Montane, subalpine. Woodlands. Spring, summer.
Lower Stoner Mesa Trail, May 26, 2004.

These dainty plants have fringed flowers, large leaves on arched stems, and enjoy moist, shady Aspen and coniferous woods.  Fruits are bright orange and red.  The plant is often buried in other greenery and overlooked.

David Don (1799-1841) named this genus in 1839, and Sereno Watson named this species Prosartes trachcarpa in 1871 from specimens he collected in Utah in 1871.  The Disporum trachycarpum name was given by Bentham and Hooker in 1883.

"Prosartes", Greek, means "fastened" and refers to the manner in which the fruit parts are attached.  "Trachycarpum" is also Greek and means "rough fruit".

Fairybells were first collected by John Richardson in the 1820s in Canada.

Montane, subalpine. Woodlands. Spring, summer.
Fish Creek Trail,  May 21, 2006.

Montane, subalpine. Woodlands. Spring, summer.
Cimarron Trail, Uncompahgre Wilderness,  May 22, 2004.

Subalpine. Woodlands, streamsides. Spring, summer.
Sharkstooth Trail, July 14, 2006.

Twistedstalk thrives in moist areas near streams and seeps, where it is commonly two or three feet tall; in dry areas it is only a foot tall.  Twistedstalk is an airy, arching, surprising plant.  Hidden under the leaves are small, delicate bell flowers followed by drooping fruits.

A close look shows the reason for the "Streptopus" ("twisted foot") name: each flower hangs from a kinked (twisted) stalk.

Andre Michaux named the Streptopus genus.  Linnaeus named this species Uvularia amplexifolia in 1753 and Alphonse de Candolle renamed it Streptopus amplexifolius in 1805.  Weber believes that Streptopus fassettii is a species distinct from Streptopus amplexifolius.  Love and Love named the plant Streptopus fassettii, honoring Norman Fassett, University of Wisconsin Professor of Botany who proposed a reorganization of this genus.  (More biographical information.)

Easterners mistake Streptopus fassettii for Solomon’s Seal; it can also be confused with Maianthemum amplexicaule, Maianthemum stellatum, and Prosartes trachycarpum (at the top of this page).

Subalpine. Woodlands, streamsides. Spring, summer.
Sharkstooth Trail, July 14, 2006.

The twisted foot, the "twisted stalk", of Streptopus fassettii can be seen suspending the flower below the leaf.

Subalpine. Woodlands, streamsides. Spring, summer.
Sharkstooth Trail, July 14, 2006.

The twisted foot, the "twisted stalk", of Streptopus fassettii can be seen suspending the flower below the leaf.

Subalpine. Woodlands, streamsides. Spring, summer.
Lizard Head Trail, August 7, 2006.

Subalpine. Woodlands, streamsides. Spring, summer.
Little Taylor Creek Trail, August 20, 2007.

In late summer, following the delicate flowers, berries change from green to orange to red.  Notice the characteristic manner in which the stems arch and lean.  And, of course, as you can see in the bottom picture, the fruit stem has that same most unusual kink in it.