[False Solomon Seals and Lilies-of-the-Valley: The Genus Maianthemum East of the Cascade Mts. of Oregon and Washington]

Small False Solomon's Seal, Star-flowered False Solomon Seal, Starry False Lily-of-the-valley, Starry False Solomon's Seal, Starry Solomon Plume

Maianthemum stellatum

Synonyms: Convallaria stellata, Smilacina liliacea, Smilacina sessilifolia, Smilacina stellata, Unifolium liliaceum, Unifolium sessilifolium, Unifolium stellatum, Vagnera liliacea, Vagnera sessilifolia, Vagnera stellata

Small False Solomon's Seal, Star-flowered False Solomon Seal, Starry False Lily-of-the-valley, Starry False Solomon's Seal, Starry Solomon Plume: Maianthemum stellatum (Synonyms: Convallaria stellata, Smilacina liliacea, Smilacina sessilifolia, Smilacina stellata, Unifolium liliaceum, Unifolium sessilifolium, Unifolium stellatum, Vagnera liliacea, Vagnera sessilifolia, Vagnera stellata) - Small False Solomon's Seal, Star-flowered False Solomon Seal, Starry False Lily-of-the-valley, Starry False Solomon's Seal, Starry Solomon Plume: Maianthemum stellatum (Synonyms: Convallaria stellata, Smilacina liliacea, Smilacina sessilifolia, Smilacina stellata, Unifolium liliaceum, Unifolium sessilifolium, Unifolium stellatum, Vagnera liliacea, Vagnera sessilifolia, Vagnera stellata)

Star-flowered false solomon seal as seen along the Line Butte Trail #807 on the south side of Lookout Mountain, Ochoco National Forest........June 22, 2017.
Characteristics:

Star-flowered false Solomon seal is an attractive perennial wildflower suitable for the woodland garden. It spreads extensively via rhizomes which send up flowering stems from 20-60 cm high. The erect stems range from straight to zigzag. The leaves lack stems and extend outwards perpendicular from the stem or ascend, sometimes close to the stem. The blades are lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate or elliptic in shape, tapering gradually to a point. The venation is parallel and the upper surface generally lacks hairs, the lower surface may be hairless or may be fairly heavily pubescent. The blades measure 5-17 cm long and 1.5-5 cm wide.

The inflorescence is a few-flowered raceme of from 5-10 flowers. The stem of the raceme often zigzags and the raceme measures from 3-6 cm long. The flowers are white with 6 tepals which are narrowly oblong or lanceolate in shape and measure from 4-7 mm long and 1-2 mm wide. The stamens range from 8-14 mm long. The fruit is a greenish-yellow berry which is globose in shape and measures from 7-10 mm wide. The berry may have reddish stripes as illustrated by the photo below.

Habitat:

Star-flowered false Solomon seal may be found in moist shaded woods, along streambanks, and on well-drained hillsides in clearings at medium to high elevation.

Range:

Star-flowered false Solomon seal may be found from Alaska south to California and east to the Rocky Mountains. It is also found along the Atlantic coast.

Small False Solomon's Seal, Star-flowered False Solomon Seal, Starry False Lily-of-the-valley, Starry False Solomon's Seal, Starry Solomon Plume: Maianthemum stellatum (Synonyms: Convallaria stellata, Smilacina liliacea, Smilacina sessilifolia, Smilacina stellata, Unifolium liliaceum, Unifolium sessilifolium, Unifolium stellatum, Vagnera liliacea, Vagnera sessilifolia, Vagnera stellata) - Small False Solomon's Seal, Star-flowered False Solomon Seal, Starry False Lily-of-the-valley, Starry False Solomon's Seal, Starry Solomon Plume: Maianthemum stellatum (Synonyms: Convallaria stellata, Smilacina liliacea, Smilacina sessilifolia, Smilacina stellata, Unifolium liliaceum, Unifolium sessilifolium, Unifolium stellatum, Vagnera liliacea, Vagnera sessilifolia, Vagnera stellata)

Star-flowered false Solomon seal beginning to bloom at left in coniferous forest along the Ponderosa Loop Trail near the Ochoco Divide, Ochoco National Forest........May 19, 2018. The photo at right shows star-flowered false solomon seal beginning to bloom in conifer forest at Brooks Memorial State Park off US 97 near Satus Pass......May 13, 2019..
Inflorescence of Small False Solomon's Seal, Star-flowered False Solomon Seal, Starry False Lily-of-the-valley, Starry False Solomon's Seal, Starry Solomon Plume: Maianthemum stellatum (Synonyms: Convallaria stellata, Smilacina liliacea, Smilacina sessilifolia, Smilacina stellata, Unifolium liliaceum, Unifolium sessilifolium, Unifolium stellatum, Vagnera liliacea, Vagnera sessilifolia, Vagnera stellata) - Small False Solomon's Seal, Star-flowered False Solomon Seal, Starry False Lily-of-the-valley, Starry False Solomon's Seal, Starry Solomon Plume: Maianthemum stellatum (Synonyms: Convallaria stellata, Smilacina liliacea, Smilacina sessilifolia, Smilacina stellata, Unifolium liliaceum, Unifolium sessilifolium, Unifolium stellatum, Vagnera liliacea, Vagnera sessilifolia, Vagnera stellata)
Fruits of Small False Solomon's Seal, Star-flowered False Solomon Seal, Starry False Lily-of-the-valley, Starry False Solomon's Seal, Starry Solomon Plume: Maianthemum stellatum (Synonyms: Convallaria stellata, Smilacina liliacea, Smilacina sessilifolia, Smilacina stellata, Unifolium liliaceum, Unifolium sessilifolium, Unifolium stellatum, Vagnera liliacea, Vagnera sessilifolia, Vagnera stellata) - Small False Solomon's Seal, Star-flowered False Solomon Seal, Starry False Lily-of-the-valley, Starry False Solomon's Seal, Starry Solomon Plume: Maianthemum stellatum (Synonyms: Convallaria stellata, Smilacina liliacea, Smilacina sessilifolia, Smilacina stellata, Unifolium liliaceum, Unifolium sessilifolium, Unifolium stellatum, Vagnera liliacea, Vagnera sessilifolia, Vagnera stellata)
The photo at left shows the fruits of Smilacina stellata, photographed along the North Fork of the Sun River, Montana...........August 4, 2000. The photo at right shows star-flowered false solomon seal blooming along the Holland Falls National Recreation Trail #416, Flathead National Forest......May 27, 2023.
Paul Slichter