Lycoris folks: Has anyone else noticed that there seems to be virtually no difference between L. straminea, L. x houdyshellii, and L. elsiae. We have large plots of many different clones of each and they are virtually identical in all characteristics. In the key, L. x houdyshellii differs from L. straminea in having a red style tip. In a large population, we don't find this characteristic to consistently hold. Our L. straminea came from both Jim Waddick and from some of Sam Caldwell's collection. Our L. x houdyshelli is from Waddick and from Chen Yi as L. shaanxiensis, and our L. elsiae is from heirloom Texas plants. In Mark Roh's, Identification and Classification of the Genus Lycoris Using Molecular Markers, these three all clustered together, with L. straminea and L. x houdyshellii being particularly close. I'd love to hear thoughts from anyone who has grown these. Tony Avent Plant Delights Nursery @ Juniper Level Botanic Garden 9241 Sauls Road Raleigh, North Carolina 27603 USA Minimum Winter Temps 0-5 F Maximum Summer Temps 95-105F USDA Hardiness Zone 7b email tony@plantdelights.com website http://www.plantdelights.com/ phone 919 772-4794 fax 919 772-4752 "I consider every plant hardy until I have killed it myself...at least three times" - Avent