California fetid adderstongue

This herbaceous perennial, one of two species of the Scoliopus genus, grows from a rhizome and a small section of underground stem. The above-ground parts include two large leaves each up to 24 cm × 10 cm (9.4 in × 3.9 in). There are sometimes 3 or 4 leaves. They have several longitudinal veins and are green with darker green or purplish mottling. The inflorescence is actually an umbel of flowers, but the peduncle is mostly underground with 3 to 12 flower-bearing pedicels rising above the surface, appearing separate. The flower has three flat, spreading, pointed oval or lance-shaped sepals and three narrower, linear or fingerlike petals. The sepals are pale or greenish and striped or streaked with dark purple. The flower has a disagreeable scent. The three short stamens are located at the bases of the sepals. The style has three long, often curving branches. The fruit is a capsule. As it matures, the pedicel that bears it twists or droops down to bring it in contact with the substrate. While the maximum lifespan of this species is unknown, there have been reports of mature plants living for at least 20 years in wild populations.

Scoliopus bigelovii is an understory species that grows beneath redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) trees in forests along the California coast. It grows in mossy, moist places, often in shade. Populations are distributed within 50 miles of the Pacific Ocean from the southernmost region of Santa Cruz County to the northernmost region of Humbolt County. It has also been collected in Curry County, Oregon, within 6 miles of the California border. Other associated species include tanoak (Notholithocarpus densiflorus), big leaf maple (Acer macrophylum), California bay laurel (Umbellularia californica), and Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), all of which contribute to the unique micro-habitat in which this plant lives. A study by Hanover, A., & Russell, W. (2018) found that S. bigelovii is especially sensitive to forest management activities such as logging and selective harvesting, citing evidence of population decline in areas that have been disturbed.

Ecology. The flower is pollinated by fungus gnats of the genera Mycetophilla, Sciara, and Corynoptera when in bloom during the months of January and February. Seeds are dispersed in May and June by a variety of ant species, including Formica fusca, Formica rufibaris, and Aphaenogaster subterranea, in a process called myrmecochory.