Erythronium montanum
Encyclopedia
Erythronium montanum is a member of the lily family
native to coastal British Columbia
and the alpine
and subalpine
Olympic
and Cascade Range
s of the Pacific Northwest
of North America.
Blooms shortly after snowmelt in late spring, in damp subalpine woodlands and alpine meadows, often in extensive patches. Blooming plants may persist into midsummer about the edges of snowfields. In the central Cascades, it is often found flowering admixed with Clintonia uniflora
and Trillium ovatum
at the lower elevation end of its range, and with Anemone occidentalis
at higher elevations. Distinguishing characteristics of this species are the oblong-lanceolate unmottled leaves and tepals that are white with a yellow base.
Liliaceae
The Liliaceae, or the lily family, is a family of monocotyledons in the order Liliales. Plants in this family have linear leaves, mostly with parallel veins but with several having net venation , and flower arranged in threes. Several have bulbs, while others have rhizomes...
native to coastal British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
and the alpine
Alpine climate
Alpine climate is the average weather for a region above the tree line. This climate is also referred to as mountain climate or highland climate....
and subalpine
Subalpine
The subalpine zone is the biotic zone immediately below tree line around the world. Species that occur in this zone depend on the location of the zone on the Earth, for example, Snow Gum in Australia, or Subalpine Larch, Mountain Hemlock and Subalpine Fir in western North America.Trees in the...
Olympic
Olympic Mountains
The Olympic Mountains is a mountain range on the Olympic Peninsula of western Washington in the United States. The mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are not especially high - Mount Olympus is the highest at - but the western slopes of the Olympics rise directly out of the Pacific...
and Cascade Range
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
s of the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
of North America.
Blooms shortly after snowmelt in late spring, in damp subalpine woodlands and alpine meadows, often in extensive patches. Blooming plants may persist into midsummer about the edges of snowfields. In the central Cascades, it is often found flowering admixed with Clintonia uniflora
Clintonia uniflora
Clintonia uniflora is a species of flowering plant in the lily family known by several common names, including bride's bonnet and queen's cup. This rhizomatous perennial, a member of the bead lily genus, is native to the mountains of western North America from California to Alberta. It grows in the...
and Trillium ovatum
Trillium ovatum
Trillium ovatum, the Western Wake Robin, Pacific Trillium, or Western White Trillium, is a member of the Trilliaceae family, or sometimes included within the Liliaceae or Melanthiaceae. It occurs in parts of the western United States and western Canada, usually in rich forest...
at the lower elevation end of its range, and with Anemone occidentalis
Anemone occidentalis
Anemone occidentalis is a herbaceous plant species in the genus Anemone and family Ranunculaceae. Other authorities place it in the genus Pulsatilla. Individuals are 10 to 60 cm tall, from caudices, with 3 to 6 leaves at the base of the plant that are 3-foliolate, each leaflet pinnatifid to...
at higher elevations. Distinguishing characteristics of this species are the oblong-lanceolate unmottled leaves and tepals that are white with a yellow base.