White clintonia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids White clintonia
Conservation status
Secure (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Genus:	Clintonia
Species:	umbellulata
Synonyms
Synonymy Clintonia alleghaniensis Harned Clintonia decantha Raf. Clintonia multiflora Beck Clintonia odorata Raf. Clintonia odorata var. punctata Raf. Clintonia parviflora Raf. Clintonia parviflora var. abortiva Raf. Clintonia parviflora var. plicata Raf. Clintonia podanisia Raf. Clintonia podanisia var. biflora Raf. Clintonia podanisia var. fascicularis Raf. Clintonia podanisia var. glabrata Raf. Clintonia podanisia var. phyllostema Raf. Clintonia podanisia var. phyllostema Raf. Clintonia umbellata Torr. Convallaria umbellulata Michx. Xeniatrum umbellatum (Torr.) Salisb. Xeniatrum umbellulatum (Michx.) Small

The white clintonia (scientific name: Clintonia umbellulata) is a beautiful flowering plant. It's also known as the speckled wood-lily. This plant belongs to the lily family, called Liliaceae. Its scientific name, umbellulata, means "like an umbel." An umbel is a special kind of flower cluster.

The ripe fruits are black berries (Virginia, USA, September 2017)

What it Looks Like

The white clintonia is a perennial plant. This means it lives for more than two years. It's a herbaceous plant, which means it has soft stems, not woody ones like trees. It spreads using underground stems called rhizomes.

A white clintonia plant usually grows about 27 to 60 centimeters (11 to 24 inches) tall. It has 2 to 4 dark green leaves. Each leaf is about 18 to 30 cm (7 to 12 in) long and 4.5 to 8 cm (1.8 to 3.1 in) wide.

The flowers grow in a cluster at the top of the plant. This cluster is called an umbel. There are usually 10 to 25 flowers in one cluster. The flowering stalk can be up to 50 cm (20 in) high. Each flower has six petal-like parts called tepals. It also has six stamens, which are the parts that make pollen.

The tepals are white or greenish-white. They often have small purplish-brown or green speckles. Each tepal is about 5.5 to 8 millimeters (0.22 to 0.31 inches) long. The stamens are longer than the tepals. After the flowers, the plant grows black berries. Sometimes, these berries can be a deep blue color. Each berry is about 6 to 8 mm (0.24 to 0.31 in) long. Inside, there are 2 to 4 seeds. Each seed is about 3.5 mm (0.14 in) long.

How to Tell it Apart from Similar Plants

Sometimes, people confuse white clintonia (C. umbellulata) with another plant called C. borealis. They grow in similar areas. Here are some ways to tell them apart:

It can be hard to identify these plants just by their leaves. But when they are flowering or have berries, it's much easier to tell them apart!

The white clintonia also looks a bit like the small white leek (Allium tricoccum). To tell them apart, look at their leaves. The small white leek's leaves usually wilt and disappear by the time its flowers bloom. But the white clintonia's leaves stay green all summer long.

Plant Names and History

In 1803, a scientist named André Michaux first described this plant. He called it Convallaria umbellulata. Later, in 1894, another scientist named Thomas Morong gave it the name we use today: Clintonia umbellulata.

You might also hear the name Clintonia alleghaniensis. This is another name for a type of white clintonia. It's special because its berries are deep blue, not black. This type grows in places like Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia.

Where it Grows

The white clintonia is a plant that is endemic to the Appalachian Mountains. This means it naturally grows only in this mountain range. You can find it in the eastern United States, from New York all the way down to Georgia.

It grows in many counties across these states. Some counties where it grows are also home to Clintonia borealis (these are shown in bold in the list below). Even though their ranges seem to overlap, these two plants are actually allopatric. This means their main growing areas don't really mix. Instead, they are right next to each other.

Here are the states and some counties where white clintonia is found:

• New York: Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Livingston, Wyoming
• Ohio: Ashland, Ashtabula, Columbiana, Coshocton, Harrison, Holmes, Jefferson, Mahoning, Portage, Summit, Trumbull, Tuscarawas, Wayne
• Pennsylvania: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Centre, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, Mercer, Somerset, Venango, Warren, Washington, Westmoreland
• Maryland: Allegany, Garrett
• West Virginia: Barbour, Braxton, Fayette, Grant, Greenbrier, Hampshire, Hardy, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Marion, McDowell, Mercer, Mineral, Mingo, Monongalia, Monroe, Morgan, Nicholas, Pocahontas, Preston, Randolph, Ritchie, Summers, Tucker, Upshur, Wayne, Webster, Wetzel, Wyoming
• Virginia: Albemarle, Alleghany, Amherst, Augusta, Bath, Bedford, Bland, Botetourt, Buchanan, Carroll, Craig, Dickenson, Floyd, Franklin, Giles, Grayson, Greene, Henry, Highland, Lee, Madison, Montgomery, Nelson, Page, Patrick, Pulaski, Rappahannock, Roanoke, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Warren, Washington, Wise, Wythe
• Kentucky: Bell, Breathitt, Clay, Harlan, Jackson, Laurel, Lee, Letcher, Menifee, Morgan, Perry, Powell, Rockcastle, Rowan, Wolf
• Tennessee: Blount, Campbell, Carter, Cocke, Cumberland, Greene, Hawkins, Johnson, Monroe, Morgan, Polk, Rhea, Sequatchie, Sevier, Sullivan, Unicoi
• North Carolina: Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, Yancey
• South Carolina: Greenville, Oconee, Pickens
• Georgia: Gilmer, Habersham, Lumpkin, Murray, Rabun, Towns, Union, White

Overall, the white clintonia is considered a secure species globally. However, it is rare or in danger in New York. It is also listed as endangered in Ohio.