LILIACEAE LILY FAMILY 
YELLOW ADDER’S TONGUE 
Erythronium americanum Ker 
Not many of our early spring flowers are yellow, and of those 
that are, one, the Yellow Adder’s Tongue, is very rare in IIli- 
nois. It grows in rich forest soil, particularly along the banks of 
streams, from New Brunswick to Ontario, 
south to Florjda and Arkansas. 
The seeds germinate just below the 
surface of the soil and produce a very 
small bulb bearing 1 leaf the first year. 
The next year a stem grows downward 
from this bulb and forms another bulb a 
few inches deeper. This process is repeated 
four or five years, the old 
bulb withering each time. 
When a bulb has been pro- 
duced at a depth of 3-15 
inches, depending on the 
character of the soil, it 
sends up a stem 5-10 inches 
high, bearing 2 pale green 
leaves mottled with purple, 
and 1 flower that blooms in 
April and May. 
The 3 sepals are green 
and purple on the outside, 
and pale yellow inside, 
whereas the 3 petals are pale yellow on both sides. Both sepals 
and petals are dotted with reddish brown spots at the base. 
There are 6 stammens which have long brown anthers that open 
lengthwise. The pistil consists of a 3-celled ovary and a single 
style and stigma. The fruit is a capsule containing many seeds 
which are brown and curved when mature. Soon after the 
blooming season the leaves die and the capsule lies on the 
ground until ripe. 
The White Dogtooth Violet, Erythronium albidum Nutt., is 
similar to the Yellow Adder’s Tongue but has white flowers, and the 
style, which is more slender, bears 3 stigmas. In many places it is 
also more common. 
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