Kingdom Plantae Family Melanthiaceae Scientific name Trillium cernuum Rank Species | Order Liliales Genus Trillium Higher classification Tri flower | |
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Similar Tri flower, Trillium flexipes, Trillium erectum, Trillium undulatum, Trillium rugelii | ||
Trillium cernuum (nodding trillium, nodding wakerobin, or whip-poor-will flower) is a species of Trillium native to northeastern North America, from Newfoundland west to southern Saskatchewan, and south to northern Virginia and Iowa. It occurs on rich, moist soils in both broadleaf and coniferous woodland.
It is a perennial herbaceous plant with one or more unbranched stems 15–60 centimetres (5.9–23.6 in) tall growing from an underground rhizome. The apex of each stem has whorl of three abruptly pointed bracts 4–15 centimetres (1.6–5.9 in) long and 6–18 centimetres (2.4–7.1 in) broad, and on strong stems, also a solitary flower hanging below the leaves on a 0.5–3.5 centimetres (0.20–1.38 in) peduncle. The flower is perfect, with three slender pale green sepals 9–30 millimetres (0.35–1.18 in) long, three broad white (rarely pink) petals 15–25 millimetres (0.59–0.98 in) long and 5–15 millimetres (0.20–0.59 in) broad, six purple stamens, and a solitary pistil; flowering is in late spring to early summer. The fruit is a six-lobed reddish berry up to 3 cm diameter, ripening in late summer.
