Prosartes smithii
Encyclopedia
Prosartes smithii, formerly Disporum smithii, is a species of flowering plant known by the common name largeflower fairybells. It is native to western North America from British Columbia
to northern California
, where it grows in shady forest and woodland, including redwood forests. It is an erect, branching perennial herb growing up to a meter tall. Its narrow, fuzzy stems bear wide, oval-shaped, pointed leaves up to 12 centimeters long and mostly hairless. The inflorescence
produces up to seven drooping, hanging flowers which may be hidden in the cover of the large leaves. The flower is cylindrical to bell-shaped with six white to green-tinged tepal
s each up to 3 centimeters long. The fruit is an oval-shaped orange or red berry
just over a centimeter long.
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
to northern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where it grows in shady forest and woodland, including redwood forests. It is an erect, branching perennial herb growing up to a meter tall. Its narrow, fuzzy stems bear wide, oval-shaped, pointed leaves up to 12 centimeters long and mostly hairless. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
produces up to seven drooping, hanging flowers which may be hidden in the cover of the large leaves. The flower is cylindrical to bell-shaped with six white to green-tinged tepal
Tepal
Tepals are elements of the perianth, or outer part of a flower, which include the petals or sepals. The term tepal is more often applied specifically when all segments of the perianth are of similar shape and color, or undifferentiated, which is called perigone...
s each up to 3 centimeters long. The fruit is an oval-shaped orange or red berry
Berry
The botanical definition of a berry is a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary. Grapes are an example. The berry is the most common type of fleshy fruit in which the entire ovary wall ripens into an edible pericarp. They may have one or more carpels with a thin covering and fleshy interiors....
just over a centimeter long.