Jane McGary <janemcgary@earthlink.net> wrote: >The alliums are starting to flower, including >the western species. The brightest one in >the bulb frames, and new to me, is Allium >scorzonerifolium ssp. xericense. I bought it >as a bulb from Monocot Nursery last year. Back in the early 1980s when I lived in near Seattle, Washington (Pacific Northwestern USA, for those who live in other parts of the world), I obtained bulbs of this fine Allium species (the species is from Spain and Portugal). I'm drawing a blank regarding where I got it, I need to check my old records, but I do believe it came misidentified and I keyed it out (there are relatively few yellow-flowered Allium species). It is a refined bright yellow-flowered plant. It might have come from Mike Salmon in England... I've been buying seed from his list over the past 20 years. After verifying the identity of the plants, I shared plants with my Seattle area friend and allium afficionado; Jerry Flintoff. When I moved back to northeastern USA, I failed with my attempts to grow this plant. However, the type species; A. scrozonerifolium ssp. scorzonerifolium, was perfectly hardy here and bloomed for over the past decade and more. The type species is rather different, in that it has bulbils in the inflorescence (var. xericense has no bulbils, it's a totally floriferous form), and accordingly is said to be invasive. In the 12 years or so that I've grown it, I have not found the type species to be invasive, perhaps because it has a low bulbil count, with only a few bulbils per inflorescence and many more showy yellow flowers than bulbils. The type form has smaller, less brilliant yellow fowers, and grayer foliage, and a few rather inconspicuous bulbils. It is shorter, growing only 6-8" tall. I may have lost this species, as the area where it's growing has become overgrown. Jerry Flintoff has shared replacement bulbs of var. xericiense with me at least 4 times in the past, and they just aren't hardy here, and I lose the plants after each winter tried. I'm not going to ask again until I build my pit greenhouse. Jane, if you get enough of this going, you'll have to put it on your list. By the way, bulbs from last year's list; A. membrenaceum and A. hyalinum, are budded up! And yes, Allium scorzonerifolium ssp. xericense is a summer dormant species that dries up after flowering, much like it's kin species A. moly. 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!