Like Mark McDonough, I was wondering about the Themidaceae. Is it to include some South American genera too? There is (or was when my reference book was written) at least one actual Brodiaea in Chile (B. porrifolia), along with Leucocoryne, Fortunatia (which has a raceme, not an umbel), and some others that may be closer to Allium, such as Tristagma. And where does Nothoscordum end up (other than in the garden where we wish it were not)? Jane McGary Northwestern Oregon At 11:16 PM 5/26/2003 -0400, you wrote: >This genus [Dichelostemma] has been >considered to be a part of many different families including Alliaceae. In >The Jepson Manual (1993) it was classified in Liliaceae. Recent work is now >placing it in a new family, Themidaceae, which includes other California >genera (Androstephium, Bloomeria, Brodiaea, Muilla, and Triteleia.) > >Can somebody cite a definitive technical paper that defines the boundaries of >Themidaceae. I'm aware of the existance of this new family, particularly in >regard to pulling Triteleia and Brodiaea out of Alliaceae, but this is the >first I've heard that Muilla is also swallowed up by Themidaceae. What >are the >defining characteristics that separate the Themidaceae from Alliaceae? I need >to be convinced, because the evidence I've evaluated thus far seems less than >convincing (regarding the very existance of Themidaceae). Regarding Muilla, >this is an anagram of Allium (of which there are several) to describe a >closely >allied genus (Muilla is Allium backwards). So it's ironic indeed, that such >an ally is moved out of Alliaceae, don't you think? > >Mark McDonough Pepperell, Massachusetts, United States >antennaria@aol.com "New England" USDA Zone 5 >============================================== > >> web site under construction - http://www.plantbuzz.com/ << > alliums, bulbs, penstemons, hardy hibiscus, western > american alpines, iris, plants of all types! >_______________________________________________ >pbs mailing list >pbs@lists.ibiblio.org >http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php