Trout-Lily Stolon
Now that trees have leafed out, shaded spring ephemerals have flowered and disappeared, their bright blossoms mere memories. However, signs of their presence still remain, including Trout Lily’s efforts to reproduce vegetatively. Congratulations to Sara Hand who was the first NC reader to correctly identify Friday’s Mystery Photo’s subject — a “dropper” or stolon (tubular, fleshy stem) growing from the underground bulb of a young Trout-Lily plant, which most likely bore one leaf and no flower. The tip of the stolon eventually grows back into the soil, where it produces a new bulblet. The stem connecting the two bulbs then dies. Each new bulblet repeats the process in subsequent years resulting in colonies of clonal sister plants which are genetically identical. (Spring Wildflowers of the Northeast, by Carol Gracie)
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