Wild Oats, Sissileleaf Bellwort, Uvularia sessilifolia L., Native Minnesota Wildflower plant, Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden

	Plants of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden
	Common Name	Scientific Name	Plant Family	Garden Location	Prime Season
	Wild Oats	Uvularia sessilifolia L.	Lily	Woodland	Spring
Other names and notes	(Sissileleaf Bellwort) One of the two Bellworts in the Garden (the other the Large-flowered Bellwort), this plant has smaller pale yellowish to straw colored bell-shaped, 6-part flowers about one inch long, usually single, and drooping. Stems reach to 12" high and the plant usually does not form large clumps like the Large-flowered Bellwort. Unlike it's larger cousin, the leaves clasp but are not pierced by the stem. Spreads by underground stems. Sessilifolia is Latin, referring to the sessile (unstalked) leaves.

Notes: Eloise Butler recorded planting this species from specimens she brought back to Minneapolis from Winter Pond, Mass. in Sept. 1909. On May 8, 1910 she planted specimens obtained in Osceola, WI. It is considered indigenous to the area of Wirth Park surrounding the Garden. The botanical name at that time was usually Oakesia sessilifolia. It is listed on Martha Crone's 1951 census of Garden plants. Native to most counties of Minnesota from the metro area north except for those in the dryer western part of the state. Also to several counties south of the Metro area that border the Mississippi River.

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References: Plant characteristics are generally from sources 15, 16, 30, 31, 33, W2 & W3. Distribution principally from W2 and also 31, 34 and W1. Planting history generally from 1, 4 & 4a. Other sources by specific reference. See Reference List for details.

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