This summer the Maine Natural Areas Program documented the rare
Unicorn Root! About 300 flowering stems were found in a damp field on privately
held land in Bowdoin. This showy plant has not been seen in Maine in over 130
years and was thought to be extirpated. It is known from only three
herbarium specimens, two of which were collected by Maine botanist Kate Furbish
(Wells in 1879, Brunswick in 1874), and the third from near Lewiston in 1887.
Unicorn Root, also known as White Colic-root or Colicroot, ranges
across most of the eastern United States and Ontario, though it is rare in most
of the northeastern states and in Ontario. It grows in open, moist, sandy
ground and is typically associated with tallgrass prairie habitats and damp,
sandy meadows with little to no topsoil.
Unicorn Root has a basal rosette of lance-shaped leaves, and a
single, tall flowering stalk with white flowers that appear in June through
August. The scientific name (Aletris farinosa) is in reference to the
unusual rough, grainy texture of the flowers. The species name (farinosa) means
‘floury’, and the genus name (Aletris) comes from the Greek word for grinding
grain (the Aletris was the servant who ground the grain).
Contact: John Bott, (207) 287-3156, john.c.bott@maine.gov
Unicorn Root [Photo credit: Maine Natural Areas Program]
Unicorn Root in field [Photo credit: Maine Natural Areas Program]
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