Trillium at Montezuma Bluffs Wildlife Management Area, Macon County, Georgia — 2016-03-12

I had been wanting to see and photograph Trillium reliquum or Relict Trillium for a few years but had not had the right opportunity, so when I located a site for them on the internet, Montezuma Bluffs WMA, I talked my two Atlanta, Georgia friends, Alan Cressler and Steve Bowling into meeting me at the bluffs for a field trip. Since I had never been there before and the two of them had, I figured we would have a successful day.

Relict Trillium also known as Confederate Trillium got this common name because it is a relict species, meaning there are a few remaining populations of a species that was once more abundant when conditions were different.

According to Gulf South Research Corporation, Relict Trillium is a federally protected species reported from the Fall Line of Alabama (21 populations), Georgia (14 populations), and South Carolina (3) populations. These populations range from as few as 20 plants to more than several thousand plants. I would guess that the site we visited in central Georgia was one that contains several hundred to a thousand plants.

The Gulf South Research Corporation’s webpage offers the following as a way to distinguish this species from other similar species: Relict trillium is distinguished from Trillium decumbens or Trailing Trillium the only other trillium species having decumbent stems, by its glabrous rather than puberulent scapes. Also, the anther sacs are introrse in the former species, extrorse in the latter. Bracts (another name for the leaf-like structures) of both T. underwoodii or Longbract Wakerobin and Trillium decipiens or Chattahoochee River Wakerobin resemble those of Relict Trillium in their mottled leave pattern. All species exhibit multiple shades of green and a pale mid-rib stripe. The bract shape in Relict Trillium, however, is elliptic with a convex outline from the middle to the apex. In the other two species, the bract shape is narrowly ovate with straight sides from the middle to the sharply acute apex. Curved, more or less decumbent stems vs. straight, erect stems also aid in distinguishing Relict Trillium from the other two more widespread similar-appearing species in the Southeast.

Here is an image of one of the typical Relict Trillium plants we saw at Montezuma Bluffs:

Relict Trillium

Purple sepals, mottled bracts (leaves), and reddish-brown petals. Although this is what a typical one looks like, there is a wide variety in petal color at this site. I did manage to find one with yellow petals, although the base of the petals is brownish-purple:

The plants were scattered all about, and I did not see any large clumps or drifts. Here are some addition images of this Trillium that show some of the color variation that is common to this species:

Although they appear to be at about ground level, it is because the stem is rather lax. They are not at ground level as are Trillium decumbens or Trailing Trillium.

Although Relict Trillium was my primary reason for picking out this spot, we did manage to see additional wildflower species. One of these was another Trillium species called Trillium maculatum or Spotted Wakerobin. This one is a rather common, coastal plain species and is found widely scattered in South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida.

Trillium maculatum is a relatively large Trillium species with a straight supporting stem which can be as tall as 12 inches (30 cm). The petals are long, narrow, and straight. The petal color is usually blood-red. Here are three examples of the typical Trillium maculatum we saw:

Having seen numerous clumps of Hepatica americana or Round-lobed Hepatica that were not in bloom, I was looking for one with flowers. Toward the end of our visit, I did find one with tiny purple and white flowers. These flowers were only about 1/2 inch (12 mm) wide — much smaller that what is typical for this species:

Here is what the leaves look like:

The trip to Georgia was not without some excitement, though. While Alan was wandering around looking for plants to photograph, he almost stumbled over this wonderful creature. Had it not been for the buzzing sound of its rattle, it might have been very, very interesting:

This is a Crotalus horridus or Timber Rattlesnake. It was one of the largest I have ever seen, but was quite well-behaved while we took turns taking its picture. It only struck at us once when we were brushing away leaves and twigs to get a better photograph. The entire time, it was buzzing its rattle which is on the tip of its tail. Alan recorded the sound in a video on his iPhone, and I fully expect to be startled by it next time I’m busy photographing some wildflower. 😉

One beautiful plant that was in abundance at the site was Aesculus pavia or Red Buckeye. It is a shrub, sometimes becoming a small tree, but generally stays along the coastal plain. We have other Buckeye species in the Southeast, but this one, with its scarlet flowers, is hard to miss:

The palmately compound leaves are very pretty:

I find it rather funny that the Buckeye leaf is often mistaken for a Marijuana leaf. They are similar in shape, and from a distance, I can see how the mistake can be made. The Ohio State football team uses the name “Ohio Buckeyes” as their nickname. A round white decal, about the size of a quarter, with a green depiction of a Buckeye leaf is applied to Ohio State football helmets for big plays and consistency on the field. This tradition started in 1967 when Woody Hayes and longtime trainer Ernie Biggs changed the look of the Ohio State uniforms. Many of the sports at Ohio State incorporate Buckeye Leaves into their equipment and uniforms.

And there is the story of a Tennessee police officer who pulled a 65-year-old woman over to question her about the Buckeyes sticker on her back bumper. I’m sure that was an interesting conversation…

While I was busy with the Buckeyes, Alan and Steve wandered off to another part of the park. It was beginning to get dark, so I decided to walk on back to the car. When I arrived at the parking lot, I noticed a group of Gelsemium sempervirens or Yellow Jessamine or Carolina Jessamine vines twining around a small pine tree. The bright yellow flowers were at eye level, and they begged to be photographed:

This is a sweetly fragrant flower and is also the state flower for South Carolina. It is a sure sign of spring in the Southeast.

It was so peaceful and quiet that I decided to just lie on the grass while waiting for the guys to return. Here is what I saw from my vantage point in the grassy meadow:

Although not a real sunset image, I’m sure there was a real sunset behind those gathering clouds.

I’m always happy to go out into the field with Alan and Steve — they both are treasures of botanic knowledge as well as walking field guides. I’m lucky to know both of them. When I need an identification of a particular plant, I can always count on them to come through with the correct name.

The trip back home was long, and I was tired when I finally got here around midnight — just in time to change the clocks for Daylight Saving Time. But… I was smiling the entire way home. We had a great time, and I was able to photograph a new Trillium species. Can’t beat that!

–Jim