Ipheion sellowianum, now called Nothoscordum felliponei (hope I spelled it right) has deep yellow scented crocus-like flowers and almost prostrate thready leaves. They are in bloom now. Leucojum roseum is very tiny and delightful with pink glistening flowers. This Leucojum is so small it has to be grown in a pot or trough. There are many oxalis from South Africa that do not increase rapidly - unfortunately I don't list them because of this! The many colors of O. obtusa would look wonderful in a trough, and could be planted in a pot or mesh bag for those who would worry about them increasing too much. Biarum davisii and B. marmarisense have tiny hooded inflorescenses that sit on the surface of the soil. The leaves are very attractive and also hug the soil surface. Ambrosina bassii has a slipper-like inflorescence and extremely attractive neat foliage. Allium falcifolium, A. cratericola and A. obtusum are all California native alliums that are very small in stature but with large attractive flowers and neat foliage. Brodiaea terrestris and B. minor are both ground-hugging brodiaeas with large attractive blue flowers. There are dwarf forms of many California natives, such as Fritillaria atropurpurea - I have one that grows only three inches with the normal large flower. Another is F. affinis var. tristulis, with stems only a few inches tall but large dark flowers. I also grow a dwarf form of Dichelostemma capitatum with two inch stems that would look wonderful in a trough. It does not offset. Diana Telos ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jane McGary" <janemcgary@earthlink.net> To: "Pacific Bulb Society" <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> Sent: Friday, February 13, 2004 11:40 AM Subject: [pbs] Tiny bulbs > I'm working on an article on bulbs small enough to be suitable for > cultivation in troughs (the concrete-like basins often used for the > cultivation of alpines and small xeric plants). The main criteria are : (1) > short stems; (2) slow to moderate rate of increase; (3) attractive flowers; > and (4), most important, low-lying or sparse foliage that will not look > messy as the bulbs mature. There are many well-known bulbous genera that > have little-known miniature members (e.g., Colchicum, Narcissus). Can forum > members suggest some of their favorites that would be suitable? I > particularly need information on genera I don't grow myself, such as > Australian and South African ones. > > Thanks in advance, > Jane McGary > Editor, NARGS Rock Garden Quarterly > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php