Whorled Solomon's Seal

Rudolf Kamelin (pers. comm.) believes that Polygonatum verticillatum is absent from China, and that the plants there are instead P. kansuense ( P. erythrocarpum). In SW Asia and Europe, P. verticillatum has leaves in whorls of 5--7, inflorescences mostly 3- or 4-flowered, perianth white, and berries dark blue-green (although one of us (Tamura) has collected P. verticillatum with orange berries in S Denmark: Tamura & Kubitzki 3425 (KYO)). Tamura considers that P. verticillatum of the present sense may be a species in which different lineages are lumped. However, Chen and Tamura together decided to maintain the present circumscription until sufficient morphological variation data have accumulated. Kamelin also notes that Polygonatum minutiflorum, regarded here as a synonym of P. verticillatum may instead be synonymous with P. gracile in which case the former name, published in 1915, would have priority.

Rhizome usually shortly branched, usually tuberous terete, very rarely moniliform, 0.7--1.5 cm thick. Stem erect, (20--)40--80 cm, glabrous. Leaves in whorls of 3, occasionally alternate near base of stem, sometimes opposite near apex of stem, subsessile, oblong-lanceolate to linear, 6--10 × 0.5--3 cm, apex acute to acuminate, not cirrose. Inflorescences 1- or 2(--4)-flowered; peduncle 1--2 cm; bracts small or absent. Flowers pendulous; pedicel 3--10 mm. Perianth pale purple (or white or pale yellow, but probably only when dry), cylindric, 0.8--1.2 cm; lobes 2--3 mm. Filaments 0.5--1(--2) mm, papillose; anthers ca. 2.5 mm. Ovary ca. 3 mm. Style 2.5--3 mm. Berries red, 6--9 mm in diam., 6--12-seeded. Fl. May--Jun, fr. Aug--Oct. 2 n = (24), 28, 30, (56*), 60, (64, 66, 84), ca. 90.

Europe, Asia Minor, C. Asia, Himalaya, Tibet, Manipur, ?W. China.

Gansu, Nei Mongol, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan [Afghanistan, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Sikkim; SW Asia, Europe].

2400-4700 m

Forests, grassy slopes; 2100--4000 m.

Convallaria verticillata Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 315. 1753; Polygonatum erythrocarpum Hua; P. kansuense Maximowicz ex Batalin; P. minutiflorum H. Léveillé.

Polygonatum verticillatum or whorled Solomon's-seal is a plant species of the genus Polygonatum. It is widespread in Europe and also in China and the Himalayas though not reported from large sections of western and Central Asia in between those two ranges.