The Liliaceae Family in Colorado

This is a checklist of the members of the Liliaceae family in Colorado arranged by genus.

Species:

Allium

**Onion scented bulbous plant. Usually grows in moist wooded areas or grassy sloped areas.

Allium acuminatum Hook.

Allium brandegei S. Watson

Allium brevistylum S. Watson

Allium cernuum Roth

Allium geyeri S. Watson var. geyeri

Allium geyeri S.Watson var. tenerum M. E. Jones

Allium macropetalum Rydb.

Allium nevadense S. Watson

Allium sativum L.

Allium schoenoprasum (L.) var. sibiricum Hartman

Allium textile A. Nelson & J.F. Macbr.

Androstephium

**Found in clay hills in the lower valleys.

Androstephium breviflorum S. Watson

*Asparagus

**Most of the species of this plant occur around the Mediterranean region, Africa and Asia. In Colorado they appear along irrigation ditches in the Colorado River valley.

Asparagus officinalis L.

Calochortus

**This plant is mostly restricted to western North and Central America. In California many species are rare due to historical misuse by diggers for the garden trade.

Calochortus aureus S. Watson

Calochortus flexuosus S. Watson

Calochortus gunnisonii S. Watson var. gunnisonii

Calochortus nuttallii Torr. & A. Gray

Disporum

**Found scattered in mountainous parts of Colorado between 5500 and 9500 feet.

Disporum trachycarpum (S. Watson) Benth. & Hook

Erythronium

**Abundant in early spring. Usually found around melting snowbanks, particularly found in aspen groves.

Erythronium grandiflorum Pursh.

ssp. chrysandrum Applegate

Fritillaria

**Found in early spring on sandstone rimrock, often around shallow pools.

Fritillaria atropurpurea Nutt.

Fritillaria pudica (Pursh) Spreng.

*Hemerocallis

**Found along roadsides and in streams, and in pastures and fields.

Hemerocallis fulva L.

Hypoxis

**Found in moist to dry prairies and sometimes in open woods.

Hypoxis hirsuta L. Coville

Leucocrinum

**This low growing plant can be found open coniferous woods and shortgrass prairies.

Leucocrinum montanum Nutt. ex Gray

Lilium

**This highly collected plant can be found in isolated standings, in wet meadows, and aspen groves.

Lilium philadelphicum L. var. andinum Ker Gawl.

Lloydia

**Commonly found on the alpine tundra, and scattered on the high mountains of the Northern Hemisphere. Also found in the Arctic but very rare.

Lloydia serotina (L.) Reichenb. var. serotina

Maianthemum

**Found in the Northern Hemisphere.

Maianthemum racemosa (L.) Link var. amplexicaule (Nutt.) Dorn

Maianthemum stellatum (L.) Link

Smilax

**Found in gulches of the outwash mesas, and on the outer foothills of the Front Range.

Smilax lasioneuron Hook

Streptopus

**found in the Himalayas, Eurasia, and North America. They are located in moist coniferous woods.

Streptopus amplexifolius (L.) DC.

Trillium

**This berried plant is found in subalpine forests of the Park Range, and is restrictive to Colorado.

Trillium ovatum Pursh sbsp. ovatum

Triteleia

**Uncommon to Colorado, but found in North Western United States.

Triteleia grandiflora Lindl. var. grandiflora

Veratrum

**Forms in tall rank plants. Usually on open slopes along subalpine streams.

Veratrum califronicum T. Durand

Zigadenus

**Found in both North America and Asia. Several species of this plant are known to be poisonous. The bulbs of this species are odorless and easy to tell apart from onions.

Zigadenus elegans Pursh

Zigadenus paniculatus (Nutt.) S. Watson

Zigadenus vaginatus (Rydb.) J. F. Macbr.

Zigadenus venenosus S. watson var. gramineus (Rydb.) Walsh ex M Peck

Zigadenus virescens (Kunth) J. F. Macbr.

References:

Great Plains Flora Association. Flora of the Great Plains. Lawrence, Kansas. 1986.

Harrington, H. D., Manual of the Plants of Colorado. Chicago, Illinois. 1954.

Hartman, Ronald and B.E. Nelson. Checklist of the Vascular Plants of Colorado. Laramie, Wyoming. Sept. 2000. 102-104 pg.

Kartesz, John [Ed]. 2; volume 1 and 2 - checklist. A Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. Portland, Oregon. 1994.

Smith, James payne. Vascular Plant Families. Eureka, California. 1977.

Weber, William and Ronald C. Wittmann. Colorado Flora. Niwot, Colorado. 1996.