Clade Monocots Scientific name Maianthemum Rank Genus | Clade Angiosperms | |
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Lower classifications Maianthemum bifolium, Maianthemum racemosum, Maianthemum dilatatum, Maianthemum canadense, Maianthemum stellatum |
Plant portrait false solomon s seal maianthemum racemosum
Maianthemum (Latin Māia "May" and Greek ánthemon "flower"; including former Smilacina) is a genus of rhizomatous, herbaceous, perennial flowering plants, native to the understory of woodlands. It is widespread across much of North America, Europe and Asia.
Contents
- Plant portrait false solomon s seal maianthemum racemosum
- Edible medicinal canada mayflower maianthemum canadense
- Species
- References

In the APG III classification system, Maianthemum is placed in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Nolinoideae (formerly the family Ruscaceae).

Because of genetic similarity, similar fruits, and evidence that the 4-tepal species evolved from a 6-tepal species, the genus Smilacina was combined with Maianthemum in the late 20th century.

Like many lilioid monocots, both Maianthemum and Smilacina were formerly included in the family Liliaceae. The genus has also been placed in the former family Convallariaceae, and resembles the closely related Polygonatum, hence the common name "false Solomon's seal".
Flowers have six tepals, reduced to four in M. canadense, M. bifolium and M. dilatatum.
Edible medicinal canada mayflower maianthemum canadense
Species
Species accepted:
- Maianthemum amoenum (H.L.Wendl.) LaFrankie - Honduras, El Salvador, Chiapas, Veracruz
- Maianthemum atropurpureum (Franch.) LaFrankie - Sichuan, Yunnan
- Maianthemum bicolor (Nakai) Cubey - Korea
- Maianthemum bifolium (L.) F.W.Schmidt - May lily - northern and central Europe and northern Asia from Spain to Kamchatka; China, Japan, Siberia, Kazakhstan, Germany, Italy, Ukraine, etc
- Maianthemum canadense Desf. - Canada mayflower, false lily-of-the-valley - much of USA and Canada
- Maianthemum comaltepecense Espejo, López-Ferr. & Ceja - Oaxaca
- Maianthemum dahuricum (Turcz. ex Fisch. & C.A.Mey.) LaFrankie - Siberia, Russian Far East, Manchuria, Inner Mongolia, Korea
- Maianthemum dilatatum (Alph.Wood) A.Nelson & J.F.Macbr. - snakeberry, wild lily-of-the-valley - Mongolia, Korea, Japan, Russian Far East, Alaska, Yukon, British Columbia, Washington, Idaho, Oregon, California
- Maianthemum flexuosum (Bertol.) LaFrankie - Chiapas, Central America
- Maianthemum formosanum (Hayata) LaFrankie - Taiwan
- Maianthemum forrestii (W.W.Sm.) LaFrankie - Yunnan
- Maianthemum fusciduliflorum (Kawano) S.C.Chen & Kawano - Tibet, Yunnan, Bhutan, Assam, Myanmar
- Maianthemum fuscum (Wall.) LaFrankie - Nepal, Tibet, Yunnan, Bhutan, Assam, Myanmar
- Maianthemum gigas (Woodson) LaFrankie - Chiapas, Central America
- Maianthemum gongshanense (S.Yun Liang) H.Li - Yunnan
- Maianthemum henryi (Baker) LaFrankie - Vietnam, Myanmar, Tibet, southern China
- Maianthemum hondoense (Ohwi) LaFrankie - Honshu
- Maianthemum × intermedium Vorosch. - Siberia, Russian Far East (M. bifolium × M. dilatatum)
- Maianthemum japonicum (A.Gray) LaFrankie - Russian Far East, Japan, Korea, northeastern China
- Maianthemum lichiangense (W.W.Sm.) LaFrankie - Gansu, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan
- Maianthemum macrophyllum (M.Martens & Galeotti) LaFrankie - Veracruz
- Maianthemum mexicanum García Arév - Durango
- Maianthemum monteverdense LaFrankie - Nicaragua, Costa Rica
- Maianthemum nanchuanense H.Li & J.L.Huang - Sichuan
- Maianthemum oleraceum (Baker) LaFrankie - Nepal, Bhutan, Assam, Myanmar, Tibet, Sikkim, Guizhou, Sichuan, Yunnan
- Maianthemum paludicola LaFrankie - Costa Rica
- Maianthemum paniculatum (M.Martens & Galeotti) LaFrankie - Central America, central and southern Mexico
- Maianthemum purpureum (Wall.) LaFrankie - Tibet, Yunnan, Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim, Assam
- Maianthemum racemosum (L.) Link - false Solomon's-seal - widespread across forested regions of USA and Canada; also Chihuahua
- Maianthemum robustum (Makino & Honda) LaFrankie - Honshu
- Maianthemum salvinii (Baker) LaFrankie - Chiapas, Guatemala
- Maianthemum scilloideum (M.Martens & Galeotti) LaFrankie - Mexico, Guatemala
- Maianthemum stellatum (L.) Link - starry Solomon's-seal widespread across most of northern and Western United States; much of Canada; Chihuahua
- Maianthemum stenolobum (Franch.) S.C.Chen & Kawano - Sichuan, Gansu, Hubei
- Maianthemum szechuanicum (F.T.Wang & Tang) H.Li - Sichuan, Yunnan
- Maianthemum tatsienense (Franch.) LaFrankie - Bhutan, Assam, Myanmar, Gansu, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan, Yunnan
- Maianthemum trifolium (L.) Sloboda - three-leaf Solomon's-seal, false mayflower Siberia, Russian Far East, Korea, Manchuria, Alaska, much of Canada, northeastern and north-central United States
- Maianthemum tubiferum (Batalin) LaFrankie - Gansu, Hubei, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Sichuan
- Maianthemum yesoense (Franch. & Sav.) LaFrankie - Japan