About Veratrum woodii Robbins ex A.Gray, 1856
Melanthium woodii, commonly called Wood's bunchflower or Ozark bunch-flower, was formerly classified under the scientific name Veratrum woodii. This species is native to the central and southeastern United States, where it has been recorded in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. It grows in forested habitats at elevations below 800 meters, which is equivalent to 2700 feet. Melanthium woodii is a perennial herb that forms bulbs up to 1.6 cm (0.64 inches) across, and spreads through underground rhizomes. Its leaves range in shape from elliptic to oblanceolate, and can reach up to 50 cm in length. Its inflorescences can grow as long as 60 cm, or 2 feet. The species can be most easily distinguished from other members of its genus by two unique floral traits: no other congener has chocolate brown tepals and tomentose young ovaries.
