Erythronium
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 Erythronium oregonum
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Erythronium is a genus of bulbous spring-flowering perennials. They have attractive pendant flowers and sometimes mottled leaves. Many are best grown in shade so that the bulbs do not overheat or dry out.
The genus consists of 20-30 species. The species are primarily in temperate North America, with a few species in the Old World. Common names include fawn lily or fawnlily, trout lily, dog's-tooth violet and adder's-tongue.
[edit] Species
- Western North America (West of the Rocky Mountains)
- Erythronium californicum Purdy - California Fawn Lily
- Erythronium citrinum S. Wats. - Cream Fawn Lily
- Erythronium elegans Hammond & Chambers - Coast Range Fawn Lily
- Erythronium grandiflorum Pursh - Dogtooth Lily, Yellow Avalanche-lily, Yellow Fawn Lily
- Erythronium helenae Applegate - Pacific Fawn Lily
- Erythronium hendersonii S. Wats. - Henderson's Fawn Lily
- Erythronium idahoense St.John & G.N.Jones
- Erythronium howellii S. Wats. - Howell's Fawn Lily
- Erythronium klamathense Applegate - Klamath Fawn Lily
- Erythronium montanum S. Wats. - White Avalanche-lily, Glacier Lily
- Erythronium multiscapoideum (Kellogg) A. Nels. & Kennedy - Sierra Fawn Lily
- Erythronium oregonum Applegate - Giant White Fawn Lily
- Erythronium pluriflorum Shevock, Bartel & Allen - Manyflower Fawn Lily
- Erythronium purpurascens S. Wats. - Purple Fawn Lily
- Erythronium pusaterii (Munz & J.T. Howell) Shevock, Bartel & Allen - Kaweah Lakes Fawn Lily
- Erythronium quinaultense G A Allen - Olympic Fawn Lily
- Erythronium revolutum Sm. - Mahogany Fawn Lily
- Erythronium taylorii Shevock & G A Allen - Taylor's Fawn Lily
- Erythronium tuolumnense Applegate - Tuolumne Fawn Lily
- Eastern North America (East of the Rocky Mountains)
- Erythronium albidum Nutt. - Small White Fawn Lily, White Fawn Lily
- Erythronium americanum Ker-Gawl. - Trout Lily, Yellow Trout Lily, Adder's Tongue, Dogtooth Violet
- Erythronium mesochoreum Knerr - Midland Fawn Lily, White Fawn Lily
- Erythronium propullans Gray - Minnesota Dwarf Trout Lily, Minnesota Fawn Lily, Minnesota Trout Lily
- Erythronium rostratum W. Wolf - Yellow Trout Lily
- Erythronium umbilicatum Parks & Hardin - Dimpled Trout Lily
- Europe
- Erythronium dens-canis L. Dog Tooth Violet
- Asia
- Erythronium caucasicum Woronow
- Erythronium japonicum Decne. - Katakuri
- Erythronium sibiricum (Fisch. & C.A.Mey.) Krylov
[edit] Uses
The bulb is edible as a root vegetable, cooked or dried, and can be ground into flour. The leaves can also be cooked as a leaf vegetable. In Japan, Erythronium japonicum is called katakuri, and the bulb is processed to produce starch, which is used for food and other purposes.
They are also widely grown as ornamental plants, with numerous hybrids and cultivars having been selected for garden use. Popular cultivars include Erythronium 'Pagoda', E. 'Sundisc', E. 'Joanna', E. 'Kondo', E. 'Citronella', E. californicum 'White Beauty', and E. 'Rosalind'. Propagation is best by seed in autumn or by division of bulbs, depending on species. Some species propagate vegetatively.
