Lachenalia

Lachenalia J.Jacq. ex Murray is a genus with bulbs in the Hyacinthaceae family (or expanded Asparagaceae) found in Namibia and South Africa. There are around 133 accepted species (according to Plants of the World, 2018). Most of these have a dormancy period and grow new roots each year. Polyxena has been transferred to Lachenalia by J.C. Manning, P. Goldblatt & M.F. Fay in "A revised generic synopsis of Hyacinthaceae in sub-Saharan Africa, including new combinations and the new tribe Pseudoprospereae", Edinburgh Journal of Botany 60(3): 533-568 (2004). Those species continue to be found on the Polyxena wiki page. Information about Lachenalia from Don Journet was provided on the PBS list in three posts in February 2007. The first was a general introduction and discussion about growing the species, the second discussed propagation, and the third covered pests, diseases, general discussion, and references. Cameron McMaster has provided interesting information about this genus in an article he wrote for Farmer's Weekly in 2008.

The first complete illustrated systematic monograph of this genus by Graham Duncan The Genus Lachenalia was published in 2012.

Species of Lachenalia are very easily grown from seeds given that they are sown at the right time of year. List members have varied experiences but most agree that light is not needed for germination. More detailed information about germinating and growing this genus can be found in the post on propagation from Don Journet noted above.

These lachenalias in the first three photos were being used as bedding plants in Nieuwoudtville in September 2006. They could be cultivars or hybrids. Photos from Bob Rutemoeller and Mary Sue Ittner. The fourth photo is of a number of species and hybrids grown by Colin Davis. The fifth photo shows bulbs on a 1 cm grid by M. Gastil-Buhl. This last photo shows leaf cuttings with bulbils formed at the base by Colin Davis. Propagation of Lachenalia is quite productive with this method, yielding over 25 bulbils in this instance using less than 2 leaves.

See the wiki page of Lachenalia hybrids
Find species alphabetically or click on the species name in the table below:
Lachenalia a - Lachenalia b-c - Lachenalia d-i - Lachenalia j-n - Lachenalia o-p - Lachenalia q-t - Lachenalia u-z - Polyxena

Lachenalia species
Lachenalia alba	Lachenalia algoensis	Lachenalia aloides	*Lachenalia aloides var. aurea
*Lachenalia aloides var. quadricolor	*Lachenalia aloides var. vanzyliae	Lachenalia ameliae	Lachenalia angelica
Lachenalia anguinea	Lachenalia arbuthnotiae	Lachenalia attenuata	Lachenalia aurioliae
Lachenalia bachmannii	Lachenalia bolusii	Lachenalia bulbifera	Lachenalia callista
Lachenalia campanulata	Lachenalia canaliculata	Lachenalia capensis	Lachenalia carnosa
Lachenalia comptonii	Lachenalia congesta	Lachenalia contaminata	Lachenalia corymbosa
Lachenalia doleritica	Lachenalia elegans	*Lachenalia elegans var. flava	*Lachenalia elegans var. membranacea
*Lachenalia elegans var. suaveolens	Lachenalia ensifolia	Lachenalia ensifolia ssp maughanii	Lachenalia fistulosa
Lachenalia flava	Lachenalia framesii	Lachenalia giessii	*Lachenalia gillettii
Lachenalia glauca	Lachenalia glaucophylla	Lachenalia haarlemensis	Lachenalia hirta
Lachenalia isopetala	Lachenalia juncifolia	Lachenalia karooica	Lachenalia karoopoortensis
Lachenalia kliprandensis	Lachenalia latimerae	Lachenalia leipoldtii	Lachenalia liliflora
Lachenalia longibracteata	Lachenalia longituba	Lachenalia lutea	Lachenalia luteola
Lachenalia magentea	Lachenalia marginata	Lachenalia mathewsii	*Lachenalia maughanii
Lachenalia mediana	Lachenalia membranacea	Lachenalia minima	Lachenalia multifolia
Lachenalia mutabilis	Lachenalia namaquensis	Lachenalia namibiensis	Lachenalia nardousbergensis
Lachenalia neilii	Lachenalia nervosa	Lachenalia obscura	Lachenalia orchioides
Lachenalia orchioides ssp. glaucina	Lachenalia orthopetala	Lachenalia pallida	Lachenalia patentissima
Lachenalia patula	Lachenalia paucifolia	Lachenalia peersii	Lachenalia polyphylla
Lachenalia polypodantha	Lachenalia punctata	Lachenalia purpureocaerulea	Lachenalia pusilla
*Lachenalia pustulata	Lachenalia pygmaea	Lachenalia quadricolor	Lachenalia reflexa
Lachenalia rosea	* Lachenalia rubida	Lachenalia salteri	Lachenalia sargeantii
Lachenalia schelpei	Lachenalia splendida	Lachenalia spp.	Lachenalia suaveolens
Lachenalia summerfieldii	Lachenalia thomasiae	Lachenalia thunbergii	Lachenalia trichophylla
Lachenalia undulata	*Lachenalia unicolor	Lachenalia unifolia	Lachenalia vanzyliae
Lachenalia ventricosa	Lachenalia violacea	Lachenalia viridiflora	Lachenalia whitehillensis
Lachenalia xerophila	Lachenalia youngii	Lachenalia zebrina	Lachenalia zeyheri

Lachenalia hybrids -Lachenalia a - Lachenalia b-c - Lachenalia Species d-i - Lachenalia j-n - Lachenalia o-p - Lachenalia q-t - Lachenalia u-z - Polyxena