Leucojum JCA 630.480

Rodger Whitlock totototo@pacificcoast.net
Tue, 30 Mar 2004 02:16:26 PST
I have a tentatively identified this plant as Leucojum fontianum, not 
L. tingitanum.

According to the key in Brian Mathew's "The Smaller Bulbs" (Batsford, 
1987), these two species can be distinguished on the basis of the 
width of the leaf:

L. fontianum: leaves 6-8 mm wide
L. tingitanum: leaves 2.5 mm or less wide

Mathew describes the species as having leaves "rather wider than most 
of the small-flowered species." This agrees very well with my 
plant. However, he also says "F. C. Stern, in 'Snowdrops and 
Snowflakes', considered it [L. fontianum] to be a robust form of L. 
tingitanum."

Mathew refers to the leaves of L. tingitanum as "linear", which is 
most definitely NOT what I have on my hands.

The pictures of L. tingitanum on the wiki unfortunately concentrate
on the inflorescence rather than the leaves, and being closeups, do 
not offer any visual clues to the size of the plants depicted. I 
cannot say if they depict the same plant as mine.

Again, let me ask: does anyone have the Archibald seedlists from 
around 1990? If so, where was this collection made?


-- 
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Maritime Zone 8, a cool Mediterranean climate

on beautiful Vancouver Island


More information about the pbs mailing list