WILDFLOWERS OF NEW MEXICO

Erect, unbranched stems 8–24-inches tall are lined with broad leaves with conspicuous parallel veins. Note the spike-like cluster of white flowers has multiple blooms on each short side branch.

FLOWERS: May–July. Each 2–5-inch long terminal cluster (panicle) has numerous side branches densely covered with white flowers, each with 6 tiny petal-like tepals and 6 longer stamens. Fruit is a yellow berry maturing reddish-purple, about 1/4-inch diameter (6 mm).

LEAVES: Alternate. Blades stemless (sessile), clasping, elliptic, 4–7-inches long (10–17 cm) by 2–3-inches wide (5–8 cm), base rounded, apex pointed.

HABITAT: Sandy, rocky loam soils, stream sides, shady areas; ponderosa-Douglas fir, aspen, spruce-fir forests.

ELEVATION: 6,000–10,400 feet.

RANGE: Widespread in Rocky Mountains and westward.

SIMILAR SPECIES: Star Solomon’s Seal, M. sellatum, in the same range and habitats, has a flower stalk with a single flower on each side branch. The False  Solomon’s Seal genus, Maianthemum, is variously placed in the Lily (Liliaceae), Asparagus (Asparagaceae), and Lily-of-the-Valley (Convallariaceae) families.

NM COUNTIES: Widespread statewide in mid- to high-elevation, mountain habitats: Bernalillo, Catron, Cibola, Colfax, Dona Ana, Grant, Hidalgo, Lincoln, Los Alamos, McKinley, Mora, Otero, Rio Arriba, San Juan, San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Sierra, Socorro, Taos, Torrance, Union.