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.
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.
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.
