E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Erythronium grandiflorum Pursh subsp. grandiflorum
yellow glacier lily (yellow avalanche-lily)
Liliaceae

Introduction to Vascular Plants

© Dave Ingram  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #3478)

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Distribution of Erythronium grandiflorum subsp. grandiflorum
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Species Information

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General:
Perennial herb from a slender, 3- to 5-cm long bulb and an elongate, segmented corm; flowering stems 15-30 cm tall, smooth.
Leaves:
Basal leaves 2, bright yellow-green, not mottled, oblong to egg-shaped, 10-20 cm long, smooth, narrowed gradually to broad, slightly winged stalks clasping the stem at the base, the margins entire but somewhat wavy; stem leaves lacking.
Flowers:
Inflorescence usually a solitary flower atop a leafless, unbranched, smooth stem; flowers golden-yellow to cream, nodding, of 6 similar, distinct tepals, the tepals lanceolate, 2-4 cm long, 4-8 mm wide, strongly curved back; stamens 6, anthers white, yellow, or red; pistil 1, 3-chambered.
Fruits:
Capsules, cylindric-club-shaped, erect, 3-5 cm long; seeds several to many (typically 20 to 50), brown, papery.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Habitat / Range

Moist to mesic meadows, edges of snow-melt, along streams and occasionally in open forests in the montane to alpine zones; common throughout BC S of 53degreeN; E to AB and S to MT, UT and N CA.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Climate

The climate type for this species, as reported in the: "British Columbia plant species codes and selected attributes. Version 6 Database" (Meidinger et al. 2008), is not evaluated, unknown or variable.

Synonyms and Alternate Names

Erythronium grandiflorum subsp. chrysandrum Applegate
Erythronium grandiflorum subsp. nudipetalum Applegate
Erythronium grandiflorum var. chrysandrum (Applegate) Scoggan
Erythronium grandiflorum var. nudipetalum (Applegate) C.L. Hitchc.
Erythronium grandiflorum var. pallidum St. John
Erythronium parviflorum (S. Wats.) Goodding

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Additional Photo Sources

General References