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Taxon  Report  
Veratrum viride  Aiton
American false hellebore,   Green false hellebore,   White false hellebore
Veratrum viride is a perennial herb that is native to California, and also found elsewhere in North America and beyond.
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: Veratrum
Family: Melanthiaceae  
(Liliaceae)
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Monocot
Jepson eFlora section: monocot

Toxicity: Do not eat any part of this plant.

Wetlands:
Arid West: Occurs usually in wetlands, occasionally in non wetlands
Mountains, Valleys and Coast: Equally likely to occur in wetlands and non wetlands

Communities: Subalpine Forest, wetland-riparian

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + PLANTS

Alternate Names:
PLANTSVeratrum eschscholtzianum
PLANTSVeratrum eschscholtzii var. incriminatum
PLANTSVeratrum eschscholtzii
PLANTSVeratrum viride ssp. eschscholtzii
PLANTSVeratrum viride var. eschscholtzii
...
Information about  Veratrum viride from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
This plant is available commercially.
Jepson eFlora

USDA PLANTS Profile (VEVI)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net

[Wikipedia] Range, Toxicity, Description, Varieties, Habitat, Medicine: Not to be confused with Phytolacca acinosa (also called Indian poke), or other pokeweeds (genus Phytolacca). Veratrum viride, known as Indian poke, corn-lily, Indian hellebore, false hellebore, green false hellebore,[2] or giant false-helleborine,[3] is a species of Veratrum native to eastern and western (but not central) North America.[4][2][5] It is extremely toxic, and is considered a pest plant by farmers with livestock. The species has acquired a large number of other common names within its native range, including American false hellebore, American white hellebore, bear corn, big hellebore, corn lily, devil's bite, duck retten, itchweed, poor Annie, blue hellebore and tickleweed. Description V. viride flower at Alpine Lakes Wilderness in Washington state V. viride is a herbaceous perennial plant reaching 0.7 to 2 metres (2.3 to 6.6 ft) tall, with a solid green stem. The leaves are spirally arranged, 10 to 35 cm (4 to 14 in) long and 5 to 20 cm (2 to 8 in) broad, elliptic to broad lanceolate ending in a short point, heavily ribbed and hairy on the underside. The flowers are numerous, produced in a large branched inflorescence 30 to 70 cm (1.0 to 2.3 ft) tall; each flower is 5 to 12 mm (0.2 to 0.5 in) long, with six green to yellow-green tepals. The fruit is a capsule 1.5 to 3 cm (0.6 to 1.2 in) long, which splits into three sections at maturity to release the numerous flat 8 to 10 mm (0.3 to 0.4 in) diameter seeds. The plant reproduces through rhizome growth as well as seeds.[4][6][7][8] Varieties and similar species There are two recognized varieties of V. viride:[4] Veratrum viride var. viride is found in eastern North America. It is differentiated by the erect or spreading side branches of the inflorescence. Veratrum viride var. eschscholzianum is found in western North America. It is differentiated by the drooping side branches of the inflorescence. The related western North American Veratrum californicum (white false hellebore, corn lily) can be distinguished from sympatric var. eschscholzianum by its whiter flowers and the erect side branches of the inflorescence.[8] Distribution and habitat In eastern North America, var. viride occurs from southwestern Labrador and southern Quebec south to northern Georgia. In the west, var. eschscholzianum occurs from Alaska and Northwest Territory south through Yukon, British Columbia, Alberta, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Oregon to northwestern California (Del Norte, Siskiyou, Trinity, and Humboldt Counties).[4][5][9][10] It is found in wet soils in meadows, sunny streambanks, and open forests, occurring from sea level in the north of its range up to 1,600 metres (5,200 ft) in the southeast and 2,500 metres (8,200 ft) in the southwest.[4][6][7] Medicine The plant is highly toxic, causing nausea and vomiting. If the poison is not evacuated, cold sweat and vertigo appear. Respiration slows, while cardiac rhythm and blood pressure fall.[11] The toxic effects of veratrum alkaloids[11] are directly induced by antagonism of adrenergic receptors. It is used externally by several Native American nations. Although is rarely ever used in modern herbalism due to its concentration of various alkaloids, it has been used in the past against high blood pressure and rapid heartbeat; a standardized extract of V. viride alkaloids known as alkavervir was used in the 1950s and 1960s as an antihypertensive.[12][13] The root contains even higher concentrations than the aerial parts.[14] (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]. 2023. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 12/06/2023).