Taxonomy
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Clade: Tracheophytes
- Clade: Angiosperms
- Clade: Monocots
- Order: Liliales
- Family: Liliaceae (sometimes placed in Erythroniaceae)
- Genus: Erythronium
- Species: Erythronium taylorii
The species authority and year of description are not universally agreed upon in publicly available taxonomic databases; the name has appeared in several botanical publications concerning the flora of the western United States.
Description
Erythronium taylorii is a perennial herbaceous plant that grows from a small, ellipsoid bulb. Typical of the genus, the plant produces a pair of basal, narrow, lance‑shaped leaves and bears one to a few nodding flowers on a leafless stem. The flowers are generally yellow to pale orange, with six tepals that may be marked with brown or reddish spots, a characteristic feature of many Erythronium species. Detailed morphological measurements (e.g., petal length, bulb size) are not comprehensively documented in readily accessible sources.
Distribution and habitat
The species is reported from a restricted range within the United States, with most records indicating occurrences in California. It is associated with montane woodland or forest habitats, often growing on well‑drained, loamy to sandy soils under partial shade. Exact locality data and the extent of its range remain limited in publicly available literature.
Conservation status
Because Erythronium taylorii is known from a small number of populations, it is potentially vulnerable to habitat loss, invasive species, and other environmental pressures. However, an official conservation assessment (e.g., NatureServe rank or IUCN Red List category) is not widely published; consequently, its precise conservation status is undetermined in major global databases.
Etymology
The specific epithet taylorii presumably honors an individual with the surname Taylor who was associated with the plant's discovery, collection, or botanical study. The identity of this person is not explicitly documented in the primary literature that is currently available.
References
- Original taxonomic description (citation not specified in accessible databases).
- Regional floras and herbarium records mentioning Erythronium taylorii (e.g., California Floristic Province surveys).
- General works on the genus Erythronium (Liliaceae).
Note: Information on Erythronium taylorii is limited; the above entry summarizes the available verified data and acknowledges gaps where details are unavailable or insufficiently documented.