About Erythronium oregonum Applegate
Erythronium oregonum is a wildflower that grows from a bulb 3 to 5 centimeters wide. It produces basal, lance-shaped green leaves up to 22 centimeters long, and these leaves are often mottled with brown and white. Thin, leafless stalks reach about 40 centimeters in maximum height; each stalk holds one flower, or sometimes more than one. Each flower has white tepals with yellow bases, and these tepals are sometimes streaked with dull red. Flowers are often nodding, facing the ground, and the tepals are recurved so their points face upward. The stamens and stigma are white, while the anthers may range from white to yellow. This species is pollinated by beetles and flies. In North America, it occurs from southern British Columbia south to northern California, growing west of the Cascade Range, extending to the Coast Range and Siskiyous. It can be found growing in meadows, rocky outcrops, and coniferous forests. Bears are known to eat the entire plant, and Native Americans ate the roots of this species either raw or cooked.
