Dichelostemma volubile
Jane McGary (Sat, 11 Feb 2006 16:29:01 PST)

Jim McK asked,

First, it should indeed be in a deep pot, because like others of the
Brodiaea alliance, the deeper the bulb gets, the bigger the inflorescence
(in general).

The twining is done by the long scape (flower stem), which is stout and
bare of leaves. It will corkscrew around anything it touches, including
other Dichelostemma stems. It can get almost a meter long but mine here are
usually about 50 cm. If there is nothing nearby to twine on, it will flower
on a shorter stem.

A curious thing about this plant is that by the time it flowers, the scape
is essentially separated from the bulb and can actually fall over or
otherwise be detached. If the long stem remains attached to the
inflorescence, it will continue to bloom, and set and ripen seed, quite
detached from bulb and soil; apparently there's enough moisture in the
scape to support all this.

Although D. volubile comes from some dry summer areas, it usually grows
where there is some moisture in the soil, such as on north slopes, near
seeps, and so on. This should make it adaptable to summer-rain climates.

Jane McGary
Northwestern Oregon, USA