Clintonia borealis (Aiton) Raf.
Yellow clintonia, bluebead lily, blue-bead lily, clintonia, Clinton's lily, corn lily, cow tongue, yellow beadlily, yellow bluebeadlily, snakeberry, dogberry, straw lily
Kingdom Plantae Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom Tracheobionta Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division Magnoliophyta Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class Liliopsida Monocots (plants with a single seed leaf); includes the lily family
Subclass Liliidae Includes lilies, orchids, and many others
Order Liliales Includes lilies, tulips, trilliums, greenbriars, and others
Family Liliaceae Lilly family
Genus Clintonia After De Witt Clinton (1769-1828), a naturalist and governor of New York
Species borealis Northern
About plant names...
Yellow blue-bead lily—or whatever you want to call it, since this common species has lots of
names—is so named for its pretty yellow flowers and deep,
almost metallic blue berries. They occur in New England and temperate regions of the eastern
United States, in hardwood forests. They seem to
have a special affinity for mountains and swampy areas.
Plants: 1′ (30 cm) in height,
with a central stem and basal leaves.
Leaves: Oblong , ovate , or elliptic ,
6-12″ (15-30 cm) in length. Each leaf is glossy, with a central vein running the length of the leaf, and
parallel lines on either side.
Flowers: Umbels (bell-shaped), in groups of two to six, each up to 1″ (2.5 cm).
Each flower has six tepals and six long stamens , as well as a long style . They are nodding .
Fruits: Berries ¼-⅜″ (8-12 mm) in diameter, round or oval,
with a rich shiny blue color.
Edibility: Young leaves are edible. The delicious-looking berries are
not though—they are mildly toxic, and they taste bad.
Medical: The roots contain diosgenin, a saponin steroid with estrogenic effects.
Online References:
Minnesota Wildflowers
The New England Wildflower Society’s GoBotany site
The U.S. Forest Service Celebrating Wildflowers site
Newyork.plantatlas.usf.edu
Wikipedia
8/15/2015 · Grafton Notch State Park, Newry, Maine · ≈ 6 × 4″ (16 × 10 cm)
6/3/2018 · Mt. Watatic, Ashby, Massachusetts · ≈ 8 × 5″ (20 × 13 cm)
4/21/2021 · Center Pond Preserve, Phippsburg, Maine · ≈ 4½ × 7″ (12 × 18 cm)
5/17/2021 · Bijhouwer Forest, Phippsburg, Maine · ≈ 4½ × 7″ (12 × 18 cm)
7/12/2020 · Harraseeket Trail, Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park, Freeport, Maine · ≈ 8 × 12″ (20 × 31 cm)
8/14/2015 · Roost Trail, Grafton Notch State Park, Newry, Maine · ≈ 12 × 8″ (31 × 21 cm)
7/12/2015 · Mt. Kearsarge, Wilmot/Warner, New Hampshire · ≈ 10 × 7″ (25 × 16 cm)
5/25/2023 · Maquoit Bay Conservation Land, Brunswick, Maine
5/9/2016 · Rachel Carson Interpretive Trail, Kennebunk, Maine · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (17 × 11 cm)
7/12/2020 · Harraseeket Trail, Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park, Freeport, Maine · ≈ 12 × 8″ (31 × 20 cm)
6/3/2018 · Mt. Watatic, Ashby, Massachusetts · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (18 × 12 cm)
5/25/2023 · Maquoit Bay Conservation Land, Brunswick, Maine
8/8/2015 · Mt. Wachusett · ≈ 9 × 6″ (22 × 15 cm)
5/9/2016 · Rachel Carson Interpretive Trail, Kennebunk, Maine · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm)
7/12/2015 · Mt. Kearsarge, Wilmot/Warner, New Hampshire · ≈ 11 × 7″ (28 × 18 cm)
7/12/2015 · Mt. Kearsarge, Wilmot/Warner, New Hampshire · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 12 cm)
8/15/2015 · Grafton Notch State Park, Newry, Maine · ≈ 2½ × 1½′ (79 × 53 cm)
Older scientific or horticultural names
Clintonia borealis description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 17 Oct 2023.
© FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved.
5/9/2016 · Rachel Carson Interpretive Trail, Kennebunk, Maine · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (17 × 11 cm) ID is uncertain
6/3/2018 · Mt. Watatic, Ashby, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm)
6/3/2018 · Mt. Watatic, Ashby, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 4″ (14 × 10 cm)
7/13/2015 · Mt. Ascutney State Park, Ascutney, Vermont · ≈ 9 × 6″ (23 × 16 cm)
6/3/2018 · Mt. Watatic, Ashby, Massachusetts · ≈ 4½ × 7″ (12 × 18 cm)
5/25/2023 · Maquoit Bay Conservation Land, Brunswick, Maine
8/8/2015 · Mt. Wachusett · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 12 cm)
5/25/2023 · Maquoit Bay Conservation Land, Brunswick, Maine
7/12/2020 · Harraseeket Trail, Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park, Freeport, Maine · ≈ 5 × 8″ (13 × 20 cm)
5/25/2023 · Maquoit Bay Conservation Land, Brunswick, Maine
8/15/2015 · Grafton Notch State Park, Newry, Maine · ≈ 6 × 4″ (16 × 10 cm)
8/15/2015 · Grafton Notch State Park, Newry, Maine · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 13 cm)
7/12/2020 · Harraseeket Trail, Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park, Freeport, Maine · ≈ 5 × 3½″ (13 × 9.2 cm)
8/8/2015 · Mt. Wachusett · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 12 cm)
5/15/2016 · Mt. Watatic, Ashby, Massachusetts
5/25/2023 · Maquoit Bay Conservation Land, Brunswick, Maine
5/25/2023 · Maquoit Bay Conservation Land, Brunswick, Maine
7/12/2020 · Harraseeket Trail, Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park, Freeport, Maine · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (18 × 12 cm)
Range:
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