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Trillium decumbens

Harbison

Trailing Trillium

G4Apparently Secure Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.143981
Element CodePMLIL20080
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderLiliales
FamilyMelanthiaceae
GenusTrillium
Other Common Names
Trailing Wakerobin (EN) trailing wakerobin (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2019-10-23
Change Date1992-12-29
Edition Date2019-10-23
Edition AuthorsAnnable, C. (1992), rev. Treher (2019)
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent5000-200,000 square km (about 2000-80,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 - 300
Rank Reasons
Trillium decumbens occurs in the Ridge and Valley and Cumberland Plateau in northern Alabama, northwestern Georgia and far southeastern Tennessee. Rangewide, the biggest threat is logging. It occurs in areas where there is strip mining but impacts to this species have not been documented. Impacts from deer have not been observed, perhaps because of the plant's unpleasant odor.
Range Extent Comments
Trillium decumbens occurs in the Ridge and Valley and Cumberland Plateau in northern Alabama, northwestern Georgia and far southeastern Tennessee (Flora of North America 2002). It was reported from the Piedmont in Georgia but the species was determined to be T. delicatum.
Occurrences Comments
Trillium decumbens has a restricted range but can be very common locally. Although many occurrences have not been updated, botanists believe the populations are still extant. It is known from one site in Tennessee right over the Georgia border.
Threat Impact Comments
Trillium decumbens is threatened by forest management practices, and to a lesser extent by land-use conversion and habitat fragmentation (Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project 2002). In Alabama, this species occurs in areas where strip mining occurred (Case and Case 1997). Surprisingly, impact from deer browse has not been observed. This may be due to the species' unpleasant odor or its low stature. It also collected as an ornamental species. Invasive species like privet (Ligustrum spp.) pose a minor threat.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

This species occurs on "Thin, open rocky wooded slopes, mature deciduous woodlands, rocky talus and disintegrating shale, flats (floodplains) of small streams and adjacent slopes near river entrance (FNA 2002)."

Reproduction

Trillium seeds have an elaiosome, an oily, lipid-rich attachment that is highly attractive to ants. The ants carry the seeds to their nest, eat the attachment, and leave the seeds in tunnels in their nests (FNA 2002a, Leege et al. 2010). The seeds later germinate en masse (Case and Case 1997). Miller and Kwit (2018) found that T. decumbens had limited seed dispersal effectiveness compared to other more widespread Trillium species.

Yellow jackets (Vespula spp.) and other wasps are similarly attracted to the elaiosome. Yellow jackets are documented seed dispersers for three species (T. catesbaei, T. cuneatum, T. undulatum) (Zettler et al. 2001). Ants carry the seeds an average of about 1m whereas yellow jackets disperse seeds an average of 1.4m (Chafin 2010, Zettler et al. 2001). Long distance dispersers include mammals, such as white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and woodchucks (Marmota monax) (Chafin 2010, Vellend et al. 2006). Similarly, it is suspected that elk (Cervus canadensis) and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) of the western U.S.A. are capable of dispersing seeds over long distances (Bartuszevige and Endress 2008).

All Trillium have rhizomes but the frequency of asexually reproduction varies (Chauhan et al. 2019, FNA 2002a, Ohara 1989).

Trillium seeds exhibit a somewhat unique kind of dormancy called deep simple double morphophysiological dormancy, meaning they require two winters and one summer to complete dormancy break. After dispersal, roots (radicles) emerge in the first spring and leaves (epicotyls) begin growing in the second spring. The result is that Trillium seeds are generally about 1.5-2 years before they are non-dormant. If root emergence does not occur during the first spring, the next opportunity for root emergence would be the third spring and epicotyl emergence would occur during the fourth spring after dispersal (Walck et al. 2005). Age to maturity, or flowering, is variable and has been recorded from 4 to 20 years depending on growing conditions (Case and Case 1997).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - HardwoodWoodland - Hardwood
Palustrine Habitats
FORESTED WETLANDRiparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN3
ProvinceRankNative
GeorgiaS3Yes
TennesseeS1Yes
AlabamaS3Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
3 - Energy production & miningRestricted - smallExtreme - seriousInsignificant/negligible or past
3.2 - Mining & quarryingRestricted - smallExtreme - seriousInsignificant/negligible or past
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
8.2 - Problematic native species/diseasesUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL, Long-lived
Economic Value (Genus)Yes
Roadless Areas (1)
Georgia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Ken MountainChattahoochee National Forest527
References (18)
  1. Bartuszevige, A.M., and B.A. Endress. 2008. Do ungulates facilitate native and exotic plant spread? Seed dispersal by cattle, elk and deer in northeastern Oregon. Journal of Arid Environments 72: 904-913.
  2. Case, F.W. and R.B. Case. 1997. Trilliums. Timber Press, Portland Oregon.
  3. Chafin, L. G. 2010d. Species account for <i>Trillium persistens </i>for Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Online. Available: georgiawildlife.com/sites/default/files/uploads/wildlife/nongame/pdf/accounts/plants/trillium_persistens.pdf.
  4. Chauhan, H., A. Bisht, I. Bhatt, A. Bhatt, and D. Gallacher. 2019. <i>Trillium </i>- toward sustainable utilization of a biologically distinct genus valued for traditional medicine. The Botanical Review 85(3): 252-272.
  5. Fernald, M.L., and A.C. Kinsey. 1943. Edible Wild Plants of Eastern North America. Idlewild Press, Cornwall-on-Hudson, NY. xiv+452 pp.
  6. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2002a. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 26. Magnoliophyta: Liliidae: Liliales and Orchidales. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxvi + 723 pp.
  7. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  8. Klest, S.M. 2002. Propagation Protocol for Western Trilliums. Native Plants Journal 3(1):22-23.
  9. Leege, L. M., J. S. Thompson, D.J. Parris. 2010. The Responses of Rare and Common Trilliums (<i>Trillium reliquum</i>, <i>T. cuneatum</i>, and <i>T. maculatum</i>) to Deer Herbivory and Invasive Honeysuckle Removal. Castanea 75(4): 433-443.
  10. Lewis, Walter H., and Memory P.F. Elvin-Lewis. 1977. Medical Botany: Plants Affecting Man's Health. John Wiley and Sons, New York, New York. 515 p.
  11. Miller, C. N., S. R. Whitehead and C. Kwit. 2020. Effects of seed morphology and elaiosome chemical composition on attractiveness of five <i>Trillium </i>species to seed-dispersing ants. Ecology and Evolution 10: 2860-2873. DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6101
  12. Ohara, M. 1989. Life history evolution in the genus Trillium. Plant Species Biology 4:1-28.
  13. Rahman, S., M. Ismail, M. Khurram, I. Ullah, F. Rabbi, and M. Iriti. 2017. Bioactive steroids and saponins of the genus <i>Trillium. </i> Molecules 22(12): 2156.
  14. Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project. 2002. A partnership between the U.S. Forest Service-Region 8, Natural Heritage Programs in the Southeast, NatureServe, and independent scientists to develop and review data on 1300+ regionally and locally rare species in the Southern Appalachian and Alabama region. Database (Access 97) provided to the U.S. Forest Service by NatureServe, Durham, North Carolina.
  15. Trillium workshop group. 2019. , L. L. Gaddy, A. Floden, A. Frances, A. Highland, D. Leaman, T. Littlefield, C. Meredith, S. O'Bryan, L. Oliver, E. Schilling, A. Schotz, A. Walker, K. Wayman. Status assessment workshop at Mt. Cuba Center, Oct. 21-23, 2019.
  16. Vellend, M., J. Myers, S. Gardescu, and P. Marks. 2003. Dispersal of <i>Trillium</i> seeds by deer: Implications for long-distance migration of forest herbs. Ecology 84(4):1067-1072.
  17. Walck, J.L., J.M. Baskin, C.C. Baskin, and S.N. Hidayati. Defining transient and persistent seed banks in species with pronounced seasonal dormancy and germination patterns. Seed Science Research 15: 189-196. DOI: 10.1079/SSR2005209
  18. Zettler, J. A., T. P. Spira, and A. A. Craig. 2001. Yellow Jackets (<i>Vespula</i> spp.) Disperse <i>Trillium</i> (spp.) Seeds in Eastern North America. American Midland Naturalist 146(2):444-446.