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Yellow Fairybells, Yellow Mandarin - Disporum lanuginosum


Family: Liliaceae – Lily family Genus Common Name: Fairybells Native Status: Native
Disporum lanuginosum - Yellow Fairybells, Yellow Mandarin. Disporum lanuginosum is a synonym of Prosartes lanuginosa. The five species of the genus Disporum that are in North America have recently been reclassified into a separate genus - Prosartes - and moved into the Liliaceae family out of the Colchicaceae family. I continue to list this species as D. lanuginosum because most publications and websites I find still do so as well.

Yellow Fairybells is an attractive plant growing to 36" tall, with alternating, glossy green entire leaves which are ovate or lanceolate and have prominent parallel veins.
Journal Articles Referencing Fairybells
Distribution of Disporum lanuginosum in the United States and Canada:
USDA Plants Distribution Map
Blue=Native; Grey=Introduced

Map from USDA Plants Database:
USDA, NRCS. 2009. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 08 Sep 2010). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

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Site: The Pocket, Walker County GA Date: 2008-April-13Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
There are usually 2 blossoms at the end of the stem. While the pedical arises from above the stem, they normally dangle below the the leaves. A similar species, Prosartes maculata, has white petals with dark speckles on them.
Disporum lanuginosum
Site: The Pocket, Walker County GA Date: 2009-March-26Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Nikon D60
1/125 f/5.6 ISO100
Tamron SP 90MM f/2.8 AF Macro
90mm (135 equiv) Flash: Yes
The blossom of fairybells has greenish petals and sepals (3 each) which turn more yellow as they mature. The large yellow anthers are prominent on these 3/4-inch blossoms, which grow from the opposing terminal leaves. The other leaves are alternating.
Disporum lanuginosum

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All content except USDA Plants Database map Copyright Gerald C. Williamson 2010
Photographs Copyrighted by the named photographer


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