Lachenalia ID was BX 249 # 18

Mary Sue Ittner msittner@mcn.org
Thu, 31 Mar 2011 15:55:47 PDT
Arnold,

You need to tell people about the leaves since that is one of the 
first distinctive features. One or two or more. The next feature to 
look for is whether the flowers are sessile or subsessile or have 
long pedicels, that is are the flowers attached to the stem directly, 
or with a very short or longer flower stalk. After that you need to 
know the size of the flowers (under 18 mm) or 20 to 35 mm. Finally 
you need to say if the stamens are well exserted or included or 
shortly exserted.

There are a lot of species so all of these features help you figure 
it out. The Color Encyclopedia of Cape Bulbs says that the stamens 
on  L. liliflora are included even though the photo in Graham 
Duncan's book shows them shortly exserted.  Yours looks much more 
exserted to me. Other pictures that are supposed to be of this 
species show a huge range of how exserted they look however.  L. 
splendida, Pam's guess has two lanceolate leaves, bell shaped flowers 
that are sessile (no flower stalk), and anthers exserted. Perianth is 
9 to 11 mm. You can't tell size from a picture. Flowers are pale blue 
and bright lilac with greenish brown markings.

I've tried to key out species I've grown from unidentified Lachenalia 
seed and sometimes nothing quite fits. There is the possibility 
always that what you have is a hybrid if it is grown from seed 
collected when many were in bloom at the same time.  Regardless, it 
is a very pretty flower.

Mary Sue


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