Dichelostemma volubile

Jim McKenney jimmckenney@starpower.net
Sun, 21 May 2006 12:29:03 PDT
 

The flowering of Dichelostemma volubile here this year was one of the
highlights of the bulb year. This bizarre plant is already well represented
on the wiki, but I've added one more image which shows the above ground
parts of the plant. I apologize for the image - it's frankly grim, but it
does accomplish its purpose. The light has been giving me a fit today; I may
replace this image with a better one later.  Take a look at:

 

http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/…

 

 

The plant which grows here is in a pot near a wall, and the inflorescence
snaked itself very dodder-like up 47 inches into the vines on the house
wall. 

 

When the scape was only about half that height, I accidentally bent it and
at first thought I had severed it. But a tiny bit was still connected, and
having read that even a severed scape will still lengthen and bloom, I
carefully  put it back into position - the plant never missed a beat and
went on to flower. It's still blooming. 

 

When I was a kid I briefly had this plant confused with Bowiea volubilis,
and until very recently did not have a clear idea of just how the
Dichelostemma twined. I expected the entire plant to twine, but it is only
the leafless scape bearing the inflorescence which does so. 

 

Jim McKenney

Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, USDA zone 7, where next week may be the
big week for Calochortus here.  


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