Sternbergia
Jane McGary (Sat, 13 Oct 2018 10:42:18 PDT)

The fall Sternbergia species (there are spring ones too) are at their
flowering peak now in Oregon. After an annual expedition into the
internet to try to identify the most unusual one I grow, I find that the
geniuses at Kew have spared me further effort by declaring that almost
all of them, including the former S. sicula and S. greuteriana, are
Sternbergia lutea. I think Sternbergia clusiana remains distinct; after
many years I have one that flowers nicely, though increasing very
slowly. I'm sorry to see that S. greuteriana has been sunk, as its tiny
stature and oblique scapes seem quite different to the observer deprived
of a DNA lab. I put a number of its bulbs in an open, slightly raised
bed a couple of years ago and they're doing well. I never did really
believe that S. sicula was that different from S. lutea. My "odd one
out" is the size of S. greuteriana (that was) but has fully erect scapes
and hysteranthous foliage (i.e., flowers before the leaves emerge).
Photos from the wild sometimes show leafless plants in flower, so maybe
this varies from population to population, or is affected by growing
conditions. I wonder if this little plant, grown from seed, reflects
variation among the former S. sicula in Crete; this was noted by
botanists in debunking Ravenna's "S. minoana" as merely one form in a
variant population, not an uncommon fate for the latter's publications.
I think I distributed it at one time with the note that it was probably
a small form of S. lutea. The photo in the wiki showing a large flower
of S. lutea with those of the little form is misplaced under S.
greuteriana, but thanks to Kew that's all right now.

I suppose the wiki page on Sternbergia should be reorganized now, or at
least the introduction should acknowledge the lumping view. I assume the
page was composed by someone more knowledgeable than myself, so will not
presume to edit it, but it probably should be done.

Jane McGary

Portland, Oregon, USA

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