Species: Lilaea scilloides (Poir.) Hauman

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Lilaea scilloides (Poir.) Hauman

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Juncaginaceae

Genus:

Lilaea

Species Synonyms:

Lilaea subulata Bonpl

Common Names:

flowering quillwort
awl-leaf lilaea

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

southwestern British Columbia, southeastern Alberta – southeastern Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan:

southern Saskatchewan; Debden – Trossachs

Ecoregion:

Cypress Uplands, Mixed Grassland, Moist Mixed Grassland, Boreal Transition

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

sloughs and mudflats

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Endangered

Nature Conservancy Status:

N2 S1

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Flowering quillwort is endangered in Saskatchewan because there are few known locations of his species and the populations tend to be small and separated from one another.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

to 30 cm

Roots:

rhizomes slender, short, lacking terminal swellings Stems: absent

Leaves:

erect, basal, 15 – 35 cm long, 1 – 3 mm wide, round in cross section, tissue with large air spaces; sheath with free ligule

Inflorescence:

spike-like racemes or solitary flowers, both long stalked and sessile, usually with 2 or more sessile inflorescences, solitary flowers female only; stalks shorter than leaves; female flowers near base, bisexual flowers in the middle, male flowers near the top

Flowers:

sessile, bisexual and unisexual; 5 types of flowers: 1. tepals 0 – 1, green, linear, stamens 0 – 1, anthers sessile, pistil 1, ovules 1; 2 and 3 (bisexual and male flowers). tepals present; 4 (female flowers). tepals present, style 0.5 – 2 mm; 5 (female flowers). tepals absent, style 0.2 – 3 mm

Fruits:

nutlets 2 – 5 mm long, angular, beaked

JUNCAGINACEAE KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN

Lilaea is sometimes places in the monotypic family Lilaeaceae, but we have treated it as part of the Juncaginaceae due to the similarities in morphology and molecular characters. Lilaea scilloides is the only species in the genus.

Inflorescences both long-stalked spike-like racemes (bisexual and unisexual flowers) and sessile (female flowers only); tepals commonly absent; style and stigma 1	Lilaea
Inflorescences all long-stalked spike-like racemes with bisexual flowers; tepals present; styles and stigmas 2 or 3	Triglochin