Incorrectly labelled Trillium

[shelagh]

When I was given a piece of this Trillium which I admired in a members garden it was labelled as Trillium sessile californicum rubrum. Research shows this is incorrect. Can anyone help me give it it's rightful name.

Info. it is in a 16cm pot. The plant from the top of the gravel to the top of the flower is 10cm.  It has been out for over a week and shows no sign of elongating.

It's gorgeous.

[ranunculus]

Certainly a gem, Shelagh.

[Rick R.]

I have a similar problem with a trillium I bought as sessile.  When I divided it last season, I discovered it has a mostly erect rhizome.  Sessile rhizomes are supposed to be horizontal, according to Flora of North America.  Delving into the problem, I find that several species are erroneously sold as T. sessile.  I am waiting for mine to flower now so I can look more closely at ovary and stamen characteristics.  Take note if anthers are introrse, extrorse or latrorse (anthers opening infacing,outfacing or sidefacing), length of stamen in relation to ovary height, if and how far the stamen extends above or below the anther.  Fred and Roberta Case's book on Trilliums has a good detailed key and does allow for an exception of an erect rhizome for T. sessile.

[WimB]

I was told that the problem is that a lot of the species and hybrids with sessile flowers are sold as being Trillium sessile, which is completely wrong of course! I'd say there are T. chloropetalum genes in the form from Shelagh and T. underwoodii genes in the form from Rick but they can be hybrids with multiple species in their lineage which makes it impossible to determine...a friend of mine keeps these forms under the name of "Trillium, western sessile hybrid"

[Lesley Cox]

That's true Wim. For many years in New Zealand when all we had here was T. chloropetalum, it was known exclusively as T. sessile, causing much confusion especially when other species (including sessile) gradually became available from seed sources and at that time we could import plants too. In fact, many gardeners still use the name sessile, I suspect because they can't be bothered learning or saying the slightly more difficult name. Most who do so, say sessile as we would when saying a plant was sessile, rather than as the woman's name Cecily.

[Rick R.]

Thanks Wim.  I also read about the confusion with hybrids which apparently are quite prevalent.  I should have mentioned that too.

[Tristan_He]

It's still not unheard of to come across a nursery / garden centre in the UK selling plants as 'Trillium chloropetalum (sessile)'.

[shelagh]

Thanks Wim, I had always thought that T. chloropetalum was a much taller plant more like Kurabayashii.

[Leena]

I have Trillium sessile, planted two years ago and bought from Estonia, and it is a very small plant, much much smaller than my T.chloropetalum or T.kurabayashii (if they are correct plants).

[shelagh]

Looking at an American site it showed the Toadshade wakerobin Trillium cuneatum which it said was only 6 inches.  Anyone have anything to say about that?

[t00lie]

Hello Shelagh --As Rick has mentioned a look at ovary and stamen characteristics ,whether anthers are introrse, extrorse or latrorse (anthers opening infacing,outfacing or side facing), and length of stamen in relation to ovary height, may help in an identification ,(a few close up pics of those parts might help),however as Wim has commented it could be a hybrid with multiple species in its lineage which makes it impossible to determine.......

a friend of mine keeps these forms under the name of "Trillium, western sessile hybrid"

Wim I think that calling them 'western sessile hybrids' just continues the confusion .T sessile is a small Eastern species .Surely we can come up with a better name for the Westerners of doubt .......    I have no suggestions currently 

[johnralphcarpenter]

I bought T. sessile from Kevock, which turned out to be T. cuneatum. See reply 64 here: http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=10227.60#lastPost

[WimB]

Wim I think that calling them 'western sessile hybrids' just continues the confusion .T sessile is a small Eastern species .Surely we can come up with a better name for the Westerners of doubt .......    I have no suggestions currently 

I know, we should find a group name for those Westerners of unknown provenance which makes it clear that they have nothing in common with the true species T. sessile  , but I'll leave that to the English native speakers... 

[t00lie]

I know, we should find a group name for those Westerners of unknown provenance which makes it clear that they have nothing in common with the true species T. sessile  , but I'll leave that to the English native speakers... 

 

What about  --- T . ' Western garden raised hybrids '......... 

[WimB]

What about  --- T . ' Western garden raised hybrids '......... 

Sounds like they are all raised in western gardens, no? With those words  I would have used T. 'Garden raised Western hybrids', but like I said, not a native speaker here!