References

This wiki page serves as a bibliography for our subject. It is a compilation of works that contributors have found useful for information on bulbs in general and on specific genera. Please include all the information shown in the existing citations. The ISBN number is helpful if the publisher is obscure. You may include a brief (one-sentence) annotation modeled on those shown. Subjective evaluations are those of individual contributors to this web page and do not reflect the official policy of the Pacific Bulb Society, its officers and board of directors.

Alpine Garden Society. 1993. Alpine Garden Society Encyclopaedia of Alpines. 2 vols. Ed. by Kenneth Beckett. Pershore, UK: Alpine Garden Society. Bulb entries, by leading authorities on the genera, are mostly excellent; a few color photos. Available only from the Alpine Garden Society.

Anderson, E. Bertram. 1959. Dwarf Bulbs for the Rock Garden. London: Thomas Nelson and Sons. A little-known but seminal book, which, along with Brian Mathew's "Dwarf Bulbs" and "The Larger Bulbs", triggered the modern interest in species bulbs.

Anderson, E. Bertram. 1964. Hardy Bulbs 1 (in the Penguin Handbook series). Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. Something of a revised edition of Anderson's "Dwarf Bulbs for the Rock Garden", but wider ranging in its coverage.

Bishop, Matt, Aaron Davis & John Grimshaw. 2001. Snowdrops: A monograph of cultivated Galanthus. Maidenhead, UK: Griffin Press. ISBN 0-9541916-09. Supplements Davis's monograph, more for general gardeners, comprehensive descriptions & color photos of all known cultivars.

Blanchard, John W. 1990. Narcissus: A guide to wild daffodils. Woking, UK: Alpine Garden Society. ISBN 0-900048-53-0. Currently the best work on the species, with useful synonymy and habitat information.

Botschantzeva, Zinaida Petrovna 1982. Tulips: taxonomy, morphology, cytology, phytogeography and physiology. Rotterdam. English translation. Really outstanding scholarly work with lots of experimental and observational detail and also very beautifully illustrated.

Bowles, Edward Augustus. 1924. A Handbook of Crocus and Colchicum for Gardeners. London: Martin Hopkinson. The first edition of this famous book. Entirely superseded, by the second edition if by nothing else, but included here for completeness.

Bowles, Edward Augustus. 1952. A Handbook of Crocus and Colchicum for Gardeners. London: The Bodley Head. The second edition of a famous book by one of the great crocus enthusiasts. More valuable now as literature than as a reference work.

Bowles, E. A. 1985. A handbook of Narcissus. London: Thames & Hudson. (1st ed., 1934, Waterstone.) Reprint with new preface by Brian Mathew and new color illustr.; outdated but useful for history in cultivation from UK perspective and Bowles's informed and readable text.

Brooks, Audrey V. 1980, Lily diseases and disorders. In Synge, Lilies.

Brown, Deni. 1988. Aroids, Plants of the Arum Family. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. ISBN 0-88192-092-4. Frankly a disappointment. The overall emphasis seems to be on tropicals and houseplants, with not a great deal on hardier aroids.

Christenhusz, M.J.M., Govaerts, R., David, J.C., Hall, T., Borland, K., Roberts, P.S., Tuomisto, A., Buerki, S., Chase, M.W. & Fay, M.F. 2013. Tiptoe through the tulips - cultural history, molecular phylogenetics and classification of Tulipa (Liliaceae): Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 172: 280-328.

Clifton, R.T.F., 1999. The Geraniaceae Group, Order Geraniales, Species Check List Series, Tropaeolaceae, Edition I, including: Tropaeolum Magallana Trophaeastrum. England: The Geraniaceae Group, ISBN 1-899742-39-5. The author has attempted to compile all the information available about the different species of Tropaeolum and includes personal information as well.

Clifton, R.T.F., 2004. The Geraniaceae Group, Order Geraniales, Species Check List Series,Vol.5: Geraniaceae Benth.& Hook. Part I, Oxalis. England: The Geraniaceae Group, ISBN 1-899742-58-1. Checklist of species with some descriptions & cultural notes.

Cohen, Victor A., 1967. A Guide to the Pacific Coast Irises. British Iris Society. A monograph of 40 pages with photos and line drawings and descriptive information.

Craib C. 1997. Crinum minimum: One of South Africa's Most Unusual Bulbous Plants. Herbertia 52:101-108.

Craib, Charles 2001. Geophytic Pelargoniums: Field and Cultivation Studies of Pelargonium section Hoarea. Illustrations by Gillain Condy. Hatfield: Umdaus Press. This book describes the ecology and cultivation of 26 species of geophytic species of Pelargonium section hoarea. It includes beautiful illustrations and small maps showing the distribution.

Craib C. and Brown L. The Ecology of Ammocharis tinneana near the Limpopo River in South Africa. Herbertia 53:90-92.

Craib C., Blackmore A. 1997. Crinum acaule in Zululand, South Africa. Herbertia 52:72-80.

Cribb, Phillip and Ian Butterfield. 1988. The Genus Pleione. A Kew Magazine Monograph. Bromley, Kent, England: RBG Kew in association with Christopher Helm. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. ISBN (Christopher Helm) 0-7470-0422-6 (Timber Press) 0-88192-126-2.

Davidson, B. Le Roy, 2000. Lewisias. Portland: Timber Press. A delightful book that adds a naturalist's perspective to a horticultural and taxonomic discussion of this genus.

Davies, Dilys. 1992. Alliums: The Ornamental Onions. Portland: Timber Press. There are chapters on history, edible Alliums, geographical groupings, cultivation, Alliums in the garden, and finally a description and information about selected species.

Daviña, J. R., A. Fernández and E. Moscone. Cariotipo, Bandeo Cromosómico y Detección de Genes de rRNA, 5S y 18S/26S mediante FISH en tres especies de Hippeastrum Herb (Amaryllidaceae). Presented in the XXXVIII Argentinean Genetics Congress (Province of Tucumán, Argentina).

Davis, Aaron P. 1999. The Genus Galanthus. Portland: Timber Press and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. (Botanical Magazine Monographs.) ISBN 0-88192-431-8. The latest standard monograph of the genus.

de Vos, Miriam P. 1972. The Genus Romulea in South Africa. Cape Town: Journal of South African Botany, Supplementary Volume no.9. Although this genus has been revised twice since this was published, this is still a useful book for Romulea fans because of the line drawings and the information about the different varieties of each species (subspecies that have now been reduced to species.)

de Vos, Miriam P. 1979. The African genus Ferraria. Journal of South African Botany 39:347-375.

de Vos, Miriam P. 1983. Flora of Southern Africa, Volume 7 Iridaceae, Part 2, Ixioideae, Fascicle 2, Syringodea, Romulea, edited by O.A. Leistner, Botanical Research Institute, Department of Agriculture. Revision of these two genera this is still very useful even though Manning and Goldblatt have revised Romulea since this publication.

de Vos, Miriam P. and Peter Goldblatt. 1999. Flora of Southern Africa, Volume7 Iridaceae, Part 2: Ixioideae, Fascicle 1: Ixieae (First part: Ixiinae and Tritoniinae (Ixia, Dierama, Tritonia, Crocosmia, Duthiastrum, Chasmanthe, Devia and Sparaxis). Pretoria: National Botanical Institute. Botanical revision of the genera mentioned in the title.

Doutt, Richard L. 1994. Cape bulbs. Portland: Timber Press. Less complete than Manning & Goldblatt 2002 but useful for cultivation information for climates outside S. Africa.

Du Plessis, Niel and Graham Duncan. 1989. Bulbous Plants of Southern Africa: A Guide to their Cultivation and Propagation. Cape Town: Tafelberg. Extremely useful book not only for information on cultivation and propagation, but because it includes information from summer rainfall areas and not just the Cape as well as geophytic genera sometimes left out; there are nice botanical illustrations by Elise Bodley as well.

Duncan, G. D. 1988. The Lachenalia Handbook. Cape Town: National Botanic Gardens. This handbook was a great source of information for many years, but the author published a complete revision in 2012 upgrading varieties and subspecies to species levels and including some species in other species. The handbook continues to be a less technical guide to the genus than the revision.

Duncan, Graham. 2002. Grow Nerines: a Guide to the Species, Cultivation, Propagation of the Genus Nerine. Claremont: National Botanical Institute. This guide is part of the Kirstenbosch Gardening Series.

Duncan, Graham. 2002. 448. Nerine gaberonensis. Curtis's Botanical Magazine 19: 173-177.

Duncan, Graham. 2003. 475. Ammocharis neriniodes. Curtis's Botanical Magazine 20:196-201.

Duncan, Graham. 2005. 533. Nerine pusilla. Curtis's Botanical Magazine 22: 169-175.

Duncan, Graham. 2008. 616 Nerine ridleyi. Curtis's Botanical Magazine 25: 122-131.

Duncan, Graham. 2009. 648 Nerine humilis. Curtis's Botanical Magazine 26: 200-209.

Duncan, Graham. 2010 (Second Edition). Grow Bulbs: A Guide to the Cultivation and Propagation of the Bulbs of South Africa and Neighbouring Countries. Cape Town: South African Biodiversity Institute. An expanded version of an earlier publication that includes much useful information along with many color photographs illustrating many of the plants described.

Duncan, Graham. 2012. The Genus Lachenalia. Richmond: Kew Publishing. With watercolours by Winsome Barker, Fay Anderson, Ellaphic Ward-Hilhorst, Claire Linder Smith, Elbe Joubert, Vicki Thomas, Marieta Visagie and Rhona Collett. Described at the first complete, illustrated systematic monograph of this genus, including new species.

Duncan, Graham. 2016. The Amaryllidaceae of Southern Africa. Pretoria: Umdaus Press. Text by Graham Duncan, watercolor paintings by Barbara Jeppe and Leigh Voigt. All known genera and species are included with descriptions and synonyms, distinguishing features, life cycle, distribution, habitat, and cultivation. Most species are illustrated by paintings that took 45 years to complete.

Duncan, Graham and Barbara Jeppe, Leigh Voight. 2020. Field Guide to the Amaryllis Family of Southern Africa & Surrounding Territories. Nelspruit: Gallery Press. Text by Graham Duncan, watercolor paintings by Barbara Jeppe and Leigh Voigt. This guide with contributions from the same people as the book The Amaryllidaceae of Southern Africa is arranged by habitat and has photographs in addition to the paintings, often showing the bulb flowering in habitat, and sometimes leaves to help in identification.

Dykes, W. Rickatson Dykes. 1912. Irises. Vol. 11 in the Present Day Gardening series. London: T.C. & E.C. Jack. A thin, drab volume now of historical interest; the eight colored plates were a big deal in 1912 and have some minor artistic merit on their own.

Dykes, W. R. 1924. A Handbook of Garden Irises. London: Martin Hopkinson. Perhaps primarily of historical interest now, but it is surprising what they were growing in the 1920s.

Elliott, Jack. 1988. Growing Dwarf Bulbs. A Wisley Handbook. London: Cassell for the RHS. ISBN 0-304-32152-4. A very small (64 pp.) but authoritative starter volume by a very well known grower.

Elliott, Jack 1995. Bulbs for the Rock Garden. Portland: Timber Press. This delightful book shares the author's experience cultivating mostly smaller bulbs in the garden.

Fox, Helen Morgenthau. 1928. Garden Cinderellas, How to Grow Lilies in the Garden. New York: Macmillan. Foreword by E. H. Wilson. More valuable as literature than as a guide to growing.

Genders, Roy. 1973. Bulbs, A Complete Handbook of Bulbs, Corms, and Tubers. London: Robert Hale. ISBN 0-7091-3156-9. A 600-page bible including material on bulbs otherwise poorly documented. Not, however, to be taken as authoritative; the author was something of a horticultural book-mill and one suspects there may be many errors in the text.

Gerritsen, Mary E. and Ron Parsons. 2007. Calochortus: Mariposa Lilies & their Relatives. Portland: Timber Press. Wonderful resource for this genus that includes descriptions, color photos, habitat and cultivation information about every major group and species.

Goldblatt, Peter. 1985. Systematics of the Southern African Genus Geissorhiza (Iridaceae-Ixioideae) . Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 72:277-477. Botanical monograph with a key, a few color photographs, descriptions of species, flowering time, distribution, and ways of telling similar species apart. Includes drawings and distribution maps for some species.

Goldblatt, Peter. 1986. The Moraeas of Southern Africa: a systematic monograph of the genus in South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Transkie, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe. Cape Town: National Botanic Gardens in association with the Missouri Botanical Garden, USA. The definitive botanical work on Moraea prior to the addition of other genera (Homeria, Galaxia, Gynandriris) to this large genus with lovely watercolor illustrations by Fay Anderson of a lot of the species.

Goldblatt, Peter 1989. The Genus Watsonia: a systematic monograph. Cape Town: National Botanic Gardens. Monograph includes history, morphology, ecology, pollination and geography along with species descriptions, cultivation information, and a key. There are 26 color plates illustrating a few of the species beautifully drawn by a number of botanical artists.

Goldblatt, Peter 1996. Gladiolus in Tropical Africa: Systematics, Biology & Evolution. Portland: Timber Press. Classic reference book or the 82 species that occur in tropical Africa and are not well known with line drawings by John C. Manning.

Goldblatt, Peter and John Manning. 1998. Gladiolus in Southern Africa. Vlaeberg: Fernwood Press. Descriptions of each species including a distribution map, relationships with other species, and history and good line drawings and beautiful watercolor illustrations make this a very useful book.

Goldblatt, Peter, and John C. Manning. 2007. A Revision of the southern African genus Babiana, Iridaceae: Crocoideae. Strelitzia 18. Pretoria: South African National Biodiversity Institute.

Goldblatt, Peter, and John C. Manning. 2008. The Iris Family: Natural History and Classification. Portland: Timber Press. A new classification of Iridaceae based on examination of plants in the field, herbarium, and garden as well as DNA studies.

Goldblatt, P. and J. C. Manning. 2008. Systematics of the southern African genus Ixia (Iridaceae). 1. The I. rapunculoides complex. Bothalia 38,1: 1-22 (2008). More information here.

Goldblatt, P. and J. C. Manning. 2011. Systematics and biology of the African genus Ferraria (Iridaceae: Irideae). Bothalia Vol 41, No 1. More information here.

Goldblatt, P. and J. C. Manning. 2011. Systematics of the southern African genus Ixia (Iridaceae): Sections Hyalis and Morphixia. Bothalia Vol 41, No 1. More information here.

Goldblatt, P. and J. C. Manning. 2012. Systematics of the southern African genus Ixia (Iridaceae: Crocoideae):4. Revision of sect. Dichone. Bothalia 42,2: 87-110 (2012). More information here.

Goldblatt, P. and J. C. Manning. 2012. Systematics of the hypervariable Moraea tripetala complex (Iridaceae: Iridoideae) of the southern African winter rainfall zone. Bothalia Vol 42, No 2 111-135 (2012), More information here.

Goldblatt, P. and J. C. Manning. 2013. Eight new species of Moraea (Iridaceae) from southern Africa with range extensions and morphological notes in the genus. Bothalia Vol 43, No 2 153–165 (2013). More information here.

Goldblatt, Peter, and John Manning. 2013. Systematics and biology of the Cape genus Sparaxis (Iridaceae). Strelitzia Volume: 32. Pretoria: South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI Publishing), 76 pages. Includes the floral biology of the genus, illustrations, distributional information, conservation status, and taxonomic history for all species.

Goldblatt, Peter, and John C. Manning. 2015. Systematics and Biology of Lapeirousia, Codonorhiza, Psilosiphon & Schizorhiza in Southern Africa. Strelitzia Volume:35. Pretoria: South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI Publishing), 146 pages, 51 colour & b/w illustrations and b/w distribution maps, 5 tables.

Goldblatt, Peter, and John C. Manning. 2016. no.2. Afrosolen Goldblatt & J.C.Manning, a new name for Psilosiphon Welw. ex Goldblatt & J.C.Manning (Iridaceae), with new combinations in Nomenclatural adjustments in African plants 2. Bothalia | Vol 46, No 1. The article can be viewed here.

Goldblatt, Peter, and John Manning and Gary Dunlop. 2004. Crocosmia and Chasmanthe. Portland: Timber Press. One of the Royal Horticultural Society Plant Collector guides.

Goldblatt, P., J.C. Manning, and N.A. Helme. 2015. New species and taxonomic notes in Ixia (Iridaceae: Crocoideae) from western South Africa. South African Journal of Botany Volume 98, May 2015, Pages 108-113. More information here.

Goldring, William. 1905. The Book of the Lily. Vol. XVII in the Handbooks of Practical Gardening. London: John Lane: The Bodley Head. Another ancient book primarily of historical interest.

Grey-Wilson, Christopher. 1988. The Genus Cyclamen. A Kew Magazine Monograph. London: Christopher Helm. Portland: Timber Press. ISBN (Christopher Helm) 0-7470-1221-0. (Timber Press) 0-88192-111-4. Superseded by later editions.

Grey-Wilson, Christopher. 2003. Cyclamen: A guide for gardeners, horticulturists and botanists. 2nd ed. Portland: Timber Press; London: Batsford. Taxonomy and cultivation; small color photos and line drawings.

Grey-Wilson, Christopher, and Brian Mathew. 1981. Bulbs: The bulbous plants of Europe and their allies. London: Collins. ISBN 0-00-2119211-X. Somewhat outdated but useful for broad coverage including non bulbous Liliaceae; includes botanical keys.

Grove, A. ca 1911. Lilies. Vol. 8 in the Present Day Gardening series. London: T.C. & E.C. Jack. A thin, drab volume now of historical interest; the eight colored plates were a big deal in 1912 and have some minor artistic merit on their own. Preface by H. J. Elwes, author of the great monograph on the genus Lilium.

Gusman, Guy and Liliane Gusman. 2006. The Genus Arisaema: A Monograph for Botanists and Nature Lovers (2nd edition). Portland: Timber Press, Inc. This book is considered the best book you can find on this genus by Arisaema enthusiasts. The new book has updated information including new species and recent developments in taxonomy.

Hall, A. Daniel. 1940. The Genus Tulipa. London: Royal Horticultural Society. The nomenclature is undoubtedly outdated, but the forty beautiful color plates make this a book worth seeking by the species tulip enthusiast.

Harlow, Nora and Kristin Jakob, editors, 2003. Wild Lilies, Irises and Grasses: Gardening with California Monocots. Berkeley: University of California Press. This book which is beautifully illustrated has contributions from many experienced growers and tells about those species that are the easiest to grow.

Harris, K. M. 1980. Lily pests. In Synge, Lilies.

Hartmann H. T., Kester D. E., Davies F. T. and Geneve R. L. 2010, Hartmann & Kester's Plant Propagation: Principles and Practices (8th Edition). Prentice Hall. Classic text on plant propagation.

Haw, Stephen G. 1986. The Lilies of China, The Genera Lilium, Cardiocrinum, Nomocharis, and Nothlirion. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. ISBN 0-88192-034-7. Includes descriptions of the species in these four genera translated from Volume 14 of Flora Reipublicae Popularis Sinicae by Liang Sung-Yun.

Heath, Brent and Becky. 2002. Daffodils for American Gardens. Bright Sky Press. Focus is on Narcissus with good information on culture, pests and diseases, breeding, recommended varieties, shows and display gardens, companion plantings, specific regional information. High quality color photos throughout.

Hobbs, Jack and Terry Hatch. 1994. Bulbs for Gardeners & Collectors. Auckland: Godwit Press Limited. Comprehensive book about bulbs that can be grown in warmer climates with specific information about many species written by two men who were sharing their personal experience complete with lovely color photos of many of the plants.

Howard, Thad M. 2001. Bulbs for Warm Climates. University of Texas Press. A reference book for bulbs that prosper in warm climates (Zones 8, 9, 10). The coverage is often broad rather than deep and for some genera and species there is just a sentence or two. There are some color photos and the majority are of high quality.

Innes, Clive. 1985. The World of Iridaceae: a comprehensive record. Whitechurch: Holly Gate International Ltd. Although some of the names have been changed since this was written, it is still one of the only sources available about some of the South American species.

Jefferson-Brown, Michael J. 1951. The Daffodil, Its History, Varieties, and Cultivation. London: Faber & Faber. An older compendium, largely superseded by later publications, including work by the same author, but on the whole thorough coverage of the Narcissus cultivars prevalent in the mid-twentieth century. Primarily of interest to the historically-minded and the completists.

Jefferson-Brown, M. J. 1969. Daffodils and Narcissi, A Complete Guide to the Narcissus Family. London: Faber & Faber. Primarily on hybrid cultivars. Now largely superseded.

Jefferson-Brown, Michael. 1991. Narcissus. London: Batsford; Portland: Timber Press. Mostly on hybrids from UK perspective, some information on cultivation and brief look at wild species.

Jefferson-Brown, Michael, and Kevin Pratt. 1997. The gardener's guide to growing fritillaries. Newton Abbot: David & Charles; Portland: Timber Press. Color photos throughout; the text is riddled with errors and in particular the cultivation instructions are not to be trusted.

Jeppe, Barbara ( with additional text by Grahman Duncan). 1989. Spring and Winter Flowering Bulbs of the Cape. Cape Town: Oxford University Press. Although there have been some name changes since this book was written, it is still a very useful book because of Jeppe's wonderful botanical illustrations that show species on one page so you can compare them and because it contains helpful descriptive identifying information as well as information about habitat, time of bloom, and distribution

Kohlein, Fritz. 1987. Iris. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press; Bromley, Kent, England: Christopher Helm. ISBN (Timber Press) 0-88192-049-5 (Christopher Helm) 0-7470-1803-0. Translation from German of Iris published by Eugen Ulmer GmbH & Co, Stuttgart, 1981. Uses generic names Xiphium, Iridodictyum, Hermodactylus, Gynandriris, and Juno.

Koopowitz, Harold (with photographs by James Comstock), 2002. Clivias. Portland: Timber Press.

Leeds, Rod. 2000. The Plantfinder's guide to early bulbs. Newton Abbot: David & Charles; Portland: Timber Press. Written for novice gardeners in the UK; particular attention to commercial cultivars; color throughout.

Liang Sung-Yun (trans). 1986. Descriptions of Chinese Lily Species, translated from Volume 14 of Flora Reipublicae Popularis Sinicae. In Haw, Lilies of China.

Lidén, Magnus and Henrik Zetterlund. 1997. Corydalis: A Gardener's Guide and a Monograph of the Tuberous Species. Pershore, UK: AGS Publications.

Lynch, R. Irwin. 1904. The Book of the Iris. Vol. XXI in Handbooks of Practical Gardening. London and New York: John Lane: The Bodley Head. Primarily of historical interest now, but it is surprising what they were growing over a century ago. Decent black-and-white photographs of a number of less-common species.

MacDaniels, L. H. and R. K. Horst. 1980. Lily disease problems in North America. In Synge, Lilies.

Manning J & Goldblatt P. 2001. A synoptic review of Romulea (Iridaceae: Crocoideaea) in sub-Saharan Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and Socotra including new species, biological notes, and a new infrageneric classification. Adansonia 23 (1) : 59-108. The latest monograph useful for habitat information, classification, and the description of new species.

Manning J, Goldblatt P & Snijman D., 2002. The Color Encyclopedia of Cape Bulbs. Portland: Timber Press. Very quickly becoming the "Bible" for information on identifying and growing bulbs from the Cape Floral Kingdom.

Manning JC, Goldblatt P & Fay MF. 2004. A revised generic synopsis of Hyacinthaceae in sub-Saharan Africa, including new combinations and the new tribe Pseudoprospereae. Edinburgh Journal of Botany 60:533-568.

Manning JC, Forest F, Devey DS, Fay MF & Goldblatt P. 2009. A molecular phylogeny and a revised classification of Ornithogaloideae (Hyacinthaceae) based on an analysis of four plastid DNA regions. Taxon 58:1-107.

Manning, John C. & Peter Goldblatt with G.D. Duncan, F. Forest, R. Kaiser and I. Tatarenko, 2010. Botany and horticulture of the genus Freesis (Iridaceae). Strelitzia 27. Pretoria: South Africa National Biodiversity Institute. Revision of Freesia based on molecular and morphological evidence. This volume covers morphology, anatomy, molecular relationships, floral biology, taxonomy, horticultural history and cultivation. It includes paintings by Auriol Batten and line drawings by John C. Manning.

Manning, John C. and Peter Goldblatt. 2018. Systematics of Drimia Jacq. (Hyacinthaceae: Urgineoideae) in southern Africa. Strelitzia 40. Pretoria: South African National Biodiversity Institute. This is a taxonomic revision of the genus Drimia in southern Africa, including new combinations and new species and a classification system of 19 morphological sections.

Mathew, Brian. 1973. Dwarf Bulbs. New York: Arco, 1973. Few illustrations, slightly outdated, but plenty of good information from a British perspective.

Mathew, Brian. 1978. The Larger Bulbs. London: Batsford, in association with the Royal Horticultural Society. ISBN 0-7134-1246-1. Covers "those species which are anything but dwarf."

Mathew, Brian. 1981. The Iris. London: Batsford. ISBN 0-7134-0623-2. Now superseded by the second edition.

Mathew, Brian. 1982. The Crocus. London: Batsford; US ed., 1983, Portland: Timber Press. The current monograph of the genus, slightly outdated by now but still the finest model of its type for its combination of botanical and garden information.

Mathew, Brian, and Turhan Baytop. 1984. The Bulbous Plants of Turkey. London: Batsford. ISBN 0-7134-4517-3. All about the wonderful bulbous flora of Turkey, home to cyclamen, crocus, tulips, and other delights.

Mathew, Brian. 1986, The Year-round Bulb Garden. London: Souvenir Press. ISBN 0-285-62787-2.

Mathew, Brian. 1987. Flowering Bulbs for the garden. A Kew Gardening Guide. London: RBG Kew in association with Collingridge. ISBN 0-600-35175-0. More or less for the rookie bulb grower, but with the perspective of "looking at the natural habitat of bulbs in the wild" as a guide to growing the silly things in gardens.

Mathew, Brian, 1987. The Smaller Bulbs. London: Batsford. ISBN 0-7134-4922-5. Much more than a revision of Dwarf Bulbs with genera and species in A-Z form with descriptive information to help you identify the plant and information about habitat and distribution and cultivation.

Mathew, Brian, 1989. The Genus Lewisia. Portland: Timber Press and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. (Botanical Magazine Monographs.) This book discusses this genus with maps, colored paintings, drawings, pictures, and much historical and useful information.

Mathew, Brian. 1989. The Iris. 2nd ed. Portland: Timber Press. (1st ed., Great Britain, 1981.) Photos in color and B/W; extremely useful for identification, and for cultivation based on British conditions.

Mathew, Brian. 1989. Splitting the Liliaceae, The Plantsman 11(2), p.89 (September 1989) A summary of the breaking up of the family Liliaceae (sensu latu) into a number of smaller, more homogeneous families. This split has been superseded by later revisions of the old Liliaceae, but is listed for its importance as one of the first re-dos of the Liliaceae to come to prominent notice of horticulturists.

Mathew, Brian. 1997. Bulbs: The complete practical guide. London: Batsford. Excellent cultivation guide from British perspective; A-Z list of genera, very brief but full of references to species rarely mentioned elsewhere; small color photos throughout.

McGary, Jane (ed.), 2001. Bulbs of North America. Portland: Timber Press and the North American Rock Garden Society. Comprehensive look at the bulbs of North America with contributions from many regional experts.

McRae, Edward Austin. 1998. Lilies: A guide for growers and collectors. Portland: Timber Press. Full account of hybridizing and cultivation, and long chapter on lily species.

Meerow, Alan. 1989. Systematics of the Amazon lilies, Eucharis and Caliphruria (Amaryllidaceae). Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 76:136-220.

Morton, The Earl of. 1980. Elwes' 'Monograph of the Genus Lilium' and its Supplements. In Synge, Lilies.

Newell, J. 1980. The propagation of lilies. In Synge, Lilies.

Nightingale, Gay. 1984. Growing Cyclamen. London & Canberra: Croom Helm. Portland: Timber Press. ISBN (Croom Helm) 0-7099-1805-4. Primarily on cultivation. Nomemclature probably dated in comparison with more recent works by Grey-Wilson.

Ogden, Scott. 1994. Garden Bulbs for the South. Taylor Trade Publishing. Focus is on bulbs and other geophytes which grow well in the southern United States. Many color photos, which vary in quality from poor to excellent. An enjoyable book to read.

Phillips, Roger, and Martyn Rix. 1989. The Random House Book of Bulbs. New York: Random House. [1st ed., London: Pan, 1981.) Detailed color photos, many including bulb and roots, of hundreds of species in many genera, with brief but pithy text; perhaps the single most useful general book for the amateur grower; an inexpensive paperback written in England.

Pooley, Elsa. 1998. A Field Guide to the Wildflowers KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Region. Durban: Natal Flora Publications Trust.

Pooley, Elsa. 2003. Mountain Flowers: A Field Guide to the Flora of the Drakensberg and Lesotho. Durban: The Flora Publications Trust.

POWO (2019). "Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/ Retrieved 24 Jan 2020."

Preston, Isabella. 1930. Garden Lilies. New York: Orange Judd. Primarily of historical interest.

Preston, Isabella. 1947. Lilies for Every Garden. New York: Orange Judd. Primarily of historical interest.

Preston, Robert E. 2006. A Reconsideration of Brodiaea minor (Benth.) S. Watson and Brodiaea purdyi Eastwood (Themidaceae), with the resurrection of Brodiaea nana Hoover. Madroño, Vol. 53, No. 1, pp. 46–54.

Rix, Martyn. 1983. Growing Bulbs. London & Canberra: Croom Helm. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. ISBN (Croom Helm) 0-7099-2248-5 (Timber Press) 0-917304-87-X. Extremely informative on evolution, climatic adaptations, cultivation and propagation; paperback.

Rockwell, F. F., Esther C. Grayson, and Jan de Graaff. 1961. The Complete Book of Lilies, Selection, Culture, Propagation, Showing. Garden City, NY: Doubleday. LOC 61-6717. Primarily covers hybrid cultivars, but some information on Lilium species.

Roitman, Gérman, and Alberto Castillo. In prep. "Nuevas Combinaciones en Iridaceae". From Catálogo de Plantas Vasculares del Cono Sur. Buenos Aires: Instituto de Botánica Darwinion, Fernando O. Zuloaga, Osvaldo Morrone & Manuel J. Belgrano (eds.).

Royal Horticultural Society. 1995. Manual of bulbs. Ed. by John Bryan & Mark Griffiths. Portland: Timber Press. (UK edition, 1992.) Excerpted entries on bulbous plants from the 4-vol. RHS Dictionary of Gardening, here in one volume, with synonymy, glossary, and other useful appendices.

Rukšāns, Jānis. 2007. Buried Treasures. Finding and Growing the World's Choicest Bulbs. Portland, OR: Timber Press. This is not a reference book. It starts with extensive advice on growing bulbs in the cold-winter climate of Latvia, but most of it is a lengthy, entertaining account of the author's bulb-hunting trips throughout the old Soviet bloc countries prior to the USSR's collapse. The author has a remarkable ability to stumble successfully through difficult situations, both geographic and political, and his obsession with bulbs shines throughout.

Rukšāns, Jānis. 2010. Crocuses: A Complete Guide to the Genus. Portland, OR: Timber Press. This book includes descriptions of known species and cultivation information.

Saunders, Rod and Rachel, with Fiona C. Ross. 2021. Saunders' Field Guide to Gladioli of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik Nature. This book includes in-depth species descriptions and habitat photographs along with distribution maps and flowering months.

Snijman, D.A. 1984. A revision of the genus Haemanthus L. (Amaryllidaceae). Journal of South African Botany Supplementary 12: 1-139.

Snijman, D.A. 1994. Systematics of Hessea, Strumaria and Carpolyza (Amaryllidaceae: Amaryllideae). Contributions from the Bolus Herbarium 16: 1-162.

Snijman, Deirdre A. 2014. A taxonomic revision of the genus Pauridia (Hypoxidaceae) in southern Africa. Phytotaxa Vol 182, No 1, Auckland: Magnolia Press.

Synge, Patrick M. 1961. Collins Guide to Bulbs. First edition. London: Collins. Still a useful reference, only somewhat superseded by the slightly enlarged second edition. Many colored illustrations of cultivars.

Synge, Patrick M. 1971. Collins Guide to Bulbs. Second edition. London: Collins. Still a useful reference. Many colored illustrations of cultivars.

Synge, Patrick A. 1980. Lilies, A Revision of Elwes' Monograph of the Genus Lilium and its Supplements. London: Batsford. ISBN 0-7134-0393-4.Includes:

  • Information on species in Lilium, Cardiocrinum, and Nomocharis.
  • Chapters written on special topics by Oliver E. P. Wyatt, J. Newell, K. M. Harris, Audrey V. Brooks, L H. MacDaniels, R. K. Horst, and the Earl of Morton.
  • Extensive list of biographical notes of significant liliasts.
  • Extensive bibliography of genus Lilium.

Tebbitt, Mark C., Magnus Lidén, and Henrik Zetterlund. 2008. Bleeding Hearts, Corydalis, and their Relatives. Portland: Timber Press. Guide covers cultivated species, hybrids, and cultivars of Corydalis, Dicentra, and allied genera with descriptions, keys and tips for cultivation.

Turrill, W. B. and J. Robert Sealy. 1980. Studies in the Genus Fritillaria (Liliaceae), Hooker's Icones Plantarum Vol. XXXIX, Parts I & II. London: Bentham-Moxon Trustees, RBB Kew. Comprehensive botanical monograph. Line drawings. Nomenclature may be somewhat outdated.

Van Brenk G. and Benschop M. (1993). Nerine. In: De Hertogh A. and Le Nard M., The Physiology of Flower Bulbs: 559-588. Elsevier, Amsterdam.

Vinnersten, Annika and Manning, John. 2007. A new classification of Colchicaceae. Taxon 56: 171-178.

Vlok, Jan and Anne Lise Schutte-Vlok. 2010. Plants of the Klein Karoo. Hatfield: Umdaus Press. This is both a field guide and a book about the ecology of this area. Besides including a description of the various habitats and a key to the families included, 1,445 species are fully described much more thoroughly than in most field guides and are illustrated with photos in the book and an accompanying CD.

Wells, James S. 1989. Modern miniature daffodils: Species and hybrids. Portland: Timber Press. Primarily on hybrids but useful on species too; extensive cultivation instructions from UK perspective; color photos throughout.

Wilder, Louise Beebe. 1936, 1990. Adventures With Hardy Bulbs. New York: Macmillan. A classic first-person book on growing bulbs, written by a prominent gardening writer based in New York. Although some of the species names are out of date, Wilder's enthusiasm, common-sense advice, and witty commentary is timeless.

Wilford, Richard. 2006. Tulips: Species and Hybrids for the Gardener. Portland: Timber Press. This book describes the geography where species tulips are found, their history and how they are related, and gives advice on how to grow them. A final chapter focuses on garden hybrids.

Williams, Margot & T.R. Dudley. 1984. Chromosome count for Hippeastrum iguazuanum. Taxon 33:271-275.

Woodcock, Hubert B., Drysdale K.C., F.L.S. and Stearn, William Thomas F.I.S. 1950. Lilies of the World, Their Cultivation & Classification. London: Country Life Limited - New York:Charles Scribner’s Sons. The incredible width and depth of detail is fascinating and rewarding, including the cultural and propagation information.

Zhu, Guanghua & T. B. Croat. 2004. Revision of Dracontium (Araceae). Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 91: 593-667.


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