Stenanthium

Stenanthium is a North American genus of flowering plants in the tribe Melanthieae of the family Melanthiaceae.

Featherbells is a common name for plants in this genus.[2]

Molecular phylogenetic studies in the 21st century have resulted in number of changes to placements within this tribe.

Three species were removed from the genus to Anticlea and two or three (depending on whether S. leimanthoides is maintained as a separate species) added from Zigadenus sensu lato, the deathcamases.[3] (See also Phylogeny of Melanthieae.) Members of Stenanthium, as currently circumscribed, may also be distinguished from other deathcamases by having a slender cylindrical bulb and the lack of sarcotesta on its brown seeds. They occur in the eastern and south-central United States.[4][3]

Species
Species include:

Stenanthium densum (Desr.) Zomlefer & Judd – Osceola’s plume – southeastern United States from Texas to Virginia
Stenanthium diffusum Wofford – Tennessee
Stenanthium gramineum (Ker Gawl.) Morong – eastern featherbells – eastern + south-central United States from eastern Texas to Florida north to Michigan and Connecticut.[5]
Stenanthium leimanthoides (A.Gray) Zomlefer & Judd – pine barren deathcamas – eastern + south-central United States from eastern Texas to Florida north to New York
Stenanthium macrum Sorrie & Weakley[6] – Gulf Coast, from Texas to Florida