Brodiaea is a genus with sixteen species restricted to western North America, ranging geographically from Vancouver, B.C. to Baja California. This genus is in the Liliaceae, Asparagaceae or Themidaceae family depending on which taxonomists you follow. More information can be found on the main Brodiaea wiki page.
Brodiaea species K-Z are found on this wiki page.
Brodiaea kinkiensis -- Commonly known as San Clemente Island brodiaea this species is endemic to San Clemente Island (one of the Channel Islands off the coast of Southern California). It is found in clay soil in grassland. 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. It is very short, growing to 1 in. (2.5 cm.). It is pictured on Wayne Armstrong's web page.
Brodiaea minor -- 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 grows to 4 in. (10 cm.) high and blooms from March to April. Photo 1 was taken by Bob Rutemoeller and photos 2-4 were taken by Mary Sue Ittner of the first bloom from seed of this very small species in June 2009.
The photos below were taken by Nhu Nguyen. Photo 3 was taken at the Tilden Botanical Garden? of a plant labeled as this species. It is probably B. terrestris.
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 and stream habitats in Riverside and San Diego counties to Baja California. The red-purple to blue flowers with widely spreading lobes are similar to Brodiaea filifolia but have no staminodes. Although Jepson lists this species as growing to 10 in. (25 cm.) tall I have seen much taller plants, to 18" (and also much shorter plants, 5"). Orcutt's brodiaea blooms April-July, as the vernal area begins to dry up. Photos by Jim Duggan. It is also pictured on Wayne Armstrong's web page.
Brodiaea pallida is commonly known as Chinese Camp brodiaea. This species is a rare California endemic, considered rare and endangered and found in serpentine substrate under vernally-flooded conditions in riparian habitats near Chinese Camp, Tuolumne County. It has pale purple or lilac flowers, sometimes with a white center and the tube is urn-shaped. The staminodes are erect, white, and held close to the stamens with inrolled margins and deeply notched tips. Pictures are of garden grown plants originally purchased from plants grown from seed. Photos 1-2 were taken by Bob Rutemoeller and photos 3-4 were taken by Mary Sue Ittner. Photo 4 shows the corms on a 1 cm grid. Photo 5 was taken by Nhu Nguyen of a lovely patch at the UC Botanical Garden.
Brodiaea purdyi is commonly known as Purdy's brodiaea. This species is found in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Northern California in open woodlands and often on serpentine. It has blue-violet flowers distinguished by narrow spreading tepals and an urn-like tube. The white staminodes are narrow, erect, held close to the stamens but above the petals, with inrolled margins and notched tips. It blooms from April to June. Photos 1-3 were taken by Mary Sue Ittner, including a picture of the corms on a 1 cm grid. Photos 4-5 were taken by Nhu Nguyen showing the staminodes and a full-blooming specimen.
Brodiaea purdyi 'Blue Ribbons' is a cultivar of this species once sold by the Robinetts. Photos by Bob Rutemoeller and Mary Sue Ittner show a container with many flowers open at the same time as well as close-ups.
Brodiaea stellaris -- The star-flowered brodiaea is a low-grower and is found on serpentine slopes in the middle Coast Ranges from Sonoma County to Humboldt County. It has blue-purple flowers with wide, blunt, white staminodes and small appendages behind the anthers and blooms May-July. The first photo was taken by Bob Rutemoeller and the second by Mary Sue Ittner. The third was taken by Mark McDonough. It shows this species growing in his Massachusetts garden, where it was surviving and flowering late June each of the next 4 years after he purchased a couple bulbs from Jim Robinett in 1999. Photos 4-5 were taken by Nhu Nguyen of a form from Telos Rare Bulbs.
Brodiaea terrestris -- Commonly known as dwarf brodiaea or earth brodiaea, this species is a coastal bluff and coastal prairie plant with stems appearing to be half buried beneath the soil. It grows from California to Oregon. The flowers are light blue to blue-violet with a triangular tube. The angled staminodes are white to violet, leaving inward but held away from the stamens. It blooms from April into June depending on the location. There are two subspecies. Photo by Nhu Nguyen.
Brodiaea terrestris ssp. kernensis -- This subspecies can be taller with larger flowers. The plant in the first photo from Bob Rutemoeller was grown from wild collected seed in Kern County California at a high elevation. It is similar to Brodiaea jolonensis. This species has a green ovary and B. jolonensis has a purple ovary. The second photo was taken by Jim Duggan from a San Diego County population.
Brodiaea terrestris ssp. terrestris -- This one is the shortest. These pictures show it in habitat in Northern California. The first four were taken at Salt Point State Park. One shows a rare white flower. Photos by Mary Sue Ittner and Bob Rutemoeller. Photos in the second row were taken of plants in cultivation.
Brodiaea index - Brodiaea species A-J