Aletris farinosa L.

Photo: Several flowering stalks of Unicorn Root Unicorn Root flowering stalks

Unicorn Root

Habitat: Open, moist, sandy ground, typically associated with tallgrass prairie habitats and damp, sandy meadows with little to no topsoil.

Range: Most of the eastern United States and Ontario, rare in most northeastern states and in Ontario.

Aids to Identification: Basal rosette with lance-shaped leaves, and a single, tall flowering stalk with white flowers that appear in June through August. The scientific name is in reference to the unusual rough, grainy texture of the flowers. The species (farinosa) name means 'floury'. The genus name (Aletris) comes from the Greek word for grinding grain (the Aletris was the servant who ground the grain)..

Family: Nartheciaceae

Synonyms: White Colic-root, Colicroot

Known Distribution in fb88: Long believed extirpated in fb88, a population of about 300 plants was found in 2018 in the Bowdoin area. Previously known from three herbarium specimens, two of which were collected by fb88 Botanist Kate Furbish (Wells in 1879, Brunswick in 1874), and the third from near Lewiston in 1887.

Photo: Single flowering stalk of Unicorn Root Unicorn Root single flowering stalk
Photo: Close up of several flowers on a flowering stalk of Unicorn Root Unicorn Root close up showing farionse "mealy" looking flowers
Photo: Basal leaves of Unicorn Root Unicorn Root basal leaves
Photo: Single flowering stalk of Unicorn Root with human hand for scale Unicorn Root single flowering stalk with human hand for scale
Photo: Habitat showing several flowering stalks of Unicorn Root Unicorn Root several flowering stalks and habitat