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Uvularia grandiflora

Uvularia grandiflora (merrybells)

Uvularia grandiflora is a delightful member of the lily family (Liliaceae).  This species can be distinguished from other local members of the genus by its perfoliate leaves--it looks like the stem actually punctures the leaf near its base, which you can see in the photo near the flower (ignore the leaves at the bottom of the photo--they belong to something else).  Merrybells are actually edible--the young shoots can be eaten like asparagus, though it's not a good idea to decimate local populations.  Go wild asparagus hunting instead!

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