Flora of the Southeastern United States

Intro: Scapose, rhizomatous perennial of pine savannas, pine flatwoods, seepage bogs, mafic fens and barrens, upland woodlands and road banks.

Stems: Stem an unbranched, mostly naked flowering scape with a few small bracts, rising from the center of a basal rosette.

Leaves: Leaves spreading-ascending in a basal rosette, lance-shaped, 1 1/2-7 1/2 in. long, yellowish green.

Inforescence:

Flowers: Flowers in a spike-like raceme occupying the top 4-14 in. of the scape, white, ¼-3/8 in. long, cylindric to urn-shaped, composed of 6 fused petals that at full bloom flare into 6 pointed lobes; there is a slight constriction of the tube just below the lobes, and the tube's outer surface is granular-bumpy.

Fruits: Fruit a beaked, oval capsule containing tiny reddish-brown seeds.

Comments: The similar Aletris obovata has slightly smaller flowers (less than ¼ in. long) in which the corolla lobes remain closed, giving it a rounded tip; it is restricted to coastal pine savannas at the southern end of our range.

Height: 1-3.5 ft.

plant sale text: White colicroot is a perennial herb and member of the lily family that resembles the orchid, nodding ladies'-tresses (Spiranthes cernua). It has grass-like leaves that are topped by a round stem with a spike-like cluster of small white, urn-shaped flowers. White colicroot spreads by means of underground rhizomes and forms rosettes of leaves. Traditionally, the roots were gathered and used to treat colic.

bloom table text:

description: Scapose, rhizomatous perennial of pine savannas, pine flatwoods, seepage bogs, mafic fens and barrens, upland woodlands and road banks.

stems: Stem an unbranched, mostly naked flowering scape with a few small bracts, rising from the center of a basal rosette.

leaves: Leaves spreading-ascending in a basal rosette, lance-shaped, 1 1/2-7 1/2 in. long, yellowish green.

inflorescence:

flowers: Flowers in a spike-like raceme occupying the top 4-14 in. of the scape, white, ¼-3/8 in. long, cylindric to urn-shaped, composed of 6 fused petals that at full bloom flare into 6 pointed lobes; there is a slight constriction of the tube just below the lobes, and the tube's outer surface is granular-bumpy.

fruits: Fruit a beaked, oval capsule containing tiny reddish-brown seeds.

comments: The similar Aletris obovata has slightly smaller flowers (less than ¼ in. long) in which the corolla lobes remain closed, giving it a rounded tip; it is restricted to coastal pine savannas at the southern end of our range.

cultural notes:

germination code: 2, 4

native range: eastern North America