On 13 Apr 07, at 20:02, Mary Sue Ittner wrote: [lament about the many names for Ipheion/Beauverdia/Tristagma/ Nothoscordum sellowianum/-a/bivalve/etc.] > This is all so confusing for those of us wanting to grow these > plants, obtain them, or share them. It's like the mess with Spanish Narcissus (esp. the bulbocodium clan), but at the generic level rather than the specific. It's clear that the botany of these South American bulbs is in a state of total disarray. Until somebody somewhere can devote considerable resources to their investigation, we're doomed to amuse ourselves with the plethora of available names. I'm not holding my breath for a resolution of this mess anytime very soon. And even with adequate resources, there may be no firm conclusion possible. The Spanish Narcissus are a problem because the genus is clearly in a state of active evolution on the Iberian Peninsula and hasn't settled down to a fixed number of clearly distinguishable species. I have wondered if something similar is happening in Argentina with the Ipheion/Tristagma/Nothoscordum complex. Sigh. Anyone need a big box of Kleenex to soak up their tears over this mess? -- Rodger Whitlock Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Maritime Zone 8, a cool Mediterranean climate on beautiful Vancouver Island