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Wildlife, Animals, and Plants
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Introductory
SPECIES: Maianthemum stellatum | Starry Solomon's Seal
ABBREVIATION :
MAISTE
SYNONYMS :
Smilacina stellata (L.) Desf. [9]
SCS PLANT CODE :
MAST4
COMMON NAMES :
starry Solomon's seal
false Solomon's seal
starry false Solomon's seal
star-flowered Solomon's seal
starry Solomon plume
starry smilac
spikenard
TAXONOMY :
The currently accepted scientific name of starry Solomon's seal is
Maianthemum stellatum (L.) Link. There are no recognized infrataxa
[35].
Starry Solomon's seal is found across the United States and Canada.
Since literature is limited for this widespread species, this report
will reflect information primarily from the Pacific Northwest.
LIFE FORM :
Forb
FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS :
No special status
OTHER STATUS :
NO-ENTRY
COMPILED BY AND DATE :
R. J. Habeck, March 1992
LAST REVISED BY AND DATE :
NO-ENTRY
AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION :
Habeck, R. J. 1992. Smilacina stellata. In: Remainder of Citation
DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
SPECIES: Maianthemum stellatum | Starry Solomon's Seal
GENERAL DISTRIBUTION :
Starry Solomon's seal occurs widely over much of North America and
Canada. It ranges from Alaska to California; northern British Columbia to
the southern Rocky Mountain states of Colorado, Nevada, and Arizona; east to
the New England states, and south through the Carolinas [1,9].
ECOSYSTEMS :
FRES10 White - red - jack pine
FRES11 Spruce - fir
FRES13 Loblolly - shortleaf pine
FRES14 Oak - pine
FRES15 Oak - hickory
FRES17 Elm - ash - cottonwood
FRES18 Maple - beech - birch
FRES19 Aspen - birch
FRES20 Douglas-fir
FRES21 Ponderosa pine
FRES22 Western white pine
FRES23 Fir - spruce
FRES24 Hemlock - Sitka spruce
FRES25 Larch
FRES26 Lodgepole pine
FRES27 Redwood
FRES28 Western hardwoods
FRES41 Wet grasslands
STATES :
AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE ID IL IN
IA KS KY ME MD MA MI MN MT NE
NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR
PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA
WV WI WY AB BC MB ON PQ SK YT
MEXICO
ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS :
ACAD AGFO ARCH BADL BIHO BICA
BLCA BRCA CACH CANY CACO CARE
CEBR COLM CODA CRLA CRMO CUVA
DEVA DETO DINO EFMO FIIS FLFO
FOBU GATE GWMP GLAC GLCA GRCA
GRTE GRKO GRBA GRSA INDU JECA
LAVO MACA MEVE MORA MORU NABR
NOCA OLYM PIRO PIPE ROMO SAJH
SCBL SLBE THRO TICA VOYA WACA
WICA WRST YELL YUCH ZION
BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS :
1 Northern Pacific Border
2 Cascade Mountains
3 Southern Pacific Border
4 Sierra Mountains
5 Columbia Plateau
6 Upper Basin and Range
7 Lower Basin and Range
8 Northern Rocky Mountains
9 Middle Rocky Mountains
11 Southern Rocky Mountains
12 Colorado Plateau
13 Rocky Mountain Piedmont
14 Great Plains
15 Black Hills Uplift
16 Upper Missouri Basin and Broken Lands
KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS :
Common in many Kuchler Plant Associations
SAF COVER TYPES :
Common in many SAF Cover Types
SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES :
NO-ENTRY
HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES :
Starry Solomon's seal is an indicator species in a wide variety of
habitats. It generally occurs on moist sites supporting overstories
consisting of cottonwoods and aspens (Populus spp.), oaks (Quercus
spp.), Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), lodgepole pine (Pinus
contorta), and spruce (Picea spp.). Understory associates range from
grass species such as bluegrasses (Poa spp.) and wheatgrasses (Agropyron
spp.) to moist site forbs such as bedstraws (Galium spp.), western
meadowrue (Thalictrum occidentale), and false Solomon's seal (Smilacina
racemosa). Shrub associates generally include willows (Salix spp.),
serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia), and Douglas hawthorn (Crataegus
douglasii) [20,25,29,31].
Published classifications listing starry Solomon's seal as an indicator
or dominant species in habitat types (hts) or community types (cts) are
as follows:
Area Classification Authority
---- -------------- ---------
CO Forest (hts) Wasser & Hess 1982
e ID, w WY Riparian (cts) Youngblood & others 1985
MT Forest (hts) Pfister & others 1977
ND Forest (hts) Severson & Thilenius 1976
VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Maianthemum stellatum | Starry Solomon's Seal
WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE :
NO-ENTRY
IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE :
Starry Solomon's seal fruits and leaves are eaten by grizzly bears
foraging in avalanche chutes and stream bottoms in northern Montana and
southern British Columbia [17]. In northern Idaho, elk consume the
leaves of starry Solomon's seal in summer, and ruffed grouse eat the
berries in the fall [10,11].
PALATABILITY :
Palatability of starry Solomon's seal is rated fair to poor. Piper [22]
found no frugivory of green fruits of starry Solomon's seal, suggesting
toxicity or unpalatability of unripe pericarps protecting the immature
seeds. In livestock palatability ratings for the Intermountain West
starry Solomon's seal was listed as "poor" for cattle and horses, and
"fair" for sheep [6].
NUTRITIONAL VALUE :
Nutritional data of starry Solomon's seal fruits from the Rainbow Creek
Research Natural Area, southeast Washington, are as follows* [21]:
Mean Standard Error
------ --------------
Protein 2.860 0.03
Lipid 1.040 0.09
Neutral Detergent Fiber 7.320 0.12
Ash 3.500 0.06
Calcium 0.079 ----
Magnesium 0.049 ----
Phosphorus 0.225 ----
Potassium 1.421 ----
* All values are percentages based on dry-pulp masses.
Concentrations of nutrient elements in starry Solomon's seal rhizomes
sampled in late summer from the Cascade Mountain Range, Oregon and
Washington, are as follows [33]:
Mean
------
Nitrogen (%) 0.61
Phosphorus (%) 0.31
Potassium (%) 1.51
Calcium (%) 0.19
Magnesium (%) 0.08
Manganese (mg/kg) 46.00
Iron (mg/kg) 102.00
Zinc (mg/kg) 32.00
Molybdenum (mg/kg) 0.05
COVER VALUE :
NO-ENTRY
VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES :
Starry Solomon's seal is considered to have low to medium revegetation
value [6].
OTHER USES AND VALUES :
The Nuxalk Indians of British Columbia collected the ripe berries from
starry Solomon's seal from July to August for food [15].
MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
Management of starry Solomon's seal is indirect. This forb generally
occurs individually or in small clusters distributed over a short
distance. Overstory management techniques that can damage the ground
surface should be limited to seasons of least potential impact; e.g.
winter timber harvesting. Harvesting should be restricted to
rubber-tire vehicles and aerial skidding techniques. Overgrazing of
this species by livestock or wildlife does not seem to be a problem due
to its rhizomatous nature [1,4]
BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Maianthemum stellatum | Starry Solomon's Seal
GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS :
Starry Solomon's seal is a rhizomatous perennial forb approximately 8 to
24 inches (20-60 cm) tall. The stem is erect and the leaves are
alternate. It has 5 to 10 white flowers in a terminal raceme. The
fruits are glabose. The roots of starry Solomon's seal are dimorphic.
A large root that grows straight downward occurs at the junction between
some segments; numerous small roots emanate in all directions from the
rhizome [1].
Plant part values for starry Solomon' seal from central Oregon are as
follows [1]:
Mean (+ or - SE)
-------------------
Rhizome length (m) 8.06 (3.2)
No. aerial shoots 21.00 (8)
No. leaves 201.00 (63)
No. roots 1,300.00 (500)
Max. root length (m) 0.25 (.03)
Max root depth (m) 0.23 (.02)
No. of roots per
meter of rhizome 168.00 (23)
Min. rhizome diameter (mm) 2.10 (0.1)
Max. rhizome diameter (mm) 3.90 (0.1)
Rhizome dry weight (g) 12.37 (4.6)
Root dry weight (g) 2.66 (.86)
Leaf area (m 2) 0.11 (.04)
Rhizome dry weight per
unit length (g/m) 1.58 (.15)
Max. leaf height (m) 0.18 (.01)
n=7
RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM :
Phanerophyte
REGENERATION PROCESSES :
Starry Solomon's seal regenerates primarily through rhizomes. Its
rhizomes grow rapidly and develop into long, complex systems. Rhizome
plasticity after burial is moderate. Following burial by volcanic
tephra from Mount St. Helens, Starry Solomon's seal was observed to
sprout from rhizomes upward through the ash [2]. The roots of starry
Solomon's seal steadily die-off so that the oldest rhizome segments have
few roots remaining [1].
Contents of starry Solomon's seal rhizome per meter length from the
Cascade Mountain Range, Oregon and Washington, are as follows [33]:
Oven-dry
weight water energy carbohydrates N P K shoots
(g) (g) (kj) (mg) (mg) (mg) (mg) (no.)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Smilacina 1.96 5.6 35.2 376 12 6 30 2.1
stellata
The rhizomes can produce aerial stems. These are determinate, annual
shoots which normally bear seven to nine leaves and occasionally produce
flowers at the tip. Aerial shoots are produced on both long and short
rhizome segments in most years [1]. In northern Idaho, aboveground
production was greater on grazed plots [1.44 pounds/acre (3.20 kg/ha)]
than on ungrazed plots [0.58 lbs/acre (1.30 kg/ha)] [32].
Seed: No information concerning seed viability was found. The probable
mode of dissemination is through fruit consumption by wildlife.
Pollination patterns indicate that larger starry Solomon's seal
inflorescences attract more insect visits than do small inflorescences.
This differential favoritism is considered to be a determining factor of
plant distribution when such uneven visitation activity persists from
year to year [23].
Morphological characteristics of starry Solomon's seal fruit from the
Rainbow Creek Research Natural Area, southeastern Washington, are as
follows [21]:
Mean Standard Error
---- --------------
Fruit Diameter (mm) 8.37 0.12
Fruit Mass (mg) 305.88 13.63
Pulp Dry Mass (mg) 34.31 1.43
No. of Seeds per Fruit 2.21 0.11
Fresh Seed Mass per Fruit (mg) 40.51 1.99
Fresh Pulp Mass (mg) 7.01 0.22
n=100
SITE CHARACTERISTICS :
Starry Solomon's seal is generally an indicator of moist environments;
however, it also occurs on rocky, well-drained sidehills and coastal
plains [4,9]. Tester [27] listed starry Solomon's seal as a true
prairie species. Starry Solomon's seal is common in thickets and open
forests on gently sloping benches adjacent to streams. It has also been
found as high as the lower subalpine zone on slopes ranging from 15 to
25 percent [13,31]. Elevational range of starry Solomon's seal is
generally from 4,400 to 8,700 feet (1341-2650 m).
Soil: Starry Solomon's seal is usually found on shallow soils derived
from calcareous and noncalcareous parent materials. Soil texture ranges
from gravelly loams to silt and sandy loams. Soil acidity is often
neutral to acidic (average pH 5.9) [20,25,29,31].
SUCCESSIONAL STATUS :
Faculatative Seral Species
Starry Solomon's seal is generally a seral herb species. On dune sites
near Lake Michigan, it has remained dominant for more than a 1,000
years. It is eventually replaced by false Solomon's seal on the oldest
dunes [18]. Starry Solomon's seal showed a variety of successional
responses to silvicultural treatments of western redcedar/western
hemlock (Thuja plicata/Tsuga heterophylla) stands in northern Idaho. It
showed the highest coverage values within stands treated by shelterwood
methods compared to those receiving partial thinning, clearcut, or
selection harvest methods. All stands had been treated by regenerative
or stand improvement methods between 5 and 25 years prior to sampling
[11]. Starry Solomon's seal showed a higher percent cover in climax
stands of Douglas-fir/ninebark (Physocarpus malvaceus) habitat types in
northern Idaho, than on burned, logged, or grazed sites of the same type
[4].
SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT :
Shoots of starry Solomon's seal generally appear in late April, and
flowering occurs from late May through early June [23].
FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Maianthemum stellatum | Starry Solomon's Seal
FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS :
Starry Solomon's seal is considered a survivor species following fire.
Its fire adaptation strategy is via sprouting from surviving rhizomes
located in mineral soil [5].
POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY :
Rhizomatous herb, rhizome in soil
Initial-offsite colonizer (off-site, initial community)
FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Maianthemum stellatum | Starry Solomon's Seal
IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT :
Fire will consume all aboveground parts of starry Solomon's seal.
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT :
NO-ENTRY
PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE :
Starry Solomon's seal is moderately resistant to fire-kill. It may,
however, be killed by fire that removes the duff layer and heats the
upper mineral layer [5]. In northern Idaho, starry Solomon's seal cover
percentage was reduced the first growing season after a
moderate-severity fire. It regained or surpassed all preburn
frequencies by the fourth growing season [14]. Following prescribed
burning in northern pin oak (Quercus ellipsoidalis) in central
Minnesota, the average frequency value on burned sites (15.5) was higher
than on unburned sotes (11.0) [30].
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE :
NO-ENTRY
FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
NO-ENTRY
REFERENCES
SPECIES: Maianthemum stellatum | Starry Solomon's Seal
REFERENCES :
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belowground morphology of nine coniferous forest herbs. Botanical
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plasticity and survival following burial by volcanic tephra. Canadian
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associations for the eleven western states. Tech. Note 301. Denver, CO:
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5. Crane, M. F.; Fischer, William C. 1986. Fire ecology of the forest
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Index
Related categories for Species: Maianthemum stellatum
| Starry Solomon's Seal
|
 |
