Triteleia species J-Z are featured on this wiki page.


Triteleia Hybrids -- Triteleia A-GTriteleia H-ITriteleia index


Triteleia laxa is found between 0 and 4600 feet (0 to 1500 meters) in a variety of habitats such as mixed evergreen forests, grassland, foothill woodland, and chaparral throughout much of California and into Oregon. There is much variation in color and form. The first was grown from wild collected seed sold by Ron Ratko. The second lighter form was planted in a raised bed for about 12 years and increased well. This raised bed received no water in summer and was rarely fertilized. This species also looks good planted with Bloomeria crocea which blooms at about the same time. The third picture illustrates them growing together. The last is a photo of the corms of a form that multiples very rapidly as you can see. Photos from Bob Rutemoeller and Mary Sue Ittner.
|Triteleia laxa, Bob Rutemoeller Triteleia laxa Triteleia laxa & Bloomeria crocea Triteleia laxa corms, Mary Sue Ittner

The first photo is a habitat shot taken in Sonoma County, California. This plant is blooming in the drying grass July 2004. The second was taken near the Pacific Ocean in Mendocino County, California. Photos by Bob Rutemoeller. The next three habitat shots were taken in three different counties in April 2005. Photo no. 3 below, the first, was taken at Bear Valley, Colusa County, the next, photo no. 4 is a mountain form with large flowers seen in Kern County and the fifth is a form with light colored flowers growing with Collinsia in Mariposa County. Photos by Mary Sue Ittner. The last two photos were taken at the entrance to Mt. Diablo State Park. It is the largest blooming of this species I have ever seen! Photos by Nhu Nguyen
Triteleia laxa, Bob Rutemoeller Triteleia laxa, Mendocino County, Bob Rutemoeller Triteleia laxa, Bear Valley, Mary Sue Ittner Triteleia laxa, Kern County Triteleia laxa, Mariposa County Triteleia laxa, Nhu Nguyen Triteleia laxa, Nhu Nguyen


The first three pictures were taken near Vina, California (Tehama County) in April 2006 where we watched butterflies (black Pipevine Swallowtails) pollinating the flowers (and in one picture there looks like a second pollinator too. The last was taken in still another county (Butte) of California. It was taken at Bidwell Park in Chico and shows a rare white flower next to the normal blue flowers. Photos by Mary Sue Ittner and Bob Rutemoeller.
Triteleia laxa Triteleia laxa Triteleia laxa Triteleia laxa, Mary Sue Ittner

Triteleia laxa 'Humbolt Star' - a wild selection by Jim Robinett, garden photo by Mark McDonough, 2002. Jim's catalog description: "Unlike most forms of T. laxa, these bulbs simply become huge rather than producing many offsets. Blooms in early summer. Grown from seeds collected in Humbolt county (California) at 2400 feet in full sun".
Triteleia laxa 'Humboldt Star'

Triteleia laxa 'Rudy Kleiner' discovered by Boltha in the Netherlands. It probably was just a seedling that was striking. Photo by Jan van den Berg
Triteleia laxa 'Rudy Kleiner'

Triteleia laxa 'Sierra Giant' is a new form available to gardeners from Telos Rare Bulbs. It is suggested to be a polyploid (chromosomal duplication), which often results in gigantism. The 6" diameter inflorescence is held up by a 20" peduncle. Grown and photographed by Nhu Nguyen
Triteleia laxa 'Sierra Giant' Triteleia laxa 'Sierra Giant' Triteleia laxa 'Sierra Giant'


Triteleia lemmonae is a species that is endemic to Arizona where it grows in sparse pine woodland at elevations between 5000 and 7000 feet (1524-2134 meters). It has bright yellow flowers fading purplish with arrowhead-shaped anthers. These plants were raised from seed collected by Southwest Native Seeds and are flowering in late spring in Tasmania. Grown and photographed by Rob Hamilton.
Triteleia lemmonae Triteleia lemmonae


Triteleia lilacina is found on the volcanic tablelands in the northern and central Sierra foothills of California between 229 and 492 feet (70 -150 meters). It was previously known as Brodiaea hyacinthina var. greenei. It has small flowers with an inner surface of glassy shine from tiny glass like beads. It has folded petal edges, which make its tips appear pointed, purple anthers, and a yellow green ovary. It blooms April to May. Photo by Bob Rutemoeller. This species has very distinctive corms. Photo by Mary Sue Ittner of corms shown on a 1 cm. square grid.
Triteleia lilacina, Bob Rutemoeller Triteleia lilacina corms, Mary Sue Ittner

The first three pictures below taken by Mary Sue Ittner show some wild populations of this species in the native area of Bidwell Park in Chico, California. Pictures show it growing next to an unknown vetch, being pollinated, and a close-up of the umbel. The last shows it growing on the very thin soils of Table Mountain in Butte County surrounded by annuals. Photo by Bob Rutemoeller.
Triteleia lilacina, Mary Sue Ittner Triteleia lilacina, Mary Sue Ittner Triteleia lilacina, Mary Sue Ittner Triteleia lilacina, Bob Rutemoeller


Triteleia lugens , commonly known as Coast Range triteleia is found in dry, sunny to partially shaded, clayey, forested or brushy places between 328 and 3280 feet (100- 1000 meters). Although rare, it is found in scattered locations in California. Flowers have a funnel shaped tube and are deep to pale yellow, striped dark. The filaments are unequal (1-2 or 2-3 mm.), broadly triangular shaped, and are all attached at the same level. The anthers are yellow or blue. Photos taken by Mary Sue Ittner at Pinnacles National Monument in April 2005 where it was growing along a shady trail with Collinsia heterophylla and Viola pedunculata.
Triteleia lugens Triteleia lugens Triteleia lugens


Triteleia montana is found on gravelly soil on granitic substrate in ridge habitats in open montane forests between 4000 and 9800 feet (1200-3000 meters) in northern to central Sierra Nevada (California). The first picture is of one flowering in the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens collection photographed by Kristina Van Wert. The last two photos by Mary Sue Ittner are of flowers and corms of garden plants grown from seed.
Triteleia montana, Kristina Van Wert. Triteleia montana,Mary Sue Ittner Triteleia montana, corms, Mary Sue Ittner

Seen in April 2005 growing on a rocky ledge in Kern County, California. Photo by Mary Sue Ittner.
Triteleia montana, Kern County


Triteleia peduncularis, (formerly known as Brodiaea eastwoodii) occurs along the coast of Northern and Central California from Humboldt to Monterey counties and is usually found in vernally wet habitats such as swales, marshes, and temporary streams. The bowl-shaped flowers are white, often flushed purplish on the outside or with indigo stripes on the back or occasionally pale rose-purple. The ovary is yellow. In the wild this plant blooms from May to July. In the garden in my experience it needs a lot of water late in spring or it will go dormant without blooming. The first photo below shows the widely spaced umbel with each flower held on a long wiry pedicel and the next two photos are close-up. Ther first three photos by Bob Rutemoeller. The last taken by Mary Sue Ittner shows the corms of a variety that produces a lot of small cormlets around the corm photographed on a 1 cm. square grid.
Triteleia peduncularis, Bob Rutemoeller Triteleia peduncularis, Bob Rutemoeller Triteleia peduncularis, Bob Rutemoeller Triteleia peduncularis corms, Mary Sue Ittner

Flowering June 2006 in Stornetta Public lands, these plants did not have the long pedicel which so often is used as a distinguishing characteristic of this species. Photos by Bob Rutemoeller and Mary Sue Ittner showing the yellow ovary and distinctive markings on the back.
Triteleia peduncularis, Bob Rutemoeller Triteleia peduncularis, Mary Sue Ittner


Triteleia Hybrids -- Triteleia A-GTriteleia H-ITriteleia index


Return to the PBS wiki Photographs And Information page.