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- Maianthemum stellatum
Maianthemum stellatum — star-like false Solomon's-seal
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Facts
Star-like false Solomon's-seal is widely distributed across North America, inhabiting sandy soils of woodlands, fields and dunes, as well as swamps and fens.Several Native American tribes used this species' roots medicinally, including to treat stomach problems, menstrual disorders, and venereal disease. The berries are edible when ripe.
Habitat
Dunes, fens (calcium-rich wetlands), meadows and fields, swamps, wetland margins (edges of wetlands), woodlands
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blade is elliptic (widest near the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is lanceolate (lance-shaped; widest below the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)
- Leaf blade length
- 50–60 mm
- Flower petal color
- white
- Flower petal length
- 4–5 mm
- Petal fusion
- the perianth parts are separate
- Inflorescence type
- the inflorescence is a raceme (a long unbranched stem with stalked flowers growing along it)
- Ovary position
- the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment
- Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is a berry (fleshy, with the wall enclosing one or more sections, with two or more seeds)
- Fruit length
- 4–6 mm
-
Clonal plantlets
- Axillary bulblets
- there are no bulblets being produced in axils
-
Flowers
- Anther attachment
- the anther is attached at its midpoint to the filament
- Anther length
- 0.6–0.8 mm
- Bulblets replace flowers
- there are no bulblets where the flowers are located
- Carpels fused
- the carpels are fused (the number of carpels equals the number of locules)
- Flower bracts
- there are bracts associated with the flower
- Flower number
- 6–15
- Flower orientation
- the flowers point upward or spread or curve outward
- Flower petal color
- white
- Flower petal length
- 4–5 mm
- Flower symmetry
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)
- Flowering stem width
- 2–3.5 mm
- Form of style
- the style is lobed at the tip, and unbranched
- Fringed petal edges
- the petals are not fringed
- Hairs on flower stalk
- the flower stalk has no hairs on it
- Inflorescence length
- 20–50 mm
- Inflorescence type
- the inflorescence is a raceme (a long unbranched stem with stalked flowers growing along it)
- Length of flower stalk
- 6–12 mm
- Length of peduncle
- At least 20 mm
- Marks on petals
- there are no noticeable marks on the petals
- Nectar spur
- the flower has no nectar spurs
- Number of carpels
- 3
- Number of sepals and/or petals
- there are six petals, sepals or tepals in the flower
- Number of styles
- 1
- Ovary position
- the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment
- Petal appearance
- the petals are thin and delicate, and pigmented (colored other than green or brown)
- Petal fusion
- the perianth parts are separate
- Sepal appearance
- the sepals resemble petals in color and texture
- Sepal length
- 4–5 mm
- Sepal orientation
- the sepals are slightly curved outwards from the plant
- Sepals fused only to sepals
- the sepals are separate from one another
- Spathe
- the plant does not have a spathe
- Spathe form
- NA
- Spathe length
- 0 mm
- Stamen length
- 1.8–2.3 mm
- Stamen number
- 6
- Stamen position relative to petals
- NA
- Stamens fused outwards
- the stamens are not fused to the petals or tepals
- Style length
- 1.3–1.8 mm
- Style petal-like
- the style is not broad and flattened like a petal
- Tepals
- the petals and sepals are similar in size and color
-
Fruits or seeds
- Berry color
- red
- Capsule ridges
- NA
- Fruit compartments
- there are three locules in the fruit
- Fruit cross-section
- the fruit is round in cross-section
- Fruit length
- 4–6 mm
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is fleshy
- Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is a berry (fleshy, with the wall enclosing one or more sections, with two or more seeds)
- Fruit width
- 4–6 mm
- Other markings on berry
- the ripe fruits are mostly one color without spots or streaks
-
Glands or sap
- Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
-
Growth form
- Lifespan
- the plant lives more than two years
- Root septa
- the roots do not have transverse septa
- Underground organs
-
- the plant has a rhizome (a horizontal underground stem with roots growing from it)
- there are only slender roots on the plant
-
Leaves
- Hairs on underside of leaf blade
- the underside of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade basal lobes
- the leaf blades do not have basal lobes
- Leaf blade base
-
- the leaf blade clasps the stem at the base, or the leaf blade goes all the way around the stem, so that the stem appears to pierce the leaf blade
- the leaf has no stalk
- Leaf blade base shape
- the base of the leaf blade is rounded
- Leaf blade cross-section
- the leaf blade is more or less flat in cross-section
- Leaf blade faces
- both surfaces of the leaf blade are exposed
- Leaf blade form
- Fully-formed (i.e., expanded), +/- green leaf blades are found somewhere on the plant
- Leaf blade length
- 50–60 mm
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blade is elliptic (widest near the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is lanceolate (lance-shaped; widest below the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)
- Leaf blade surface colors
- the upper side of the leaf blade is relatively uniform in color
- Leaf blade tip
- the tip of the leaf blade is acute (sharply pointed)
- Leaf blade veins
- the lateral veins are parallel or slightly arched in the direction of the tip
- Leaf blade width
- 25–35 mm
- Leaf stalk length
- 0 mm
- Leaf type
- the leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets
- Leaflet number
- 0
- Stipule twining
- NA
- Stipules
- there are no stipules on this plant
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- dunes
- edges of wetlands
- fens (calcium-rich wetlands)
- meadows or fields
- swamps
- woodlands
-
Scent
- Plant odor
- the leaves have no particular smell
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Flowering stem growth form
- the flowering stem is held upright
- Flowering stem leaves
- there is at least one fully-formed leaf on the flowering stem
- Stem hairs
-
- the stem has hairs on it
- the stem is nearly or completely hairless
Wetland status
Occurs in wetlands or non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FAC)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
3. Maianthemum stellatum (L.) Link N
star-like false Solomon’s-seal. Convallaria stellata L.; Smilacina stellata (L.) Desf.; Vagnera stellata (L.) Morong • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Sandy soils of woodlands, dry fields, dunes and near coastal areas, also forest openings, swamps, and fens.
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Maianthemum racemosum:
- inflorescence branched and tepals 0.5-1 mm long (vs. M. stellatum, with the inflorescence unbranched and tepals 4-6 mm long).
Synonyms
- Convallaria stellata L.
- Smilacina stellata (L.) Desf.
- Vagnera stellata (L.) Morong