Southern Nodding Trillium
Trillium rugelii
Lily Family
The 3-petaled white flower of this trillium hangs steeply down underneath the leaves. Very similar to and often confused with even in the books with T. cernuum, Northern Nodding Trillium, a species that does not range this far south. Distinguished by having larger, strongly recurved petals and longer anthers (longer than the filaments), usually rosy purple or darker with a large ovary. Notice that
the stamens are shorter than the pistil. This trillium is truly a southern species, occupying a small range ("imperiled") mostly east and south of the mountains in NC, SC, GA, and AL. May hybridize with T. vaseyi. Flowers appear from April to May.
Photo--04.28.04 in Henderson County.