Jane, No South American Themidaceae. Strictly Southwestern and Western U.S. and Mexican. There is no true Brodiaea in Chile. All the Chilean onions are still onions. Alan ----------------------------- Alan W. Meerow, Ph.D., Research Geneticist, Systematist and Curator USDA-ARS-SHRS, National Germplasm Repository 13601 Old Cutler Road, Miami, FL 33158 USA voice: (305) 254-3635 fax: (305) 969-6410 email: miaam@ars-grin.gov WWW page: http://ars-grin.gov/ars/SoAtlantic/… ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jane McGary" <janemcgary@earthlink.net> To: "Pacific Bulb Society" <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> Sent: Tuesday, May 27, 2003 12:41 PM Subject: Re: [pbs] Dichelostemma--TOW > 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 > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php >