Sessile-leaf Bellwort (Uvularia sessilifolia): yellow Minnesota wildflowers

Sessile-leaf Bellwort

Plant Info
Also known as:	Sessile-leaved Bellwort, Straw Lily, Wild Oats
Scientific name:	Uvularia sessilifolia
Family:	Lily (Liliaceae)
Life cycle:	perennial
Origin:	native
Habitat:	part sun; woods, thickets
Bloom season:	spring
Plant height:	4 to 12 inches
Spotted in Ramsey County at:	Long Lake Regional Park Vadnais/Snail Lake Regional Park

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Flower:: Flower is about 1 inch long and hangs down on a slender stem. There are 6 pale yellow or cream colored petals that curve out slightly at the tip end. The petals are not fused, as most bell-shaped flowers are. A plant usually has a single flower, but occasionally has 2.
Leaves and stem:: Leaves look grass-like, up to 3 inches long and 1 inch wide, tapering to a point at both ends, with no leaf stem. The edges are smooth and there are distinct parallel veins that are easily seen on the underside of the leaf. The main stem forks into 2 branches near the top of the plant, with a few leaves on each branch. The main stem is sheathed (see photo below) on the lower 1/3 of the plant.
Notes:: It's easy to miss seeing the flower because it's a short plant and the flower may be hidden under the leaves. Large-flowered Bellwort also grows in the same habit at the same time of year, but has brighter yellow flowers with twisted petals, and leaves that surround the stem.

More yellow wildflowers. Photos taken at Vadnais/Snail Lake Regional Park (Sucker Lake), Shoreview, MN May 2008

Have you seen this plant in Ramsey County, or have any other comments about it?