Nodding Trillium

Description:

It is a perennial herbaceous plant with one or more unbranched stems 15–60 cm tall growing from an underground rhizome. The apex of each stem has whorl of three abruptly pointed bracts 4–15 cm long and 6–18 cm broad, and on strong stems, also a solitary flower hanging below the leaves on a 0.5–3.5 cm peduncle. The flower is perfect, with three slender pale green sepals 9–30 mm long, three broad white (rarely pink) petals 15–25 mm long and 5–15 mm broad, six purple stamens, and a solitary pistil; flowering is in late spring to early summer. The fruit is a six-lobed reddish berry up to 3 cm diameter, ripening in late summer.

Habitat:

Wet woodland in a sandstone gorge