Lachnanthes caroliniana (Lamarck) Dandy. Common name: Redroot. Phenology: Jun-early Sep; Sep-Nov. Habitat: Wet savannas, pocosin edges, shores of Coastal Plain depression ponds (and similar ponds in the mountains of Virginia), ditches, wet disturbed ground. Distribution: The range is almost strictly on the Coastal Plain, and rather disjunct: s. NS, from MA to DE, from se. VA south to s. FL and west to e. LA (the Florida parishes), with inland disjunctions in w. VA, sc. TN (Coffee County), and w. LA (Vermilion Parish; Reid 2021); w. Cuba.
Origin/Endemic status: Native
Taxonomy Comments: The correct spelling of the specific epithet has been disputed; the original spelling was "caroliana," but Gandhi (1999) argues convincingly that this is a correctable typographic error. Many sources continue to maintain the spelling "caroliana", however (cf. POWO 2024).
Synonymy ⓘ: = C, Can, FNA26, GW1, K4, NE, NY, RAB, Tn, Va, W, Gandhi (1999), Pellegrini et al (2020); Dilatris caroliana Lam. Dilatris caroliniana Lam.; = Gyrotheca tinctoria (J.F.Gmel.) Salisb. — S, S13; = Lachnanthes caroliana (Lam.) Dandy — Meso6, NS, POWO, WH3, Robertson (1976), orthographic variant (correctable typographic error); = Lachnanthes tinctoria (J.F.Gmel.) Elliott — F, G, Tat. Basionym: Dilatris caroliana Lam. 1791
Links to other floras: = Lachnanthes caroliniana - FNA26
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Wetland Indicator Status:
- Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: OBL
- Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: OBL
- Northcentral & Northeast: OBL
Heliophily ⓘ: 8
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Horticultural Information
Intro: Erect perennnial with iris-like growth form, found in wet savannas, pocosin edges, shores of Coastal Plain depression ponds (and similar ponds in the mountains of Virginia), ditches and other wet, disturbed places.
Stems: Stems unbranched, hairy near top.
Leaves: Leaves mostly basal and overlapping at the base (a few shorter, alternate, clasping leaves on the stem), linear and pointed, to 18 in. long and ¾ in. wide, parallel-veined.
Inforescence:
Flowers: Flowers in a terminal, generally flat-topped cluster; flowers pale yellow, about â…“ in. long, with 6 erect tepals (3 shorter, 3 longer), which are yellow on the inner surface and silvery-green and woolly on the outer surface; there are 3 protruding stamens and a style.
Fruits: Fruit a reddish, rounded capsule enclosed in persistent, furry tepals.
Comments:
Height: 1-3 ft.
plant sale text:
bloom table text:
description: Erect perennnial with iris-like growth form, found in wet savannas, pocosin edges, shores of Coastal Plain depression ponds (and similar ponds in the mountains of Virginia), ditches and other wet, disturbed places.
stems: Stems unbranched, hairy near top.
leaves: Leaves mostly basal and overlapping at the base (a few shorter, alternate, clasping leaves on the stem), linear and pointed, to 18 in. long and ¾ in. wide, parallel-veined.
inflorescence:
flowers: Flowers in a terminal, generally flat-topped cluster; flowers pale yellow, about â…“ in. long, with 6 erect tepals (3 shorter, 3 longer), which are yellow on the inner surface and silvery-green and woolly on the outer surface; there are 3 protruding stamens and a style.
fruits: Fruit a reddish, rounded capsule enclosed in persistent, furry tepals.
comments:
cultural notes:
germination code:
native range: eastern North America & Cuba
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