Syn.: Maianthemum amplexicaule (Nutt.) W. A. Weber, Maianthemum racemosum var. amplexicaule (Nutt.) Dorn, Smilacina amplexicaulis Nutt., Smilacina amplexicaulis var. glabra J. F. Macbr., Smilacina amplexicaulis var. jenkinsii B. Boivin, Smilacina amplexicaulis var. ovata B. Boivin, Smilacina racemosa subsp. amplexicaulis (Nutt.) McNeill, Smilacina racemosa var. amplexicaulis (Nutt.) S. Watson, Smilacina racemosa var. brachystyla L. F. Hend., Smilacina racemosa var. glabra (J. F. Macbr.) H. St. John, Smilacina racemosa var. jenkinsii (B. Boivin) B. Boivin, Unifolium amplexicaule (Nutt.) Greene, Vagnera amplexicaulis (Nutt.) Greene, Vagnera amplexicaulis var. brachystyla A. Heller, Vagnera amplexicaulis var. glabra (J. F. Macbr.) Abrams, Vagnera brachypetala Rydb., Vagnera pallescens Greene
Family: Asparagaceae Juss.
Distribution: Western Part of North America from Alaska, Northwest Territories, British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. In US all western states from Dakotas, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas. This subspecies is well separated from the eastern one M. r. subsp. racemosum and can be recognized by shorter flower clusters and shorter leaves which are not clasping the stems.
Ecology: Moist areas in deciduous and mixed forests, in foothills to montane zones, in elevations from 600 m to 1800 m. Blooms from May to July.
Description: Perennial herb, stems 30–120 cm tall, erect to leaning, slightly zigzagged, from thick rhizome. Leaves alternate, 5–12, oval to broadly lanceolate, 5–17 cm long, 4–8 cm wide, conspicuously veined, sessile, clasping. Flowers in an oval to pyramidal panicle, 5–15 cm long, flowers white, numerous, 3–6 mm across, trimerous, stamens 6, pistil 1. Fruit is a berry, red, dotted with purple; seeds 1–2.
Note: Young shoots of this plant are edible and can be cooked like asparagus. The seeds are also edible in small quantities, not to cause gastric distress.
These images were taken in Canada, British Columbia, Fairmont Hot Springs (by Karel Bergmann, May 2012) and Canada, British Columbia, North Thompson River Provincial Park, Clearwater; Yoho NP, Emerald Lake (by Alena Vydrová and Vít Grulich, 16. and 21. 7. 2007).
