Lilies of the Valley, Convallaria majal, FALSE Lilies or the Valley, Maianthemum-False, and False Solomon's Seals

Convallaria majal is commonly known as the Lily of the Valley, is a sweetly scented (and highly poisonous) woodland flowering plant that is native throughout the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere in Asia, Europe and in the southern Appalachian Mountains in the United States of the Americas. There is, however, some debate as to the native status of the North American variety. It is possibly the only species in the genus Convallaria (or one of two or three, if C. keiskei and C. transcaucasica are recognised as separate species).

Caution is advised when eating False Lily of the Valley (as is true of most berries) eating too many can cause severe diarrhoea.

The berries of the FALSE Lily of the valley species that I mention here are considered edible but are bitter tasting and not very palatable; but remember, SURVIVAL is not about likes or dislikes. The genus name is derived from the Latin word for May, referring to the flowering time of these plants. The fruit of Maianthemum species is a true berry.

Fruit: Berries are pea- sized, hard ad green at first, then red when ripe.

Season: Flowers May to June. Fruit ripens July through September.

Description: Herbaceous creeping perennial, arising from rhizomes and usually forming large colonies. Leaves heart shaped, alternating with prominent parallel veins. Flowers small, white, with 4 petals borne in distinct clusters, blooming early spring. Fruit borne at the top of stems in clusters Found in moist clearings

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 NOTE: the stem less leaves of this Maianthemum canadense plant.

Wild FALSE Lilly of the Valley, Maianthemum canadense, is a smaller plant with stalk less leaves The berries are, at first, cream coloured  with red speckles, then pink, with red flecks, finally ripening to soled red. This plant is found in MOIST Eastern British Columbia forests. Also called: Canada Mayflower.

 NOTE:the stemmed leaves of this Maianthemum dilatatum plant.

False Lily of the Valley, Maianthemum dilatatum, is the larger plant, with normally, two leaves near the top and one near the base (the leaves are stalked). Unripe berries are hard and green, turning mottled brown, then soft and red, when ripe.This plant, occurs in swampy areas and shady, moist wilds in coastal British Columbia, with a limited range in the East-Central part of the province. Also called: Two-leafed Solomon’s Seal or Snake Berries.

Many groups in British Columbia CANADA ate false Lily of the Valley, but it was rarely highly regarded as a staple food. The berries were usually only eaten by children, or by hunters, and berry pickers ont in search of other berries. However, it is claimed that the former Haida peoples once used the berries to a great extent. Apparently, they ate the berries fresh and also picked them when unripe and stored them until they were red and soft  
False Solomon's Seal, Maianthemum racemosum, grows in clumps from a fleshy root stock. The berries are first green with copper coloured spots. Also called: Feathery False Lily of the Valley.
Star Flowered, False Solomon's Seal, differentiated from Maianthemum by being smaller, with fewer flowers and leaves, and a LOT fewer,  but larger, berries. Also called Starry False Lily of the Valley

Lily of the Valley Phenomenon: The odour of lily of the valley, specifically the ligand bourgeonal, attracts mammal sperm in a dramatic manner. The 2003 discovery of this phenomenon prompted a new wave of research into odour reception, but no evidence was found that the female sex organ has similar odours of any kind.

A 2012 study demonstrated instead that at high concentrations, bourgeonal imitated the role of progesterone in stimulating sperm to swim (chemotaxis), a process unrelated to odour reception.


© Al (Alex, Alexander) D. Girvan. All rights reserved.