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Aletris lutea Small. Common name: Yellow Colic-root. Phenology: Mar-May. Habitat: Wet pine savannas. Distribution: E. GA (in immediate proximity to the SC border) south to s. FL, and west to e. LA (Weigant 2002); disjunct in w. LA (Sorrie & LeBlond 2008) and recently verified in se. NC (R. Thornhill, pers. comm. 2012) (another specimen collected in se. NC has recently been annotated as A. lutea, but it appears to be A. farinosa). The report by Fernald (1950) of A. lutea Small as far north as se. VA is probably in error.

Origin/Endemic status: Endemic

Taxonomy Comments: The hybrid of A. lutea with A. obovata is relatively frequent in the area of parental geographic overlap; it is intermediate, including in flower color, which is a creamy pale yellow.

Synonymy ⓘ: = FNA26, GW1, K1, K3, K4, S, S13, WH3, Ward (1978), Weigant (2002), Zomlefer (1997b); = n/a – RAB

Links to other floras: = Aletris lutea - FNA26

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Wetland Indicator Status:

  • Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACW

Heliophily ⓘ: 8

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image of plant© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© John Gwaltney | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© John Gwaltney | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© John Gwaltney | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© John Gwaltney | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© John Gwaltney | Original Image ⭷

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Horticultural Information

NCBG trait

Intro: Scapose, rhizomatous perennial found in bogs and wet pine savannas at the southern end of our range.

Stems: Stem an unbranched, mostly naked (a few small reddish-green bracts) flowering scape, rising from the center of a rosette.

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

Inforescence:

Flowers: Flowers in a spike-like raceme occupying a large portion of the scape, yellow, about 3/4 in. long, cylindric and composed of 6 fused petals that at full bloom flare into 6 triangular-pointed lobes; the tube has a granular-bumpy outer surface.

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

Comments: Flowers of the similar Aletris aurea (p. xx) are short-cylindric with lobes that do not spread; it tends to bloom later.

Height: 1-3 ft.

plant sale text:

bloom table text:

description: Scapose, rhizomatous perennial found in bogs and wet pine savannas at the southern end of our range.

stems: Stem an unbranched, mostly naked (a few small reddish-green bracts) flowering scape, rising from the center of a rosette.

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

inflorescence:

flowers: Flowers in a spike-like raceme occupying a large portion of the scape, yellow, about 3/4 in. long, cylindric and composed of 6 fused petals that at full bloom flare into 6 triangular-pointed lobes; the tube has a granular-bumpy outer surface.

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

comments: Flowers of the similar Aletris aurea (p. xx) are short-cylindric with lobes that do not spread; it tends to bloom later.

cultural notes:

germination code:

native range:

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