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

Erythronium oregonum Applegate
White Fawn Lily (giant white fawnlily)
Liliaceae

Introduction to Vascular Plants

© Rosemary Taylor  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #85919)

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Distribution of Erythronium oregonum
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SUBTAXA PRESENT IN BC
Erythronium oregonum ssp. oregonum

Species Information

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General:
Perennial herb from a narrowly egg-shaped, 3- to 5-cm long bulb and an elongate, segmented corm; flowering stems 15-35 cm tall, smooth.
Leaves:
Basal leaves 2, dull dark green mottled with brown and white or pale green, lanceolate to oblong-elliptic, 10-20 cm long, smooth, abruptly narrowed to short, broad, somewhat winged stalks, the margins entire but often somewhat wavy; stem leaves lacking.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of 1, sometimes 2 or 3, flowers atop a leafless, unbranched, smooth stem; flowers white with some yellow or orange at the base on the inner surface, nodding, of 6 similar, distinct tepals, the tepals broadly lanceolate, 3.5-5 cm long, curved back; stamens 6, anthers white or yellow; pistil 1, 3-chambered.
Fruits:
Capsules, broadly club-shaped, erect, 3.5-5 cm long; seeds several to many, brown, egg-shaped, angular.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Habitat / Range

Dry to mesic meadows and open forests in the lowland zone; locally common on SE Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and the adjacent mainland; S to S OR.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Erythronium oregonum

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

Minimum

Average

Maximum

Elevation (metres) 15 147 1770
Slope Gradient (%) 0 32 135
Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]
23 5 360
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
1 2 5
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
B
Number of field plots
 species was recorded in:
66
Modal BEC Zone Class
CDF
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in: CDF(62), CWH(3), ESSF(1)

Ecological Indicator Information

A shade-intolerant, submontane to montane, Pacific North American forb. Occurs in maritime to submaritime summer-dry cool mesothermal climates on moderately dry to fresh. nitrogen-medium soils.Common in meadow­like communities and open-canopy forests on water-shedding sites. Its occurrence decreases with increasing elevation and continentality. Characteristic of dry mesothermal forests.

SourceIndicator Plants of Coastal British Columbia (Information applies to coastal locations only)

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 cool mesothermal.

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Additional Photo Sources

General References