fringe false hellobore
Veratrum fimbriatum A.Gray
Veratrum fimbriatum, a species of false hellebore in the Melanthiaceae family, is native to California. It is found in the northern coastal scrub habitats of Mendocino and Sonoma Counties. The plant is a perennial with a thick rhizome and a stout, hollow stem. It features large, flat green leaves and a panicle of fringed flowers. Each flower has six frilly tepals with two bright green or gold glands. The fruit is an oval capsule containing seeds.
Description
Veratrum fimbriatum is a perennial plant in the Melanthiaceae family, known by the common names fringed false hellebore and fringed corn lily. It is endemic to California, where it grows in the northern coastal scrub of Mendocino and Sonoma Counties. The plant has a thick rhizome and a tall, hollow stem. Its leaves are large and flat, clustered near the base. The inflorescence is a panicle with many small, fringed flowers, each up to one centimeter wide. The flowers have six tepals with two prominent glands and an ovary and sepal structure that extends outward. The plant produces an oval capsule as fruit, measuring just under one centimeter in length.
Other common names
fringe false helloborefringed false hellebore
Distribution
California