The colors below indicate the kind of documentation available for this species
in the California counties where it occurs.
Corn Lily Veratrum californicum var. californicum (Liliaceae)
From the melting winter snow pack in the Sierra Nevada and other mountain ranges of California emerge the stout stems and robust leaves which give this species its corn-like appearance and hence the name Corn Lily. The star-shaped flowers have a distinctive green marking in the shape of a "Y" at the base of each white petal and sepal. Nature's insurance policy is illustrated here by flowers opening successively over a long period of time. If any untoward event such as a cold snap were to interrupt pollinator activity, flowers which open after the episode can be pollinated to produce a seed crop for the next generation.
DISTRIBUTION: Streambanks, moist meadows, and forest margins throughout the Calif. Floristic Province and Modoc Plateau; 1000-3500 m.
