Maianthemum canadense Desf. var. interius Fern. 



WILD LILY-OF-THE-V ALLEY 

 Lily Family (Liliaceae) 



CONSERVATION STATUS 



U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service: None 



Bureau of Land Management: None 



Montana Natural Heritage Program: G5 SI; in reviewing its state rank, we have 

 determined that it is more appropriately ranked "SH" - knowoi only from historic records. 



DESCRIPTION: Wild lily-of-the-valley is a rhizomatous, perennial herb with sparsely hairy 

 zigzag stems that are 8-20 cm high. The 2-3 elliptical leaves are ca. 8-20 cm long and have a shallow 

 basal lobe or short petiole that partly surrounds the stem. The small, white flowers are borne in a 

 tightly branched terminal inflorescence. The flowers have 4 stamens and 4 narrow, undifferentiated 

 perianth segments, or tepals, that are ca. 2 mm long. The ovary matures into a red, 1-2 seeded berry 

 that is ca. 3 mm wide. Flowering in June. 



Species of Smilacina (Maianthemum) and Disporum have more leaves and much larger fruits. Both 

 genera have six tepals and six stamens. 



GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION 



Global distribution: Southern Canada to 

 North Carolina and west to Montana and 

 Wyoming. 



Montana distribution: Carter County 



Carter County distribution: There is only 

 one record from the county, a collection in 

 1948, from the Little Missouri River south of 

 Alzada. 



wild Lily-oMha-Vallay 



HABITAT: It is a plant of deciduous forest, woodlands and clearings. At the edge of its range in 

 adjoining states it is known from oak and aspen woodlands. 



SPECIES BIOLOGY: Unknown in Montana. 



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