Maianthemum racemosum var. racemosum

Native

Dry to moderate moisture. Woods, forests. Full to partial sun.

May to June

White

16″ to 32″

This is a 16″ to 32″ tall, erect, perennial forb that rises on a single stem, sometimes multiple stems, from a slender, cylindrical, rhizome. The rhizome is 12″ to 16″ long and 5 ⁄16″ to 9 ⁄16″ wide. It does not have the seal-like pattern seen on true Solomon’s seals, but it does have circular stem scars. It sometimes forms loose colonies.

The stems are erect and arching, unbranched, and finely hairy, zigzagging slightly, with 7 to 12 leaves.

The leaves are alternate, parallel to the ground, and on short leaf stalks, not clasping. They are elliptic to egg-shaped, 3½″ to 6¾″ long, and 2″ to 3″ wide. The leaf blade tapers at the base to the stalk and abruptly tapers to a long, tail-like appendage at the tip. The tail-like tip of the third leaf below the inflorescence is ½″ to 1″ long. There are usually 3 or sometimes 5 conspicuous, parallel veins. The upper surface is green and hairless with recessed veins. The lower surface is green with prominent (raised) veins and short hairs on the veins. The margins are untoothed.

The inflorescence is a plume-like cluster of 20 to 80 tiny flowers at the end of the stem. It is 1″ to 4″ long and pryamid-shaped with well-developed branches.

The flowers are star-shaped and 1 ⁄10″ to ⅛″ wide and long. There are 3 white, thin, inconspicuous petals, 3 similar sepals (6 tepals), and 6 spreading stamens.

The fruit is a globular berry, ⅛″ to ¼″ wide, with 1 to 4 seeds. It is initially green with copper spots, becoming deep transluscent red when it ripens.

Smooth Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum biflorum var. commutatum) is a taller plant, reaching up to 48″ at maturity. The leaves are often clasping and have 7 to 19 parallel veins. The inflorescence is small clusters of cylinder-shaped flowers hanging downward from most leaf axils. The fruits are green when young and dark blue-violet when mature.

Starry false Solomon’s seal (Maianthemum stellatum) stems are more erect. The leaves are narrower, lance-shaped, stiff, folded, and somewhat clasping. The inflorescence is an unbranched cluster of 6 to 15 flowers. The flowers are about ⅓″ wide. The fruits are larger and are yellowish-green when young with 3 to 6 red to purple stripes.