Maianthemum

Maianthemum
Maianthemum racemosum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
clade:	Angiosperms
clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Asparagaceae
Subfamily:	Nolinoideae
Genus:	Maianthemum F.H.Wigg.
Species
See text.
Synonyms
Smilacina (Desf.)

Maianthemum (Latin Māia "May" and Greek ánthemon "flower"; including former Smilacina) is a genus of about 30 species of rhizomatous herbaceous plants native to the understory of woodlands in North and Central America, northern Europe, northern and eastern Asia, and the Himalayas. In the APG III classification system, it is placed in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Nolinoideae (formerly the family Ruscaceae).^[1]

Flowers have six tepals, reduced to four in M. canadense, M. bifolium and M. dilatatum.

Because of genetic similarity, similar fruits, and evidence that the 4-tepal species evolved from a 6-tepal species, the genus Smilacina was combined with Maianthemum in the late 20th century.^[2]

Like many lilioid monocots, both Maianthemum and Smilacina were formerly included in the family Liliaceae. The genus has also been placed in the former family Convallariaceae.

Species

Species include:

Maianthemum atropurpureum Maianthemum bifolium May Lily Maianthemum canadense Canada Mayflower, False Lily-of-the-valley Maianthemum dahuricum Maianthemum dilatatum Snakeberry, Wild Lily-of-the-valley Maianthemum forrestii Maianthemum formosanum Maianthemum fusciduliflorum Maianthemum fuscum Maianthemum gongshanense Maianthemum henryi Maianthemum japonicum

Maianthemum lichiangense Maianthemum nanchuanense Maianthemum oleraceum Maianthemum purpureum Maianthemum racemosum False Solomon's-seal Maianthemum stellatum Starry Solomon's-seal Maianthemum stenolobum Maianthemum szechuanicum Maianthemum tatsienense (orthographic variant M. tatsiense) Maianthemum trifolium Three-leaf Solomon's-seal, False Mayflower Maianthemum tubiferum

References

1. ^ Chase, M.W.; Reveal, J.L. & Fay, M.F. (2009), "A subfamilial classification for the expanded asparagalean families Amaryllidaceae, Asparagaceae and Xanthorrhoeaceae", Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 161 (2): 132–136, doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.2009.00999.x 
2. ^ "Maianthemum". Flora of North America. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=119474. 

See also

• Polygonatum