Veratrum viride Aiton
green false-hellebore (corn lily; green false hellebore)
Melanthiaceae
(Previously in Liliaceae)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Bob Thacker     (Photo ID #85627)


Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Veratrum viride
Click here to view the full interactive map and legend

SUBTAXA PRESENT IN BC

Veratrum viride var. eschscholzianum

Species Information

General:
Perennial herb from a short, stout rhizome; flowering stems robust, erect, 0.7-2 m tall, often clustered, unbranched, leafy and short-hairy to woolly throughout or smooth in lower half.
Leaves:
Stem leaves numerous, broadly egg-shaped to oblong-elliptic, 10-35 cm long, 5-15 cm wide, becoming smaller and narrower towards the inflorescence, prominently ribbed (accordion-pleated), smooth above, densely hairy beneath, unstalked or nearly so, clasping at the base, the margins entire; basal leaves lacking.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a branched terminal cluster, the branches elongate, narrow, densely hairy, and at least the lower drooping, of numerous, stalked flowers, the stalks 2-3 (5) mm long, turning up as the flowers open; flowers pale green or yellow-green, with dark green centres, star-shaped, of 6 similar, distinct tepals, the tepals narrowly lanceolate to oblong-elliptic, 6-13 mm long, somewhat woolly-hairy on the outside, the margins minutely toothed to fringed; stamens 6; pistil 1, 3-chambered.
Fruits:
Capsules, barrel-shaped, 3-lobed, erect, 1.5-3 cm long, mostly smooth; seeds numerous, flat, broadly winged, 8-10 mm long.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Illustration

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Veratrum viride

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information
Value / Class

Avg

Min

Max

Elevation (metres)
1336 0 2640
Slope Gradient (%)
22 0 230

Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]

34 0 360
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
4 0 8
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
C
# of field plots
 species was recorded in:
5815
Modal BEC Zone Class
ESSF

All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in

AT(36), BAFA(40), BWBS(9), CDF(1), CMA(7), CWH(616), ESSF(3238), ICH(442), IDF(11), IMA(15), MH(381), MS(105), SBPS(7), SBS(519), SWB(20)

Habitat and Range

Moist to wet meadows, streambanks, swamps, thickets and open forests from the lowland to alpine zones; common throughout all but NE BC, especially southward; N to AK, YT and NT, E to AB and S to WY, ID and CA, also disjunct in PQ, Labr, NB and NS and the E U.S. (ME and NY south to GA and AL).

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Synonyms

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Veratrum eschscholtzianum (Schult. & Schult. f.) Rydb. ex A. Heller
Veratrum eschscholtzii A. Gray
Veratrum eschscholtzii var. incriminatum B. Boivin
Veratrum viride subsp. eschscholtzii (A. Gray) A. Löve & D. Löve
Veratrum viride var. eschscholtzii (A. Gray) Breitung