Can you identify this plant? I have searched high and low for the answer and yet I have no clue what it is. Right now in the mountains this plant and it’s relative, the same except for a white flower, are in full bloom and scattered all through some hollows. My curiosity has been piqued.
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Adding - Thanks to some knowledgeable comments the mystery of this plant was quickly laid to rest.
Purple Trillium (Trillium Erectum) - This is one time I’m glad I didn’t stop to smell the flowers.
Common Names - American Beth Root, American Birthroot, Amerikaanse Drielingenwortel, Amerikanische Drillingswurzel, Beth Herb, Bethroot, Birthroot, Drielingenkruid, Drillingskraut, Ground Lily, Indian Balm, Indian Shamrock, Lamb’s Quarters, Purple Trillium, Red Trillium, Stinking-benjamin, Trillie Americain, Trilling Herb, Trillium-Purple, Troix Jumeaux, Wake-Robin
Edible Uses - Leaves - raw or cooked. Used in spring, the young unfolding leaves are an excellent addition to the salad bowl, tasting somewhat like sunflower seeds. Leaves can also be cooked as a potherb.
Medicinal Uses - Antiseptic, Aphrodisiac, Astringent, Birthing aid, Expectorant, Poultice, Tonic, Uterine tonic.
Scent - The flowers have an unattractive smell of putrefied flesh. The white-flowered form, blandum, is almost scentless.
From here - http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Trillium+erectum
April 17th, 2008 at 10:48 am
I can’t identify it, but it is very pretty. The leaves look almost like they could be edible.
April 17th, 2008 at 11:22 am
This plant does have significance in the area of being edible and medicinal - I’m just failing at the moment in my attempt to remember.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
My guess is that it is one of the Trillium species, most likely Trillium erectum. There’s a nice fact sheet with a map here. Hope that helps!
April 17th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Denny,
What you have there is a Purple Trillium (Trillium erectum). All that schoolin’ is starting to pay off. Now to work on all those student loans!!!lol.
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=TRER3
They can be red or purple, and are really stinky as I recall from my WV Wildflower class at WVU.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Medicinal uses of Trillium erectum:
http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cg.....um+erectum
April 17th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
WOW! thanks Orchidhunter and Matthew. The other name I was looking for was Lamb’s Quarters. It has been quite some time since I have heard any reference to it.
April 17th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Denny,
It might just be me, but the trillium species you posted isn’t the Lambs Quarters that I know about. We used to eat lambs quarters all the time as a wild salad. Here is a link to Lambs Quarters that I know about.
http://www.illinoiswildflowers.....arters.htm
People do have different common names for the same plants, so maybe thats where the confusion comes from.
Matthew
April 17th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
It may be that when I first learned of this plant - the person teaching me had called it Lamb’s Quarters. That is interesting though - I had never seen the real Lamb’s Quarters you pointed me at. I’ll take that little snippet of info back out of this post - just so there is no confusion. Thanks Matthew
April 18th, 2008 at 10:00 am
trillium are one of my favorite spring wildflowers. we used to see TONS along a river where we used to take our students on spring wildflower walks.
i didn’t realize they were edible, though.