Uvularia

Plant Characteristics

Habit		herbaceous
Lifespan:	⌛	perennial

Cultivation

Scientific Names

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Uvularia >

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Uvularia is a genus of plants in the family Colchicaceae, close to the lily family (Liliaceae). They are commonly called Bellworts, Bellfowers or Merrybells. This unusual flower is found in April and May, often on wooded slopes or in ravines and it spreads by stolons or stoloniferus rhizomes. The plants are usually 18 to 24 inches (45–60 cm) in height and bear one or two flowers which hang downward from the axils of the leaves.

These unobtrusive woodland plants are great for the woodland and shade garden, they require little work and are happy just left alone but are also easy to work with if you must move them. They have erect, simple or twice branched stems with leaves at the top of the stems that are alternate, or perfoliated. Flowers hang downward in Spring from the top of the plants. They form singularly or sometimes in pairs.

Read about Uvularia in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Uvularia (Latin, uvula, palate, referring to the hanging flowers). Liliaceae. Bellwort. "Wild Oats" in some parts. Graceful woodland hardy perennial herbs, useful in the wild border or in heavy shade; not showy, and little planted. Stem erect and stout, from a creeping or horizontal short rootstock, naked or scaly at base, forking above: lvs. oblong, perfoliate, flat and membranaceous: fls. yellow, drooping, in spring, solitary on terminal peduncles; perianth narrowly campanulate, deciduous, segms. 6, spatulate-lanceolate, acuminate, obtusely gibbous at base, with a deep honey-bearing groove within bordered on each side by a callus-like ridge: caps. truncate, coriaceous, 3-lobed, loculicidal at summit.— About 4 species, N. Amer. Another species sometimes kept in this genus is treated under Oakesia. Uvularias grow 1 – 1 1/2 feet high, with a number of clustered slender stems which are forked and leaf-bearing mainly above. The foliage is of a delicate green, which with the terminal narrow bell-shaped drooping flowers make the plants elegant though not showy. The species are perfectly hardy and easy of cultivation in any light rich soil and a shady situation. They do well north of a wall in a well-prepared border and in such a position they far exceed the plants of the woods in luxuriance. Strong roots may be slowly forced for spring flowering. For distinction from Oakesia, see that genus, to which some of the plants commonly known as uvularias are referred. U. sessilifolia, Linn.—Oakesia sessilifolia. CH The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

Species

There are five species of Uvularia and all are exclusively native to North America.

U. floridana
U. grandiflora
U. perfoliata
U. puberula
U. sessilifolia

Gallery

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External links

• w:Uvularia. Some of the material on this page may be from Wikipedia, under the Creative Commons license.
• Uvularia QR Code (Size 50, 100, 200, 500)