Ipheion 'Rolf Fiedler'
Antennaria@aol.com (Mon, 01 Dec 2003 20:02:23 PST)

Regarding the ongoing discussion of Ipheion vs. Tristagma. I'll be as free
with my opinion as others. Regarding the yellow species, sometimes referred to
as Ipheion, I have been long since convinced that they are more appropriate
under Nothoscordum, following Thad Howard's impression of the genus. I grow
most of the yellow species, and while the assertion seems probable, I often
wonder about the relationship between the multi-flowered species, such as N.
montevidense, ostenii, minarum, versus the much larger single-flowered species which
seem rather different, such as felipponei, hirtellum, and dialystemon
(felipponei in flower as I write). The latter group of yellow species seems very
different than the first group of yellow species.

Wow! All subtlety aside and sarcasm running amuck. I haven't experienced
such a definitive consensus. What amazes me, even in more recent publications,
more recent than 1963, is the waivering of S. American taxononomic status, not
only among species, but to which of the many genera they are ascribed to.
Almost all of the "yellow Ipheions" have been ascribed to 4 or more genera, which I
find dazzling and indicative of a taxonomic mess.

Back in the 1980s I saw Tristagma nivale in bloom, and to consider this the
same as most "so-called" Ipheions is a great stretch. Of course, there will
DNA studies on these that'll prove without a shadow of doubt that they are all
actually Compositae ;-) (now, that's a bit of sarcasm).

Demonstrating the number of "hits" on a google search is rather meaningless,
because you'll find just as many hits under whatever genus name you want to
search under. Google searches are not a measure of what taxonomic opinion is
valid, albeit, they are interesting.

Citing Traub as "definitive" carries a certain amount of risk and skepticism.
Traub is rather famous (notorious, or infamous is more like it) for being a
consummate splitter (even among splitters), as well as being self-motivated to
name as many species and taxonomic revisions to his claim as possible. As a
student of the genus Allium myself, I do know that Traub is responsible for
identifying quite a number of Mexican Allium, which still stand to this day.
But then again, I look towards consensus, and have heard sufficient consensus on
this group within Allium to carry forward (and judging from my own experience
growing 5 species out of 15-16 Mexican species with which to gauge)... yet
with other groups of plants, the status is much more muddied and much more
contentious.

Ah, but that's half the trick right there. What constitutes "all the
correctly recognized species in this genus [Ipheion] are now Tristagma" is an
undefined variable and therefore rather meaningless. I'm still waiting for a
definitive enumeration of the South American bulbous genera, which seem to freely
float between various genera like fruit flies hovering between various types of
rotting fruit. One cannot be as certain as has been proposed.

Mark McDonough Pepperell, Massachusetts, United States
antennaria@aol.com "New England" USDA Zone 5
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