment
- Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is a capsule (splits along two or more seams, apical teeth or pores when dry, to release two or more seeds)
- Fruit length
- 10–15 mm
-
Clonal plantlets
- Axillary bulblets
- there are no bulblets being produced in axils
-
Flowers
- Anther attachment
- the anther is attached at its midpoint to the filament
- Anther color
- the anthers show no hint of a pink, reddish or purplish tint
- Anther length
- 8–20 mm
- 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)
- Filament surface
- the filament surface has no hairs or scales on it
- Flower bracts
- there are bracts associated with the flower
- Flower number
- 1–4
- Flower orientation
- the flowers curve or droop downwards
- Flower petal color
- yellow
- Flower petal length
- 25–50 mm
- Flower shape
- the flower is bell-shaped
- Flower symmetry
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)
- Form of style
- the style is lobed at the tip, and unbranched
- Fringed petal edges
- the petals are not fringed
- Hairs on flower stalk
- the flower stalk has no hairs on it
- Inflorescence hair glands
- the axis of the inflorescence has no hairs on it
- Inflorescence type
- the flowers grow out of the axil (point where a branch or leaf is attached to the main stem)
- Length of peduncle
- 10–25 mm
- Marks on petals
- there are no noticeable marks on the petals
- Nectar spur
- the flower has no nectar spurs
- Number of carpels
- 3
- Number of pistils
- 1
- Number of sepals and/or petals
- there are six petals, sepals or tepals in the flower
- Number of styles
- 1
- Ovary position
- the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment
- Petal and sepal arrangement
- the flower includes two cycles of petal- or sepal-like structures
- Petal appearance
- the petals are thin and delicate, and pigmented (colored other than green or brown)
- Petal base
- the petal narrows gradually or does not narrow at the base
- Petal fusion
- the perianth parts are separate
- Petal hairs on inner/upper surface
- there are no hairs on the inner/upper petal surface
- Petal nectaries
- there are nectaries at the petal bases
- Sepal appearance
- the sepals resemble petals in color and texture
- Sepal length
- 20–50 mm
- Sepal orientation
- the sepals are slightly curved outwards from the plant
- Sepals fused only to sepals
- the sepals are separate from one another
- Spathe
- the plant does not have a spathe
- Spathe form
- NA
- Spathe length
- 0 mm
- Stamen length
- 10–25 mm
- Stamen number
- 6
- Stamen position relative to petals
- NA
- Stamen types
- the stamens within a cycle are distinctly of two types
- Stamens fused
- the stamens are fused to one another at or near their bases
- Stamens fused outwards
- the stamens are not fused to the petals or tepals
- Style length
- 8–12 mm
- Style petal-like
- the style is not broad and flattened like a petal
- Tepals
- the petals and sepals are similar in size and color
-
Fruits or seeds
- Berry color
- NA
- Capsule ridges
- there are three ribs or wings on the capsule
- Fruit compartments
- there are three locules in the fruit
- Fruit cross-section
- the fruit is roughly triangular in cross-section
- Fruit length
- 10–15 mm
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe
- Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is a capsule (splits along two or more seams, apical teeth or pores when dry, to release two or more seeds)
- Fruit width
- 10–20 mm
- Other markings on berry
- NA
-
Glands or sap
- Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
-
Growth form
- Lifespan
- the plant lives more than two years
- Root septa
- the roots do not have transverse septa
- Underground organs
-
- the plant has a rhizome (a horizontal underground stem with roots growing from it)
- there are only slender roots on the plant
-
Leaves
- Hairs on underside of leaf blade
-
- the underside of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- the underside of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs
- Hairs on upper side of leaf blade
- the upper side of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade basal lobes
- the leaf blades do not have basal lobes
- Leaf blade base
- the leaf blade clasps the stem at the base, or the leaf blade goes all the way around the stem, so that the stem appears to pierce the leaf blade
- Leaf blade base shape
-
- The base of the leaf blade is cordate (heart-shaped, with rounded lobes) or sagittate (arrow-shaped, with pointed, backward-facing lobes)
- 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
- 60–135 mm
- Leaf blade orientation
- the upper surface of the leaf blade faces the stem of the plant
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blade is elliptic (widest near the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is oblong (rectangular but with rounded 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 acute (sharply pointed)
- Leaf blade veins
- the lateral veins are parallel or slightly arched in the direction of the tip
- Leaf blade width
- 20–65 mm
- Leaf stalk length
- 0 mm
- Leaf type
- the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets
- Leaflet number
- 0
- Stipule twining
- NA
- Stipules
- there are no stipules on this plant
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- 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 is at least one fully-formed leaf on the flowering stem
- Stem hairs
- the stem is nearly or completely hairless
Wetland status
Not classified
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Connecticut
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), endangered (code: E)
- Massachusetts
- uncommon (S-rank: S3)
- New Hampshire
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), endangered (code: E)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
1. Uvularia grandiflora J.E. Sm. N
large-flowered bellwort. CT, MA, NH, VT; western New England. Rich, mesic, deciduous forests, often in regions of high-pH bedrock.
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Uvularia perfoliata:
- tepals warty with orange papillae on the inner surface and leaf blades lacking hairs on the lower surface (vs. U. grandiflora, with tepals smooth on the inner surface and leaf blades hairy on the lower surface).