Nothoscordum bivalve (L.) Britt.

False Garlic, Grace-Garlics

(synonyms: Allium bivalve, Ornithogalum bivalve

Nothoscordum_bivalve

Higher Taxa

Class
Monocotyledonae (Liliopsida)
- Sub-Class
- Liliidae
  - Order
  - Liliales
    - Family
    - Liliaceae
      - Genus
      - Nothoscordum

Description

"Similar to garlic and onion in appearance, but not odorous. Perianth white, greenish, or yellow; flowers in a two-bracted umbel. Leaf blades linear and basal." (Hausman, 1947)
This species was first described by Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) and named Ornithogalum bivalve, in his work Species Plantarum.
"Plant without an alliaceous odor. Bulb with a membranous coat. Stems 1.5-4.5 dm tall. Leaves not, or only slightly, glaucous, flat blades 1-4 dm long, 2-4 mm wide, sheath 1-5 cm long. Spathe of 2 acuminate bracts, 1.5-2 cm long; pedicels 2-6 cm long. Perianth white, often green or purplish along the midrib on the lower side, campanulate, 1-1.5 cm long. Stamens and pistil about 2/3 as long as the perianth. Capsule obovoid, 4-6 mm long. Seeds finely pebbled, 2-3 mm long. Mid March-mid May and Sept.-oct; May-June and Oct.-nov. Roadsides, pastures, around granite outcrops and in this woodlands, common."
Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas includes a key containing this species under the synonym Allium bivalve Radford, Ahles and Bell, 1968.

Geography

Nothoscordum bivalve L.
AREA	STATUS	REFERENCES
North America: Continental United States; Canada	Yes	Shetler and Skog, 1978
Eastern North America: United States east of Mississippi; Ontario and eastern Canada	Yes	Shetler and Skog, 1978
Southeastern United States: AL AR DE DC FL GA KY MD NC SC TN VA WV	Yes	Shetler and Skog, 1978
Southern Appalachian States: AL GA KY MD NC SC TN VA WV	Yes	Shetler and Skog, 1978

Coastal Plain	Common	Radford, Ahles & Bell, 1968
Piedmont	Yes	Radford, Ahles & Bell, 1968; Mellinger, 1984
Blue Ridge Mountains	Yes	Wofford, 1989
Great Smoky Mountains National Park	?	-
Ridge and Valley	?	-
Cumberland Plateau	Yes	Shetler and Skog, 1978
Central Arch	Yes	Shetler and Skog, 1978

Georgia	Yes	Mellinger, 1984
Clarke County, Georgia	Yes	Jones and Coile
Sams Farm	?	-
Old Field	?	-
Wetland	?	-
Woods	?	-
1-Hectare Plot	?	-

Natural History

Nothoscordum bivalve is a perennial herb which blooms March through July, this can vary depending on where the plant is (ie Georgian plants will probably bloom at different times than Canadian plants). Distribution in the U.S. is pretty much the entire Eastern United States, then VA to FL westward to Texas and Mexico. (Hausman, 1947)(Shetler and Skog, 1978).
During Spring and Autumn, vegetative growth and "production of bulblets and seeds" occurs. Neither roots nor shoots are present for much of the summer. Both roots and shoots lie below the soil surface during the winter. And seed germination occurs in early spring. However, the "predominate method of reproduction in by bulblets." (Baskin and Baskin, 1979).

Follow these links for more pictures of Nothoscordum bivalve.
http://www.heritage.state.ar.us/nhc/bakerprairie/spring.html
http://www.isc.tamu.edu/FLORA/LCP/LCP19.JPG
http://www.bulbsociety.com/GALLERY_OF_THE_WORLD%27S_BULBS/GRAPHICS/Nothoscordum/Nothoscordum_bivalve/Nothoscordumbivalve2.jpg
http://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/fa08/fa08044.jpg

How To Encounter

This plant "occurs in fields, lawns, roadsides, and pastures." (Porcher, 1995).
This plant can easily be found in the spring while blooming at the Rock and Shoals Outcrop Natural Area in Clarke County, Georgia. Please contact Georgia Natural Heritage Program before visiting this site (706-557-3032, ).

References