Scoliopus bigelovii
(Fetid Adder's Tongue)

Other pictures of this plant:


               Seedpod                                           Leaf                                            Stem                                        Seed                                          Habit

Facts About this Plant:

    Common Names: Fetid Adder's Tongue, California Fetid Adder's Tongue, Bigelow's Adder's Tongue, Slinkpod, Brownies
    Lifespan: Perennial
    Zones: 6 - 9
    Type: Forb
    Bloom Time: January - March
    Status: Native
    Range:

Scoliopus bigelovii, or Fetid Adder's Tongue, is native only to the California coastal counties, as well as one county in Oregon. It grows in moist shady woods, especially redwoods. It blooms in very early spring, and after pollination, the flower curiously buries itself in the ground, where the seed pods open.

This is a very unique plant, and there is not much like it. There is one other species, Scoliopus hallii, but it is much less showy and is found only in Oregon. White it has a solid colored flower, Scoliopus bigelovii has brown striped flowers.

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