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Aletris lutea
Yellow Colicroot
Florida native
A common wildflower of moist flatwoods, savannas and ditches most of FLorida except for the big bend area. Yellow colicroot ranges in the southeastern coastal states from Louisiana to Georgia.
The yellow bell-shaped flowers are numerous in a terminal spike from early spring into summer. Plant often grows to over a meter (~3 ft.) tall from a basal rosette of yellowish-green pointed leaves. The stem leaves are greatly reduced. The individual flowers are 9-12 mm (1/3 - 1/2 in.) long, being 2.5 times or more as long as broad, with a mealy, or bumpy, outer surface.
A similar species - A. aurea - shorter and with smaller flowers, is found in the panhandle.
Aletris lutea is a member of the Nartheciaceae - family.
Other species of the Aletris genus in the Wild Florida Photo database:
Aletris bracteata - BRACTED COLICROOT
Aletris obovata - SOUTHERN COLICROOT
Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants (Institute for Systemic Botany) profile for this species
USDA Plant Profile for this species
Date record last modified: Aug 07, 2016
