It is fascinating to read this input from IBSA. I have a comment and a question: (1) I assume 'triotyly' is a typo and should read 'tristyly'; (2) The extract reads ''one of the most adaptable of plants was followed by descriptions of the major genera and pictures and tips on recognising the commoner species" I was wondering what was meant by "genera" in this context. The talk was about Oxalis and, so far as I know it has not (yet) been split up into other genera. Thanks Andrew San Diego From: pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Mary Sue Ittner I have mentioned before that I also belong to the Indigenous Bulb Association of South Africa. They publish a first rate annual bulletin and also have periodic email newsletters and bulb chats. They put on the recent Symposium and two previous ones we were lucky to attend. I am envious of their monthly meetings in Cape Town where they bring plants to show their members and also have a speaker. I was interested in the report on the speaker for the last month since it was a talk on Oxalis. Many of us were greatly disappointed when Oxalis was not included in the Color Encyclopedia of Cape Bulbs as this is such a large genus with many representatives in South Africa and not a lot of easily obtainable data about telling them apart. Graham Duncan includes a few of the species in his updated Grow Bulbs, but only a few. From the IBSA newsletter I am passing on this paragraph about the talk for all of you who are interested in Oxalis and not members of IBSA. >Dr Kenneth Oberlander gave a very fascinating talk, covering the >diversity (greatest in Southern Africa and South America) and ecology >of the not-very-well understood family of Oxalis, named for the >oxalates found in the plant, comprises the 7th largest genus of the >winter rainfall Cape Flora. Here most species are mostly geophytic and >widely distributed in habitats ranging from richtersveld, fynbos, >karroo, West Coast and the Peninsula. 109 / 270 taxa are on the Red >Data list. They are poorly known as many species flower early, before >August, but also the genetic diversity or triotyly gives rise to >bewilderingly variable flower morphology, where the 3 forms co-exist >within a small radius in a 1:1:1 ratio. >This tantalising glimpse of one of the most adaptable of plants was >followed by descriptions of the major genera and pictures and tips on >recognising the commoner species. Mary Sue