Another way some bulbs accomplish the same purpose is to keep the ovary underground throughout the flowering-seed setting process. Crocus korolkowii is a good example: if you wait for the seed capsules to appear above ground, you'll never get them because they remain underground. With regard to Ina's comment about Sternbergia lutea, as far as I know Sternbergia lutea in its commonly cultivated form does not set seed ever. I suspect that it is triploid or aeuploid, and perhaps if allotriploid of hybrid origin. The plants called Sternbergia lutea which set seed are the smaller, narrower leaf forms which probably represent different taxa. Jim McKenney jimmckenney@jimmckenney.com Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, 39.021954º North, 77.052102º West, USDA zone 7 My Virtual Maryland Garden http://www.jimmckenney.com/ <http://www.jimmckenney.com/> BLOG! http://mcwort.blogspot.com/ Webmaster Potomac Valley Chapter, NARGS Editor PVC Bulletin http://www.pvcnargs.org /<http://www.pvcnargs.org/> Webmaster Potomac Lily Society http://www.potomaclilysociety.org/ <http://www.potomaclilysociety.org/>