2. Shortia Torrey & A. Gray, Amer. J. Sci. Arts. 42: 48. 1842.
Oconee bells, little coltsfoot [For Charles Wilkens Short, 1794-1863, Kentucky botanist]
Guy L. Nesom
Herbs, colonial, scapose, rhizomatous; rhizome slender, scale-leaved, lignescent. Stems erect, unbranched. Leaves basal, rosulate from rhizome buds, 30-80 mm; petiole present; blade orbiculate to elliptic-orbiculate, ovate-oblong, or ovate, margins coarsely crenate-serrate, apex emarginate to truncate, surfaces glabrous, pinnately veined. Scapes bracteate, elongating after flowering. Inflorescences solitary flowers. Flowers: sepals distinct; petals connate in proximal 1/4-1/2, corolla campanulate to funnelform, 15-25 mm, lobes white to rose-purple, margins obtusely toothed to laciniate or fringed; anthers 2-locular, without basal spurs, longitudinally dehiscent; filaments adnate to corolla tube; staminodes present. x = 6.
Species 6 (1 in the flora): se United States, e Asia.
The Asian species of Shortia occur in Japan (three endemic), Taiwan and the Ryukyus (one endemic), and Yunnan Province, China (one endemic).
SELECTED REFERENCES Barnes, P. G. 1990. A summary of the genus Shortia. Plantsman 12: 23-34. Davies, P. A. 1952. Geographical variation in Shortia galacifolia. Rhodora 54: 121-124. Davies, P. A. 1955. Distribution and abundance of Shortia galacifolia. Rhodora 57: 189-201. Hatley, J. R. 1977. An Analysis of Variation in Shortia galacifolia. M.S. thesis. North Carolina State University. Vivian, V. E. 1967. Shortia galacifolia, its life history and microclimate requirements. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 94: 369-387.
