Streptopus lanceolatus

Streptopus lanceolatus (rose twisted stalk, rosybells, rose mandarin, scootberry, liverberry, rose-bellwort), is an understory perennial plant native to the forests of North America, from Alaska to Labrador, south through the Great Lakes and Appalachian Mountain regions of the United States, as well as Montana, Washington state, Oregon, and St. Pierre & Miquelon.^[2][3] It grows primarily in mixed-wood forests, and throughout a wide range of soil and site conditions, preferring cool, acidic soils.

Streptopus lanceolatus
Conservation status
Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Liliales
Family:	Liliaceae
Genus:	Streptopus
Species:	S. lanceolatus
Binomial name
Streptopus lanceolatus (Aiton) Reveal
Synonyms[1]
Hekorima atropurpurea Fisch. ex Regel & Tiling Hekorima dichotoma Kunth Hexorima dichotoma Raf. Streptopus curvipes Vail Streptopus lanceolatus var. curvipes (Vail) Reveal Streptopus lanceolatus var. longipes (Fernald) Reveal Streptopus lanceolatus var. roseus (Michx.) Reveal Streptopus longipes Fernald Streptopus roseus Michx. Streptopus roseus var. curvipes (Vail) Fassett Streptopus roseus subsp. curvipes (Vail) Hultén Streptopus roseus f. giganteus Fassett Streptopus roseus f. indivisus Lepage Streptopus roseus var. longipes (Fernald) Fassett Streptopus roseus subsp. longipes (Fernald) Á.Löve & D.Löve Streptopus roseus subsp. perspectus (Fassett) Á.Löve & D.Löve Streptopus roseus var. perspectus Fassett Streptopus roseus f. simplex Vict. Uvularia lanceolata Aiton Uvularia rosea (Michx.) Pers.

Streptopus lanceolatus grows from a rhizome or seed, the stem having a zigzag shape, branched or sometimes unbranched. Up to 30 cm (12 in) tall with alternate wide lanced oval-shaped leaves with pointed tips and a rounded base, without leaf-stalks. The leaves are often finely toothed having fine hairs on the underside veins. Flowers appear as solitary individuals opposite each leaf in early summer (May to July) and are bell-shaped on 1–3 cm (0.4–1.2 in) long stalks bent midway, with 6 rose or white recurved petals with purple streaks. Fruit is an elongated red berry ripening in mid-summer (July to August). If berries are consumed in quantity, diarrhea can result.^[2][4][5]

Streptopus lanceolatus can be distinguished from Solomon's seal and false Solomon's seal by the alternate leaves on a zigzag stem.

Streptopus lanceolatus in bloom, picture taken on Dude Mountain Trail in Alaska

References

1. "Streptopus lanceolatus". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew – via The Plant List. Note that this website has been superseded by World Flora Online
2. Utech, Frederick H. (2002). "Streptopus lanceolatus". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 26. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
3. "Streptopus lanceolatus". County-level distribution map from the North American Plant Atlas (NAPA). Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2014.
4. Reveal, James Lauritz (1993). "Streptopus lanceolatus". Phytologia. 74 (3): 187.
5. Aiton, William (1789). Hortus Kewensis. Vol. 1. p. 434., as Uvularia lanceolata