Uvularia perfoliata

plant

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 14, 2026

Quick Summary

Uvularia perfoliata, commonly known as perfoliate bellwort, is a species of woodland plant native to eastern North America. It belongs to the genus Uvularia, which is part of the Colchicaceae family. These plants are low perennials, typically growing between 6 to 20 inches (15 to 50 cm) tall, with slender, creeping rootstocks.1

The perfoliate bellwort is characterized by its leaves, which appear to be pierced by the stem, a trait known as perfoliate. It produces pale yellow, bell-shaped flowers that droop and bloom from April to June. This species is found from Quebec and Ontario southward to Florida and Mississippi.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

bellwort
…somewhat smaller perfoliate bellwort (U. perfoliata), with more pointed leaves, occurs from Quebec and Ontario south to Florida and Mississippi. In these two species, the leaves appear as if impaled upon the stem (i.e., perfoliate). The other three species of bellworts are much smaller and have sessile leaves.
Read More
…somewhat smaller perfoliate bellwort (U. perfoliata), with more pointed leaves, occurs from Quebec and Ontario south to Florida and Mississippi. In these two species, the leaves appear as if impaled upon the stem (i.e., perfoliate). The other three species of bellworts are much smaller and have sessile leaves.
Read More