The new "Flowers of Crete" by Fielding, Turland & Mathew has some comments on distinguishing species of Sternbergia, introduced by the comment, "The similar appearance of the three autumnal species, and the existence of mixed popoulations, can be very confusing. The differences are supposedly distinct, but certainly complex." There follows a summary based on the revision of Sternbergia in the southern Aegean by Kamari and Artelari (Willdenowia 19:367-388, 1990). They accept S. sicula as a species, differing from lutea in that sicula has leaves with a glaucous central stripe and lutea has solid glossy green leaves, and sicula's tepals are "usually" pointed at the apex, while lutea's are rounded. However, they publish a photo of a big colony of apparent sicula with an individual in the middle of it having flowers like lutea (leaves not present at time of flowering). The third autumnal species on Crete is S. greuteriana, a mini-Sternbergia which is a favorite of mine. Jane McGary Northwestern Oregon, USA