What is "uvularia"

Uvularia is a genus of plants in the family Colchicaceae, close to the lily family ( Liliaceae). They are commonly called bellworts, bellflowers or merrybells. The genus name is derived from the Latin ūvula meaning "little grape," likely because of the way the flowers hang downward. For the same reason Uvularia may also refer to the similarly derived palatine uvula, which hangs down from the soft palate in the mouth. This unusual flower is found in April and May, often on wooded slopes or in ravines and it spreads by stolons, or stoloniferous rhizomes.[Nutrient foraging in woodland herbs: a comparison of three species of Uvularia (Liliaceae) with contrasting belowground morphologies http://www.amjbot.org/cgi/content/full/88/6/1071?ck=nck] Dushyantha K. Wijesinghe and Dennis F. Whigham

Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, P.O. Box 28, Edgewater, Maryland 21037 USA The plants are usually 18 to 24 inches (45–60 cm) in height and bear one or two flowers which hang downward from the axils of the leaves.