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Trillium viridescens

Nutt.

Arkansas Trillium

G4Apparently Secure Found in 5 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.128502
Element CodePMLIL20120
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderLiliales
FamilyMelanthiaceae
GenusTrillium
Other Common Names
Taper-tip Wakerobin (EN) tapertip 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 Date2019-10-23
Edition Date2019-10-23
Edition AuthorsAnnable, C. (1991), rev. J. Beckman (7/96), rev. Frances (2019).
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent20,000-200,000 square km (about 8000-80,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences6 - 300
Rank Reasons
Trillium viridescens occurs primarily in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri with smaller populations in Texas and Kansas. Although it occupies a somewhat broad geographic range, its habitat is limited to riparian or floodplain areas of rich deciduous forests on banks, bluffs, and slopes. Flora of North America (2002a) indicates that this taxon is of conservation concern, though a more thorough review of known populations and threats is needed.
Range Extent Comments
Trillium viridescens occurs in southwest Missouri and southeast Kansas (Cherokee County) to northwest Arkansas, Oklahoma, and northeast Texas (Great Plains Flora Association, 1986).
Occurrences Comments
The species is rare in Texas and Kansas, with only three known occurrences from Kansas. It is locally abundant in the Boston Mountains of Arkansas. The species is known to intergrade with Trillium gracile in northeastern Texas (Case and Case 1997).
Threat Impact Comments
Threats to this species have an overall low rating. Logging is likely the biggest threat. It typically occurs in upland rocky habitat in areas where deer are somewhat controlled by hunting, so deer browse is not as much of a threat as it is for other Trillium species. It is impacted by some non-native invasive species, like Lonicera maackii and Euonymus alatus. Currently the threat from non-native invasive species is restricted but the invasive species are likely to spread into its habitat in the near future.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

This species occurs in moist, rich deciduous woods on calcareous or riverine soil (Case and Case 2019; Great Plains Flora Association, 1986). It tends to occur on or near floodplains on banks, bluffs, and talus slopes on heavy, clay soils (Flora of North America 2002a).

Reproduction

Trillium species seeds have an elaiosome, a lipid-rich attachment, that is dispersed by ants who carry the seeds to their nest, eat the attachment, and discard the seed. Yellow jackets (Vespula spp.) and other wasps are similarly attracted to the elaiosome. Yellow Jackets are documented dispersers for three species of Trillium (T. cuneatum, T. undulatum, and T. catesbaei). 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 deer and woodchucks (Chafin 2010).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandForest - Hardwood
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN3
ProvinceRankNative
KansasS1Yes
OklahomaSNRYes
TexasS1Yes
MissouriSNRYes
ArkansasSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesUnknownUnknownHigh (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 (5)
Arkansas (4)
AreaForestAcres
Clifty CanyonOzark-St. Francis National Forest1,963
Devils CanyonOzark-St. Francis National Forest1,877
East ForkOzark-St. Francis National Forest13,037
Gee CreekOzark-St. Francis National Forest7,957
Oklahoma (1)
AreaForestAcres
Beech CreekOuachita National Forest8,303
References (20)
  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. Correll, D.S., and M.C. Johnston. 1970. Manual of the vascular plants of Texas. Texas Research Foundation, Renner. 1881 pp.
  6. Fernald, M.L., and A.C. Kinsey. 1943. Edible Wild Plants of Eastern North America. Idlewild Press, Cornwall-on-Hudson, NY. xiv+452 pp.
  7. 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.
  8. Freeman, J.D. 1975. Revision of Trillium subgenus Phyllantherum (Liliaceae). Brittonia 27:1-62.
  9. Great Plains Flora Association (R.L. McGregor, coordinator; T.M. Barkley, ed., R.E. Brooks and E.K. Schofield, associate eds.). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains. University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas. 1392 pp.
  10. 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.
  11. Klest, S.M. 2002. Propagation Protocol for Western Trilliums. Native Plants Journal 3(1):22-23.
  12. 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.
  13. 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.
  14. Ohara, M. 1989. Life history evolution in the genus Trillium. Plant Species Biology 4:1-28.
  15. 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.
  16. Steyermark, J.A. 1963. Flora of Missouri. Iowa State Univ. Press, Ames. 1728 pp.
  17. 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.
  18. 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.
  19. 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
  20. 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.