Flowers and foliage June 2008

[Maggi Young]

Aren't Ipheions now  Tristagma??  B****y taxonomists!

 Tristagma.....Are they?      I give up!

[David Nicholson]

Aren't Ipheions now  Tristagma??  B****y taxonomists!

 Tristagma.....Are they?      I give up!

Diane Clement would know for certain.

[Diane Clement]

Of course Tritelia laxa used to be called Brodiaea laxa and I wish the old name still applied as it's less likely to be mixed up with the "weedy" tritelias, now called Ipheion.

Diane Clement would know for certain.

Wow, what a reputation!  I'm not sure I do know, but I do know where to look!  The family Alliaceae has undergone a massive rethink recently.  The DNA guys have absorbed ALL of the family Amaryllidaceae into Alliaceae (narcissus, galanthus, habranthus, rhodophiala, etc, the lot).  The American (N & S) genera have been in a state of flux for some time, with Iphieon, Triteleia, Brodiea etc being reclassified, some of them more than once. 

When I have on my AGS-seed-name-checkers-hat I have many referenced sources of names.  For monocots, the current most up to date is the Kew monocot database, which is based on current DNA-analysis thinking.
http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/   (type Ipheion in the search box)
this tells us that Ipheion as a genus is now completely gone, mostly absorbed into Tristagma.  Beware that there is not a gender change, so Ipheion uniflorum becomes Tristagma uniflorUM

My next check is the US flora which is kept very much up to date
http://plants.usda.gov/   
Type in the search box Ipheion and it throws up Tristagma uniflorum as the current name with several other now redundant synonyms:  Brodiaea uniflora, Ipheion uniflorum, Milla uniflora and Triteleia uniflora.  An excellent website for information, including distribution maps.

And my other main reference is the current Plant finder - available on line
http://www.rhs.org.uk/rhsplantfinder/plantfinder.asp

Just as you were beginning to feel happy, the Plantfinder still lists Ipheion as Ipheion.  Unfortunately, this reference is the one available to most people and it reflects the nursery names although it does tend to lag several years behind taxonomic changes.  John Bryan is a very good reference and he also lists Ipheion as Ipheion and does not acknowledge Tristagma at all. 

So you make your own choices ...  I will continue to go with Ipheion in the AGS seed list until the Plantfinder catches up and then at least most people will still understand what it is.   

I'd enjoy hearing the thoughts of a real expert in this area - Alberto please comment?

[Lesley Cox]

Well then, what about Ipheion sellowianum which used to be something else before Ipheion, but last time I looked (and changed my labels) it had become Nothoscordum sellowianum. What is it now? (Do I really want to know? )

[Diane Clement]

Well then, what about Ipheion sellowianum which used to be something else before Ipheion, but last time I looked (and changed my labels) it had become Nothoscordum sellowianum.

They have all been something else recently!  Brodiae, Beauverdia, Triteleia ...

  What is it now?

Ipheion sellowianum is now Tristagma sellowianum (according to KEW classification)

http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?accepted_id=290493&repSynonym_id=290514&name_id=279356&status=false

BUT I think the real confusion is with the "other" yellow one, Ipheion dialystemon which is now listed as Nothoscordum dialystemon.  I'm not really sure what the difference is between these two.   

Do I really want to know? ) 

No, I suspect that you didn't! unless you want to keep investing in more labels.   

[arisaema]

At least they've kept Nomocharis oxypetala (Lilium oxypetalum) as a species, in FoC it's lumped into N. aperta... 

[Paul T]

  What is it now?

Ipheion sellowianum is now Tristagma sellowianum (according to KEW classification)

http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?accepted_id=290493&repSynonym_id=290514&name_id=279356&status=false

BUT I think the real confusion is with the "other" yellow one, Ipheion dialystemon which is now listed as Nothoscordum dialystemon.  I'm not really sure what the difference is between these two.   

Diane,

I've only recently got both of these, but my understanding is that one flowers in spring and the other autumn.  I can't remember which is which, but I'll add the other complications of the names Ipheion hirtellum and Ipheion (Nothoscordum) filliponei, which I think are further synonyms for what we're talking about. 

[Diane Clement]

At least they've kept Nomocharis oxypetala (Lilium oxypetalum) as a species, in FoC it's lumped into N. aperta... 

It's inconsistent, because the key is as you say, but the checklist still gives Lilium oxypetalum as a valid name.  Interestingly, FoC also lists Allium still in Liliaceae whereas most of us removed it about 20 years ago   

If anyone is still awake, or actually cares, PBS complicates the issue further: 
Ipheion sellowianum (Kunth)Traub) or Nothoscordum sellowianum or Nothoscordum felipponei . What to call this plant is very confusing. Many of us received it as Ipheion sellowianum only to be told to call it Nothoscordum sellowianum and then were told that Nothoscordum felipponei was the correct name for both this plant and Nothoscordum dialystemon. The RHS plant finder still lists both species under Ipheion. Kew on the other hand recognizes none of these names, but gives two more possibilities, Nothoscordum bivale var. bivale as a syn. for Nothoscordum sellowianum and Tristagma sellowianum as the correct name for Ipheion sellowianum.

Quote from:  http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/Ipheion

[arisaema]

Interestingly, FoC also lists Allium still in Liliaceae whereas most of us removed it about 20 years ago   

Yes, I've noticed, curiously both FoC and USDA Plants does that.

[Magnar]

Magnar,

I am enjoying a moment of delight - now, I have to admit that this is a bold delight, the kind of delight one associates with a bold child. Usually, I am envious of the many, many beautiful plants you show from your garden but then you mention that you would enjoy growing something which grows almost like a weed here. My wife constantly threatens to put all triteleia laxa into the compost bin. They grow very easily and self-seed generously.

So, here, for your enjoyment is a photograph of Triteleia laxa from the garden today. There are plenty of bulbs in the garden so remind me later in the season if you want some.

Paddy

Paddy, thanks a lot for you nice offer. Hope I can have someting to send you in return.

Magnar

[Lesley Cox]

Well then, what about Ipheion sellowianum which used to be something else before Ipheion, but last time I looked (and changed my labels) it had become Nothoscordum sellowianum.

They have all been something else recently!  Brodiae, Beauverdia, Triteleia ...

  What is it now?

Ipheion sellowianum is now Tristagma sellowianum (according to KEW classification)

http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?accepted_id=290493&repSynonym_id=290514&name_id=279356&status=false

BUT I think the real confusion is with the "other" yellow one, Ipheion dialystemon which is now listed as Nothoscordum dialystemon.  I'm not really sure what the difference is between these two.   

Do I really want to know? ) 

No, I suspect that you didn't! unless you want to keep investing in more labels.   

Helen damn!!!