Texas trillium facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Texas trillium |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Trillium
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| Species: |
texanum
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| Synonyms | |
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Synonymy
Trillium pusillum var. texanum (Buckley) Reveal & C.R.Broome
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The Trillium texanum, often called the Texas trillium or Texas wakerobin, is a special kind of flowering plant. It belongs to the plant family called Melanthiaceae. This plant is found in only a few places. You can see it in eastern Texas, the very southwestern part of Arkansas, and the very northwestern part of Louisiana. It usually grows in wet, forested areas.
Because it grows in such a small area, the Texas trillium is considered an imperiled species. This means it's at risk of disappearing. In Louisiana, it is even more at risk, known as "critically imperiled."
About the Texas Trillium
The Texas trillium is a member of a group of trilliums. These are known for having flowers on a small stalk, called a pedicel. It is a perennial plant. This means it lives for more than two years. It is also an herbaceous plant, which means it has soft stems, not woody ones like a tree.
What It Looks Like
This plant blooms, or flowers, in the spring. You can see its white petals from March to mid-April. The flowers are a beautiful sight in the forest.
Its Discovery
The Texas trillium was first officially described in 1861. A scientist named Samuel Botsford Buckley was the one who first wrote about it. Sometimes, people think of it as a type of Trillium pusillum. They might call it T. pusillum var. texanum or T. pusillum var. pusillum. This shows how closely related these plants are.
