Trillium decipiens J.D. Freeman

Deceiving Trillium; Deceptive Trillium; Chattahoochee River Wakerobin

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Deceiving Trillium is a native perennial in the Bunchflower family (Melanthiaceae). It is native to the southern half of Alabama. Deceiving Trillium occurs in rich hardwood forests, along streams, in ravines, and on the margins of prairie woods. It is a perennial from a stout rhizome. Each rhizome produces one (occasionally two) stem topped by three leaf-like bracts. The stems are from 7-17 inches in height. The bracts are ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate in outline, entire, and glabrous. The bracts are mottled with three shades of green and usually have a silver-green stripe down the middle. The tips of the bracts are pointed. Plants produce a single sessile flower. There are three rather large sepals that are erect and green in color, and three large obovate to oblanceolate erect petals. Petals vary in color from greenish-yellow through yellow, tan, brown, and purple-brown. Flower color can be highly variable even within a single population. The fruit is a mealy capsule. The seed are tan in color with a white elaiosome. Deceiving Trillium is listed as an S2S3 species in Alabama (typically 6 to 100 occurrences, few remaining individuals, or factors demonstrably making it very vulnerable in the state) and globally as a G3 species (imperiled globally because of rarity, or very vulnerable to extinction throughout its range because of other factors). Deceiving Trillium gets its common name from the fact that it was frequently confused with Underwood's Trillium (Trillium underwoodii Small), which grows in the same area of the state. Deceiving Trillium tends to prefer sites with richer soils. Although it is not uncommon to find more than one species of Trillium at a site, these two species have never been documented to grow together naturally.—A. Diamond

**

Native S2S3 (State Rank) G3 (Global Rank)

Freeman, J.D. 1975. Revision of Trillium Subgenus Phyllantherum (Liliaceae). Brittonia 27: 1-62.