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Taxon  Report  
Maianthemum racemosum  (L.) Link
Feathery false lily of the valley
Maianthemum racemosum is a perennial herb that is native to California, and also found elsewhere in North America and beyond.
also called Smilacina racemosa
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
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Bloom Period
Genus: Maianthemum
Family: Ruscaceae  
(Liliaceae)
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Monocot
Jepson eFlora section: monocot

Wetlands: Equally likely to occur in wetlands and non wetlands

Communities: Yellow Pine Forest, Red Fir Forest, Mixed Evergreen Forest, wetland-riparian

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + PLANTS

Alternate Names:
JEFMaianthemum racemosum ssp. amplexicaule
JEFSmilacina racemosa var. amplexicaulis
JEFSmilacina racemosa var. glabra
JEFSmilacina racemosa
Information about  Maianthemum racemosum from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
This plant is available commercially.
Jepson eFlora

USDA PLANTS Profile (MARA7)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net

Introduction to Feathery False Lily of the Valley: With its distinctive, broad leaves and feathery inflorescence, this is a classic May flower of the forest... A photo essay from PlantID.net. (contributed by Bruce Homer-Smith)

[Wikipedia] Etymology: The Latin specific epithet racemosum means "with flowers that appear in racemes",[8] which can cause confusion as the inflorescence is a panicle; it is the individual branches of the panicle that have flowers arranged in a raceme. (contributed by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2024. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 04/15/2024).