Hymenocallis liriosme (?) and variants
J.E. Shields (Tue, 28 Feb 2006 12:17:29 PST)

Hi Adam, Joe, and all,

The Hymenocallis occidentalis and liriosme plants I have here show one
significant difference:

H. liriosme blooms in spring, the scape emerging with a new flush of leaves
in many cases.

H. occidentalis (a.k.a. caroliniana) blooms in summer, mid July to mid
August. The leaves are by that time old, and may even already be
gone. Gerald Smith has sunk "caroliniana" as a name for
occidentalis. See: Flora of North America, vol. 26, p. 283ff. (2002).

The number of buds on a scape seems to vary from plant to plant. I suspect
that under optimal conditions, there would be a fairly consistent maximum
number; but my conditions vary too much from year to year for me to make
any credible observations.

H. occidentalis is hardy here in central Indiana. I have not tested
liriosme extensively, but I have one clump growing in the ground outside
the south end of my greenhouse. This plant comes up each year, but so far
I have not had flowers on it.

My liriosme often bloom in the greenhouse after a winter of having been
stored pretty dry. They are not trying to bloom yet this year, however.

Jim Shields
in central Indiana (USA)

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