Wild-Flower Study 



57 



The color of the trillium flower depends upon the species studied; 

 there are three petals, and the white and painted trilliums have the edges 

 of the petals ruffled ; the red and nodding trilliums have petals and sepals 

 nearly the same size, but in the white trillium the sepals are narrower and 

 shorter than the petals. The sepals are opposite the petals, so that when 

 we look straight into the flower we see it as a six-pointed star, three of the 

 points being green sepals. The pistil of the trillium is six-lobed. It is 

 dark red in the purple trillium and very large; in the white species, it is 

 pale green and smaller; it opens at the top with three flaring stigmas. 

 There are six stamens with long anthers, and they stand between the 

 lobes of the pistil. The flower stalk rises from the center where three 

 large leaves join. The flower stalk has a tendency to bend a little, and is 

 rather delicate. The three leaves have an interesting venation, and make 

 a good subject for careful drawing. The flower stem varies with different 

 species, and so does the length of the stem of the plant, the latter being 



fleshy and green toward the top and reddish 

 toward the root. The trilliums have a 

 thick, fleshy, and much scarred rootstock 

 from which extend rootlets which are often 

 corrugated. The trilliums are perennial, 

 and grow mostly in damp, rich woods. The 

 painted trillium is found in cold, damp 

 woods along the banks of brooks ; the white 

 trillium is likely to be found in large num- 

 bers in the same locality, while the purple 

 trillium is found only here and there. Flies 

 and beetles carry the pollen for the red 

 trillium, being attracted to it by its rank 

 odor, which is very disagreeable to vis but 

 very agreeable to them. The large white 

 trillium is visited by bees and butterflies. 

 The fruit of the trillium is a berry, that of 

 the purple species is somewhat six-lobed 

 and reddish. In late July the fruit of the 

 white trillium is a cone with six sharp 

 wings, or ridges, from apex to base, the 

 latter being three-quarters of an inch across. 

 These vertical ridges are not evenly spaced, 

 and beneath them are packed as closely as 

 possible the yellow-green seeds, which are 

 as large as homeopathic pills. In cross section, it can be seen that the 

 trillium berry is star-shaped with three compartments, the seeds growing 

 on the partitions. This 'trillium fruit is very rough outside, but smooth 

 inside, and the dried stamens often still cling to it. 



The trilliums are so called from the word triplum, meaning three, as 

 there are three leaves, three petals, and three sepals. 



LESSON CXX 

 THE TRILLIUM 



Leading thought The trilliums^are lilies, and are often called wood 

 lilies, because of their favorite haunts. There are several species, but 



The stem less trillium 



