Introductory
SPECIES: Melanthium latifolium | Slender Bunchflower 



ABBREVIATION : 
MELLAT

SYNONYMS : 
   Melanthium hybridum Walt. [6,11,14,19]
   Veratrum hybridum (Walt.) Zimmerman [8,21]


SCS PLANT CODE : 
   MELA4


COMMON NAMES : 
   slender bunchflower
   hybrid bunchflower
   crisped bunchflower


TAXONOMY : 
The scientific name for slender bunchflower is Melanthium latifolium
Desr. (Liliaceae) [1].  Most eastern United States floras [6,11,14,19]
use the synonym M. hybridum Walt., but Bodkin [1], who wrote the
monograph for the Melanthium genus in North America in 1978, argues
convincingly that this name is misapplied.  The taxonomy of slender
bunchflower is further complicated by the placement of the entire
Melanthium genus into the Veratrum genus by Zimmerman [21].  There are
no currently accepted infrataxa.


LIFE FORM : 
Forb

FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS : 
See OTHER STATUS

OTHER STATUS : 
Slender bunchflower was not found in 1978 in Delaware, Maryland, or
Virginia [15].  It was listed as probably extirpated in Delaware in 1979
[15]; in 1994, it was listed as extremely rare in Delaware [9].  In
1978, slender bunchflower was listed as possibly extirpated in
Tennessee, but it was rediscovered in four counties from 1981 to 1985
[2].  No existing populations of slender bunchflower are known in New
York [20].


COMPILED BY AND DATE : 
Jennifer H. Carey, November 1994


LAST REVISED BY AND DATE : 
NO-ENTRY


AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION : 
Carey, Jennifer, H. 1994. Melanthium latifolium. In: Remainder of Citation

Related categories for Species: Melanthium latifolium | Slender Bunchflower