Colicroot

(Aletris farinosa)

 

   

 

Color photograph: Homer D. House. 1918. Wildflowers of New York.

 

 

 

Colicroot (Aletris farinosa L.)

Identification: Flowers white in a long spike. Flowers rough, swollen at the base, and closely hugging the flowering stalk. Leaves grasslike narrowing at the base and apex, and forming a basal rosette. Plant 1 to 3 feet in height.

Distribution: Most of eastern North America, but apparently absent from Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri.

Habitat: Colicroot is found on dry soils or in peaty habitats.

Flowering Period: May to August.

Similar Species: The long stalk of closely held white flowers and the grasslike leaves in a basal rosette are distinctive for Colicroot.

Line Drawing: Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada, Second Edition.

Copyright Nearctica.com, Inc. 2003. All rights reserved.