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Erigenia bulbosa (Michaux) Nuttall. Harbinger-of-spring, Pepper-and-salt, Erigenia. Phen: (Jan-) Feb-May. Hab: Mesic, nutrient-rich forests, either over calcareous substrate or on very rich alluvial deposits (such as riverbanks). Dist: S. PA, w. NY, s. ON, c. MI, and se. WI south to w. MD, DC, c. VA, w. VA, nc. NC, w. NC, e. TN, nw. GA, c. AL, n. MS, sw. AR, and se. KS (almost entirely west of the Blue Ridge). Rodgers (1950) stated that E. bulbosa was "reported in mtns. of N.C. by Kephart and Hyams", but Radford, Ahles, & Bell (1968) excluded it from the state's flora. E. bulbosa has now been documented from both the nc. Piedmont and the Mountains of NC.

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Other Comments: See Buddell & Thieret (1985) for a very interesting and entertaining account of this plant.

Synonymy ⓘ: = Ar, C, F, G, GrPl, Il, K1, K3, K4, MC, Mi, Mo2, NY, Ok, Pa, RAB, S, Tn, Va, W, WV, Buddell & Thieret (1985); = n/a – Tat

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Heliophily ⓘ: 1

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image of plant© Alan Cressler: Erigenia bulbosa, Carters Lake Regulation Dam Park, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Murray County, Georgia 1 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Bruce A. Sorrie | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷

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Horticultural Information

NCBG trait

Intro: Erect to sprawling annual of moist, nutrient-rich forests, either over calcareous substrate or on very rich alluvial deposits, such as river banks.

Stems: Stems 1-3 from a tuber, thick, unbranched, longitudinally ridged, light green to reddish, smooth.

Leaves: Leaves 1-2, alternate, on sheathing petioles, broadly oval in outline, divided into 3 leaflets, each further divided 1-2 times, the ultimate segments oblong to elliptic-oblong or lance-shaped and smooth.

Inforescence:

Flowers: Flowers in a compound terminal umbel, with 1-4 umbellets per umbel; white; 1/4 in. wide; consisting of 5 narrow petals, 5 dark-red stamens that turn black and a divided white style.

Fruits: Fruit a joined pair of minute, curved, ridged seeds.

Comments:

Height: 3-10 in.

plant sale text:

bloom table text:

description: Erect to sprawling annual of moist, nutrient-rich forests, either over calcareous substrate or on very rich alluvial deposits, such as river banks.

stems: Stems 1-3 from a tuber, thick, unbranched, longitudinally ridged, light green to reddish, smooth.

leaves: Leaves 1-2, alternate, on sheathing petioles, broadly oval in outline, divided into 3 leaflets, each further divided 1-2 times, the ultimate segments oblong to elliptic-oblong or lance-shaped and smooth.

inflorescence:

flowers: Flowers in a compound terminal umbel, with 1-4 umbellets per umbel; white; 1/4 in. wide; consisting of 5 narrow petals, 5 dark-red stamens that turn black and a divided white style.

fruits: Fruit a joined pair of minute, curved, ridged seeds.

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cultural notes:

germination code:

native range: