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Rich Stevenson | all galleries >> Southern Appalachian Wildflowers >> Trilliums > 4 leaf Painted Trillium 1
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5-25-05

4 leaf Painted Trillium 1

I found this painted trillium today on the way up to Devil's Courthouse on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It has 4 leaves, sepals and petals! Not sure how rare these are, but it's the 1st I have seen - and there were 2 of them in the area.


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LCV 18-May-2013 20:03
We just found two at our cabin land in the forest in western NY. We also saw one in 2010 and in 2003. Yes, rare, and on the same land.
anne o'nemus 09-Jun-2009 00:51
Pretty unusual - I've yet to see one myself - but not exactly unheard-of. Here's a report on "monstrosities" in trillium from 1916:

h t t p s ://kb.osu.edu/dspace/bitstream/1811/1919/1/V17N01_016.pdf

And here are some photos from New England taken in the last few weeks:

h ttp ://inlinethumb57.webshots.com/41976/2670706640099656796S600x600Q85.jpg

h ttp ://inlinethumb50.webshots.com/13297/2147395080099656796S600x600Q85.jpg

h ttp ://farm4.static.flickr.com/3603/3582271373_c5633330b8_o.jpg

Rich Stevenson07-Aug-2006 17:31
Thanks for adding that, Matt. Not really sure. A friend of mine contacted some experts who said the phenom wasn't necessarily rare, but probably just a freak of that year. The true test might be to go back and see if there are more in the same location the next year. I didn't get a chance to go back there this past year - maybe next year.
Matt Perry 07-Aug-2006 15:35
August 2006 hiking on the Colbert Ridge Trail and Black Mountain Crest trail up to Mt. Mitchell, I saw several 4 leaf painted trillium (leaves and bright red berry/seed pod).
Maybe it's specific to the painted trillium?