Brodiaea--TOW

Mary Sue Ittner msittner@mcn.org
Wed, 18 Jun 2003 21:19:01 PDT
Dear All,

Here is the information on the species I don't grow. It sounds like Diana 
grows two of them. Does anyone else grow any of these? I am wondering how 
many if any are in cultivation.

Brodiaea appendiculata--Commonly known as Hoover's brodiaea, this plant 
which is endemic to California, is found in valley grasslands, open 
woodlands, gravelly clay soil from the San Francisco Bay Region to the 
Sierra Nevada foothills. Blooming from April-May with violet purple flowers 
this species is very similar to Brodiaea californica with flowers curving 
upward and with linear white wavy staminodes longer than the functional 
stamens, but is differentiated by having forked linear appendages on the 
back of each anther. Only one other species has appendages (B. stellaris) 
and it is a much shorter plant.

I am including this subspecies since it is rare and am wondering if anyone 
grows it:
Brodiaea coronaria ssp. rosea--This subspecies, known as Indian Valley 
brodiaea, is endangered and is shorter than the other subspecies with 
smaller rose to pink flowers, often with pink staminodes, and is found in 
the serpentine grasslands in three counties of the North Coast ranges 
(Tehama, Lake, and Glenn.)

Brodiaea insignis--Commonly known as the Kaweah brodiaea, this species is 
endemic to California and known from approximately twenty populations in 
the watersheds of the Tule and Kaweah Rivers in Tulare county occurring in 
clay soil on granitic substrate in valley grassland and foothill woodland. 
It has rose to pink-purple flowers, spreading petals. It is distinguished 
by white staminodes that are held close to the stamens and are strongly 
inrolled.

Brodiaea kinkiensis--Commonly known as San Clement Island brodiaea this 
species is endemic to California and found in clay soil in valley grassland 
in Los Angeles County and the Channel Islands. It is extremely rare. The 
flowers are purple or violet with a narrow bell-shaped tube and spreading 
lobes. The inner tepals are round, the staminodes erect with a pointed tip 
and held away from the stamens. This is the one Diana grows and says the 
staminodes are also purple. My books say it is very short, growing to 1 in. 
(2.5 cm.). How big does it get in cultivation Diana?

Brodiaea minor--Commonly known as low brodiaea or dwarf brodiaea, this 
species, endemic to California, is found in clay gravelly soil in 
grasslands and foothill woodlands in the hot foothills of the Sacramento 
Valley. Flowers are pale bluish to lilac with narrow petals and the tube 
pinched in just below the petals. The staminodes are erect, white, held 
close to the stamens, inrolled with a notched tip. Another short species, 
this one blooms from March to April. This is the one that I have not been 
successful with but Diana grows.

Brodiaea orcuttii--Commonly known as Orcutt's brodiaea, this very rare 
species is found in clay soil on serpentine substrate under 
vernally-flooded conditions in meadow and vernal-pool habitats in Riverside 
and San Diego counties to Baja California. The red-purple to blue flowers 
with widely spreading lobes are similar to B. filifolia but have no 
staminodes. This plant blooms April-July.

Mary Sue



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