Ipheion is a small genus in the Alliaceae family that is mostly from Argentina and Uruguay. They have leaves that smell like onions when crushed. Although they are dormant in summer in the wild many of them grow in areas with year round rainfall and may benefit from some summer moisture. The species most often grown is Ipheion uniflorum from Argentina. There are many selections of this species. There are conflicting opinions about whether a number of plants, mostly yellow flowered, that have been moved from genus to genus should now be included in Nothoscordum. Nothoscordum species usually have several flowered umbels and Ipheion species one-flowered inflorescences, but there are exceptions. We are putting pictures these plants on our Nothoscordum wiki page and including the Ipheion synonym in parenthesis. In 1963 Hamilton P. Traub proposed moving Ipheion to Tristagma, but not everyone is in agreement.
Ipheion dialystemon see Nothoscordum dialystemon
Ipheion 'Rolf Fiedler' This is an unnamed species, but is not considered to be Ipheion uniflorum. It has bright blue flowers. This is another plant in this complex that is controversial. Some feel Rolf Fiedler is really Tristagma peregrinans P.Ravenna but this plant has not been verified by anyone except for the person who named it. Photos by Sheila Burrow, Jay Yourch, and John Lonsdale.
Ipheion sellowianum (Kunth)Traub) or Nothoscordum sellowianum or Nothoscordum felipponei . What to call this plant is very confusing. Many of us received it as Ipheion sellowianum only to be told to call it Nothoscordum sellowianum and then were told that Nothoscordum felipponei was the correct name for both this plant and Nothoscordum dialystemon. The RHS plant finder still lists both species under Ipheion. Kew on the other hand recognizes none of these names, but gives two more possibilities, Nothoscordum bivale var. bivale as a syn. for Nothoscordum sellowianum and
Tristagma sellowianum as the correct name for Ipheion sellowianum. The plant most of us grow is from South America where it is found in clay soil, that is slightly acidic and rich in organic matter in an area with rainfall for most of the year with a brief dry period in late summer. It is lemon yellow with 6 tepals. Photos by Sheila Burrow and John Lonsdale.
Here are a couple of photos showing N. sellowianum and N. dialystemon side by side showing the noticeable difference in their leaves. The second photo is a close-up so you can see more detail. As I mentioned in my post, "my N. dialystemon has leaves that, while narrow, are twice as wide as those of my N. sellowianum. They are also much flatter. The N. sellowianum leaves are almost tubular." Photos by Lee Poulsen.
Ipheion sessile is from Uruguay. It has white flowers and blooms in early winter, increasing well by offsets. Photos by John Lonsdale.
Ipheion uniflorum has starry blue flowers and blooms over a long period in spring. This plant has naturalized in many parts of the world. The first photo was taken by Mary Sue Ittner of plants growing in her garden and the second by Kristina Van Wert of bulbs in the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens collection. .
Ipheion uniflorum 'Alberto Castillo' is a large robust white flowered form found in Buenos Aires, Argentina by its namesake. Photos by Mark Mazer and John Lonsdale.
Ipheion uniflorum 'Charlotte Bishop' is a form with large pink flowers.
Ipheion uniflorum 'Froyle Mill' is a selection with purple flowers. The first two photos by Mark Mazer. The last photo was taken by Kristina Van Wert in the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens collection. It may be 'Froyle Mill' but it was received without any identification to verify this.
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