LILY FAMILY LILIACEAE 
BELLWORT 
Uvularia grandiflora Sm. 
The Bellwort is easily recognized by its foliage, for the 
base of each leaf is grown around the stem in such a way that 
it looks as though the stem had grown right through the leaf. 
It grows in rich woods from 
Quebec to Ontario and Minn- 
—— ZZ esota, south to Georgia, Tenn- 
essee and Kansas, and blooms 
from April to June. 
A number of fleshy roots branch 
from the underground stem by which 
the plant is perennial. The aerial 
stem is 6-20 inches high and forked 
above the middle. Below the fork 
is a single leaf or none at all, whereas 
several are above the fork. The 
leaves are somewhat hairy on the 
lower surface, at least when young, 
but otherwise the whole plant is 
smooth. 
The flowers are lemon yellow 
and always drooping. The 6 seg- 
ments of the bell-shaped perianth 
7 are separate and they fall off after 
‘\ the flower has bloomed. Usually 
‘) they are smooth on both sides. The 6 stamens are 
free from the perianth or attached to its very base. 
The filaments are slender and short and the narrow 
anthers are much longer. The ovary is 3-lobed and 
3-celled. The 3 styles are united to the middle and 
separate above. The capsule is 3-angled and con- 
tains 3-9 seeds. 
The other Bellwort of the region, Uvularia perfoliata 
L., has smaller flowers and is covered with a whitish bloom. There 
are 1-3 leaves below the fork and all the leaves are smooth. The plant 
grows 6-20 inches high in moist woods or thickets from eastern 
Massachusetts to Ontario, North Dakota and southwestward. It 
is a rarity in Illinois. 
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