Oporanthous bulbs

Jane McGary janemcgary@earthlink.net
Wed, 29 Aug 2007 08:42:05 PDT
I can add to the list of late-summer-flowering bulbs a few Colchicum 
species that always start what I think of as the fall flowering season by 
appearing here in late August, regardless of moisture: C. alpinum, and the 
Merendera species (now included in Colchicum by some authorities) M. 
montana and M. pyrenaica. I'm already seeing some of the larger Colchicum 
species and hybrids in flower this summer, but this is abnormal and 
probably due to unusually cool temperatures.

In addition to the well-known Acis autumnalis (Leucojum autumnale), A. 
valentina, a larger species with pure white flowers, blooms this time of 
year. I have several Scilla species (now split up into various new genera 
by Speta), which I'll call by their old names here: Scilla autumnalis, S. 
intermedia, S. obtusifolia, and S. scilloides. The first three may now be 
known as Prospero spp.; I'm not sure where S. scilloides ended up in the 
Speta reclassification. S. scilloides is quite winter-hardy despite its 
early leaf growth; the others may be limited to warmer gardens.

Jane McGary
Northwestern Oregon, USA



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