My photographic curiosity was well-rewarded on my short trip to Vancouver Island over Thanksgiving, a couple months ago. I still haven’t spent much time in those coastal forests, so there’s always something new for me. This time it was both the fruits and the occasionally translucent leaves of Maianthemum dilatatum.
Known as false lily-of-the-valley, this species previously appeared on Botany Photo of the Day just over ten years ago; the previous entry can be revisited for information on its range and growth characteristics. Daniel included photographs of a colony of plants growing up a tree trunk, illustrating how it would typically be seen on the forest floor and complementing my close-up photographs today.
Common in the wet understory of coastal temperate forests, Maianthemum dilatatum typically covers the ground with low-growing heart- or arrow-shaped leaves punctuated by erect racemes with 15 to 40 small white flowers. Sterile shoots will have a single leaf, while fertile ones have two to three. Fruits appear in late summer as immature pale berries with red spots, gradually turning red as they ripen. From the perspective of edibility, the berries are apparently not regarded very highly (especially when compared to the excellent selection of other berries in these forests). However, local indigenous peoples have a traditional use of eating the berries fresh or occasionally preserving for winter.
The leaves and roots are also used in a variety of traditional indigenous medicinal treatments. These faded leaves would presumably have little remaining medicinal use as most nutrients (including from the breakdown of pigments) have been withdrawn down to the roots and rhizomes for winter. Helped by the autumn coastal rains and cool temperatures, enough moisture remains in the pictured leaf to prevent it from desiccating.
The name false lily-of-the-valley originates from its resemblance to Convallaria majalis, known as lily-of-the-valley. This method of naming a plant as a “false” form of another occurs frequently with plant common names. False Solomon’s seal (Maianthemum racemosum), also native to British Columbia, receives its false moniker due its resemblance to species of Polygonatum, or the Solomon’s seals. Funnily enough, the British Columbia subspecies of false Solomon’s seal is also known as feathery false lily-of-the-valley.
Really nice photos. It looks a lot like our common Swedish Maianthemum bifolium. A plant that I love seeing when walking in the woods!!
Daniel: you mention Tamara in the Dec. 19 entry on tsuga. May I ask what she is doing these days? Whatever it is, I hope it continues to include her beautiful nature writing.
Tamara completed her Master’s of Landscape Architecture degree and is presently interning at a landscape architecture firm.
The taxonomic names change at the drop of a hat (frustratingly)…why not make an effort to change some of the common names to things that reflect their origin and inherent beauty? We have carpets of these in association with mosses and bunchberry Cornus canadensis, and I try to show this to clients, saying…I could not design anything superior to this. Amazing how many want me to rip that out and plant the “real” lily of the valley. I explain why I won’t destroy a native area and withdraw. Now I go about giving talks on the importance and fragility of the native landscape, lol. Fewer clients, but I sleep at night (with all the lights off).
Can’t say I disagree about inventing common names! I make up the occasional one, when feeling creative or whimsical.
Keep spreading the word/work on native landscapes.There are many others who respect and understand the importance and significance of your work. If even one native viburnum is planted instead of a boxwood, I consider it a success. We need to keep spreading the word and letting people know that native is beautiful and to expose them to our wonderful native plants.
Quick request
Does anyone have a photo of an apios americana growing wild.
In coastal southeastern Alaska, many of us call this plant “deer heart”. This common name evokes both habitat and leaf shape and my students seem to remember deer heart much better than either false lily of the valley or of course, Maianthemum dilatatum
I like it!
That is perfect Dear Heart is wonderful name
To me a common name is what local people call a plant native to that area. The other names are “made-up-names” like yellow fairy bells for Kirengishoma, toad-lily for Tricyrtis or false anemone for anemenopsis.I try to avoid these names in favor of the Latin name.
I love the way these photos exude the moist, subdued tone of our woods. False anything is always such a sad name for a species.