Nothoscordum/Ipheion

Mary Sue Ittner msittner@mcn.org
Mon, 05 Aug 2002 07:52:06 PDT
Dear All,

When I was looking for the post to send John, I found that I had summarized 
two articles from Herbertia to give to the people who were getting bulbs 
from Bill in 1999. Since this is relevant to the present discussion I am 
repeating this now even though it will be a bit of duplication for those 
who might be interested.

In the 1986 Herbertia in an article called "Notes on the Cultivation of 
South American Bulbous Plants" Jose Castillo (Alberto) also had pictures 
that are labeled as Ipheions. He states that it is not his intention to 
fuel the taxonomical controversy (although it seems the inclusion of the 
yellow flowered species in Nothoscordum is well founded.) "Cultivation 
includes giving the plants a summer dormancy in deep shade in hot summer 
climates like California and the Gulf States; there they should receive 
light waterings every ten days of so to prevent desiccation." He notes 
under I. sellowianum that "some clones make offsets difficult to separate 
from the mother bulb without danger." Under I. dialystemon he says, "almost 
extinct, this beautiful species offsets easily."

In the 1993 Herbertia there is an article called "A Review of the Genus 
Nothoscordum in Cultivation" written by Thad Howard. He says that it a 
controversy that authorities cannot agree on. They have been Milla, 
Tristagma, Brodiaea, Nothoscordum, Ipheion, and Beauverdia. He prefers to 
put them in Nothoscordum and says in that article that Rosa Guaglianone 
champions them as Ipheion, while Pierefelice Ravenna regards them as 
Nothoscordum. N. dialystemon is described as producing basal offsets and as 
the rarest. To confuse us even more in this article he states that Ipheion 
sellowianum should be Nothoscordum felipponeii. He describes it as having a 
sweet, honey-like scent and large showy lemon-yellow flowers. He states 
that bulbs are never fully dormant, and must maintain live roots even while 
resting in summer. "They increase very slowly by offsets, so propagation is 
principally by seed. Unfortunately, they are self-incompatible and need to 
be pollinated by a different  clone in order to set viable seed." In the 
article he further states that Nothoscordum sellowianum is not the same as 
Ipheion sellowianum and has white flowers. I have summarized this for those 
people who may not have that Herbertia, but the rest of you may want to 
read both articles.

So Mark, since you got yours from Thad does that mean that the N. 
sellowianum you grow is white?

Mary Sue




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