''Tellima grandiflora'', the bigflower tellima or fringecups, is a
herbaceous
Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials.
Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous"
The fourth edition of ...
perennial
In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...
in the family
Saxifragaceae
Saxifragaceae is a family of Herbaceous plant, herbaceous Perennial plant, perennial flowering plants, within the core eudicot Order (biology), order Saxifragales. The Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy of the family has been greatly revised and the ...
. It is the only species in the genus ''Tellima''.
Description
It has rounded stalked leaves mostly growing from the base emerging from a rootstock and bluntly toothed reaching heights of 30 cm.
[Parnell, J. and Curtis, T. 2012. ''Webb's An Irish Flora''. Cork University Press.] It is evergreen in mild winters. Flowers are borne in spring and early summer, on spikes, terminal racemes, up to 60 cm high. The green calyx is 6–8 mm long; the five flower petals are greenish-white to purple, pinnately divided and spreading. The petals are deeply fringed. It has 10 stamens and 2 styles.
Distribution
The plant is a native of moist forests in western North America, from
Alaska
Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
and
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
to
northern California
Northern California (commonly shortened to NorCal) is a geocultural region that comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California, spanning the northernmost 48 of the state's List of counties in California, 58 counties. Northern Ca ...
. It can be a garden escape and become
naturalised
Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-national of a country acquires the nationality of that country after birth. The definition of naturalization by the International Organization for Migration of the ...
in some other areas, ''e.g.''
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
and
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...
. Although it is secure in the western portions of its range, ''Tellima grandiflora'' is listed as vulnerable in Idaho and Montana, and as critically imperiled in Alberta.
Uses
It is widely grown in gardens. Different strains have been developed. It seeds itself freely in suitable climates.
This plant, crushed and made into an
infusion
Infusion is the process of extracting chemical compounds or flavors from plant material in a solvent such as water, oil or alcohol, by allowing the material to remain suspended in the solvent over time (a process often called steeping). An inf ...
, was used by the
Skagit to aid people in sicknesses such as
loss of appetite
Anorexia is a medical term for a loss of appetite. While the term outside of the scientific literature is often used interchangeably with anorexia nervosa, many possible causes exist for a loss of appetite, some of which may be harmless, while o ...
.
Ellagitannin
image:Castalagin.svg, 130px, Castalagin is a representative ellagitannin, characterized by coupled gallic acid substituents
The ellagitannins are a diverse class of hydrolyzable tannins, a type of polyphenol formed primarily from the oxidative link ...
s are chemical compounds that have potential
antiviral
Antiviral drugs are a class of medication used for treating viral infections. Most antivirals target specific viruses, while a broad-spectrum antiviral is effective against a wide range of viruses. Antiviral drugs are a class of antimicrobials ...
activity.
Tellimagrandin II
Tellimagrandin II is the first of the ellagitannins formed from 1,2,3,4,6-pentagalloyl-glucose. It can be found in '' Geum japonicum'' and '' Syzygium aromaticum'' (clove).Purification and Characterization of Eugeniin as an Anti-herpesvirus Compou ...
, the first of the ellagitannins, formed from
pentagalloyl glucose
Pentagalloylglucose, or more specifically 1,2,3,4,6-penta-''O''-galloyl-β-D-glucose, is the pentagallic acid ester of glucose. It is a gallotannin and the precursor of ellagitannins.
Pentagalloylglucose can precipitate proteins, including human ...
, is
laccase
Laccases () are multicopper oxidases found in plants, fungi, and bacteria. Laccases oxidize a variety of phenolic substrates, performing one-electron oxidations, leading to crosslinking. For example, laccases play a role in the formation of li ...
-catalyzed dimerised to
cornusiin E in ''T. grandiflora''.
References
External links
*
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q13390019, from2=Q847750
Saxifragaceae
Monotypic Saxifragaceae genera
Flora of Alaska
Flora of the Aleutian Islands
Flora of British Columbia
Flora of California
Flora of Idaho
Flora of Montana
Flora of Oregon
Flora of Washington (state)
Plants described in 1813