Barksdale Trillium

Trillium sulcatum T.S.Patrick

Trillium sulcatum is a species of flowering plant in the Melanthiaceae family, commonly known as Barksdale Trillium. It is part of the Erectum group, characterized by features similar to Trillium erectum. The species is native to the southeastern United States, including Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. It is most abundant on the Cumberland Plateau and blooms in April and May. The specific epithet 'sulcatum' refers to the furrowed or grooved tips of the sepals.

Description

Trillium sulcatum is primarily found on the Cumberland Plateau and is similar to T. erectum, though it tends to occur further west. The two species overlap in a limited area in the Southern Appalachians. Due to overlapping characteristics, they may be better considered as a single variable species. T. sulcatum is more vigorous in cultivation and is preferred for lower-elevation gardens. White-flowered forms in some Tennessee populations have been misidentified as T. flexipes but share key features with T. sulcatum, including dark ovaries and a distinctive floral fragrance. The species was published in 1984 and is recognized as part of the Trillium subg. Trillium.