Description: This native perennial plant is about ½–1½' tall. It consists of a single erect stem with 3 spreading leaves at its apex. This stem is light green, hairless, and fairly stout. The leaves are up to 4" long and 2½" across. They are dark green, ovate in shape, and hairless. On each leaf, there are parallel primary veins and diagonal secondary veins that crisscross between the primary veins. The base of each leaf tapers into a broad petiole.
On mature plants, a single sessile flower
is produced at the apex of the stem between the spreading leaves; immature
plants are flowerless. This flower consists of 3 dull yellow petals, 3 green
sepals, 6 yellow stamens, and a 3-celled ovary with 3 styles. The petals are
elliptic or oblanceolate and erect. The sepals are triangular-shaped and hang
downward from the base of the flower. The large anthers of the stamens are
narrowly oblongoid and longer than the filaments. The petals are deciduous,
while the sepals are persistent. The blooming period occurs from mid- to late
spring and lasts about 3 weeks. There is no noticeable floral scent. Each
fertilized flower is replaced by a berry containing many seeds. The root system
consists of a thickened erect rootstock, secondary fibrous roots, and rhizomes,
which vegetative offsets are produced.
Cultivation: Dappled sunlight underneath trees
(light shade), mesic levels of moisture, and rich loamy soil with abundant
organic matter are the usual growing conditions. Like other Trillium
spp. (Trilliums), this species is slow to develop. The foliage persists
until about the middle of summer.
Range &
Habitat: This form of Trillium recurvatum is quite rare in
Illinois. According to official records, it has been observed in only Jackson
County; however, the webmaster encountered it in Champaign County a
few years ago and
there has been another report in Ogle County (see
Distribution
Map). Habitats include mesic deciduous woodlands where the original flora
has remained little disturbed by modern development.
Faunal Associations: The pollinators of the flowers
appear to be unknown. The caterpillars of the moth Euplexia benesimilis
(American Angle Shades) feed on the foliage of Trilliums. The White-Tailed Deer
is very fond of the foliage of Trilliums. The seeds can pass through the
digestive tract of these animals and germinate in new locations. Ants also help
to distribute the seeds.
Photographic
Location: Two plants were observed in Busey Woods of Urbana,
Illinois. They were located in a mesic deciduous woodland.
Comments: Shay's Trillium is a rare form of the
common Trillium recurvatum (Prairie Trillium). The typical form of this
species has brownish purple flowers, black anthers, and leaves that are often
mottled with different shades of green. Another form of the Prairie Trillium
that occurs occasionally across the state, Trillium recurvatum
lutescens, has yellow flowers like Shay's Trillium. However, Trillium
recurvatum lutescens has black or purple anthers, while Shay's Trillium has
yellow anthers. These three forms of the Prairie Trillium differ from other
Trillium spp. in Illinois by the following set of characteristics: 1)
their flowers are sessile, 2) their leaves have petioles, 3) their sepals hang
downward, and 4) their petals are yellow or brownish purple. Other Trillium
spp. have flowers on short stalks, or their leaves are sessile, or their
sepals spread horizontally, or their petals are white.