Bulbs that flower without leaves--TOW
James Waddick (Sun, 03 Aug 2003 09:00:43 PDT)

Dear Mary Sue;
All Lycoris have foliage FIRST, then bloom on leafless stalks.

When you ask about bulbs that flower first, then produce
foliage or the opposite I assume you mean in a "calendar year", not a
'growing season' which can range from fall to spring in mild winter
areas.

Lycoris definitely wouldn't fit the discussion category and I
don't think Belladonna do either. Maybe there should be two lists
compiled of those that flower first and those with foliage first
based on a calendar year. And do we really concern ourselves with
something like Scadoxus puniceus which blooms and immediately has
foliage- like the next day! Perhaps we should restrict to genera or
even species that have foliage and flowers in two different seasons -
then we'd include Lycoris.
Maybe a broad statement that foliage and flower are not in
evidence at the same time, but have a sequence. In some one follows
immediately or others where there are months between flowers and
foliage. OR....

Catgories:

A. Plants that produce foliage and flowers at different times/ seasons:

1. Foliage produced in a season before flowers ie Lycoris, Colchicum

2. Flowers produced in a season before foliage ie: Gladiolus carmineus

B Flowers and foliage not synchronous, but one follows the next

1. Foliage falls as flower stalk emerges ie: ??

2. Flowers fall as foliage emerge ie: ??

Just a thought. Others?

Best Jim W.
--
Dr. James W. Waddick
8871 NW Brostrom Rd.
Kansas City Missouri 64152-2711
USA
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