keys to the vascular plants of east texas - Botanical Research ...

1130 TRILLIACEAE
as treated here following Zomlefer (1997b), is a monophyletic group, only “distantly related” to
other groups with which it has been affiliated in the past (Zomlefer 1997b). The Tofieldiaceae
has sometimes been put in its own order, the Tofieldiales (Reveal & Zomlefer 1998; Zomlefer
1999), but recent molecular analyses (e.g., Chase et al. 2000) and the Angiosperm Phylogeny
Group (APG II 2003) place the family in the Alismatales. It is thus in a clade near the base of the
monocots, most closely related to a group of families including the Alismataceae and Araceae
(Fuse & Tamura 2000). For a detailed discussion of the groups formerly treated as Liliaceae in
the broad sense, see the family synopsis of the Liliaceae (here treated in a restricted sense) on
page 726. Family name from Tofieldia, a North American and Eurasian genus of 7 or 8 (Packer
2002a) species, often interpreted to include species now segregated as Triantha (see e.g., Tamura
1998c). (Named for Thomas Tofield, 1730–1779, British botanist) (subclass Liliidae—Cronquist;
order Alismatales—APG II)
FAMILY RECOGNITION IN THE FIELD: the only East Texas species is a subscapose perennial herb
from rhizomes, with small, creamy white to white flowers in a racemose inflorescence, the
scape minutely glandular pubescent below the inflorescence, and 3 basally fused styles.
REFERENCES: Zomlefer 1997a, 1997b, 1999; Reveal & Zomlefer 1998; Tamura 1998c; Fuse &
Tamura 2000.
TRIANTHA (Nutt.) Baker FALSE ASPHODEL
AA genus of 4 species of North America and Japan (Packer 2002b). It was previously placed
in a heterogeneous Tofieldia (e.g., Correll & Johnston 1970; Hatch et al. 1990), but recent studies
(Cruden 1991; Packer 1993, 2002b) support its recognition as a separate genus. (Greek: tri-,
three-, and anthos, flower, in reference to the flowers aggregated in threes)
REFERENCES: Cruden 1991; Packer 1993, 2002b.
Triantha racemosa (Walter) Small, (with a raceme type inflorescence), STICKY TOFIELDIA,
COASTAL FALSE ASPHODEL. Perennial subscapose herb from rhizomes; stem 30–70 cm tall, minutely
glandular pubescent below inflorescence; leaves mostly at base of plant but one usually
below middle of stem; basal leaves 2-ranked, linear, grass-like, erect, 30–40(–50) cm long, 3–6
mm wide; leaf of stem small, bract-like; inflorescence racemose, 5–15(–22) cm long, the flowers
clusered 2–3(–7) together at the nodes in lower part of inflorescence, sometimes single above,
with terminal flowers opening first; pedicels pubescent, each bearing 3 minute connate bracts
just below the flower; flowers perfect; perianth segments separate, spreading, oblanceolate to
oblong, creamy white or white, drying orangish, 3-nerved, obtuse, (2.5–)3–5 mm long, persistent
in fruit; stamens 6; ovary superior, 3-locular; styles 3, connate basally into column 1/4–2/3 their
length; capsule equal to or slightly shorter than and � enclosed by the perianth, ca. 3–5 mm
long, tipped by the divergent, enlarged, persistent styles; seeds numerous, ca. 2 mm long (body
ca. 1 mm), usually appendaged at both ends with membranous white tails each ca. 1/2 as long
as the body or shorter (one sometimes much shorter or absent) (these appendages are presumably
for wind dispersal—Rendle 1930). Wet sandy soils of pine savannahs, bogs, seepage slopes;
Tyler (BRIT, ASTC) and Jefferson (Turner et al. 2003) cos. in the Pineywoods; se U.S. from DE s to
FL w to TX. Jun–Sep. [Melanthium racemosum Walt., Tofieldia racemosa (Walt.) Britton, Sterns,
& Poggenb.] While not officially designated as such (e.g., TOES 1993; Carr 2002d; Poole et al.
2002), given its limited distribution in the state, we consider this species to be of conservation
concern in TX. � m/305
TRILLIACEAE Lindl.
WAKE-ROBIN FAMILY
AA small n hemisphere family of probably 4–6 genera and ca. 50–71 species of woodland
herbs, occurring in subarctic to subtropical areas (Zomlefer 1996; Tamura 1998d; Farmer &