Erythronium

[Ray]

Hi Ian,thanks for the info,just by looking at mine and your californicum it seems that mine has a deeper colour in the eye zone and stronger markings,butI have got the plant and if I can get the correct name thats a bonus. bye Ray

[Stephen Vella]

Fermi thats good to hear.

Ian your posted pics show the differance in the colour of the pollen and is a dead give away.

E helenae I have is wild source and like you say never increases but i have never noticed the scent, will have to sniff it when its out.

cheers

[Ray]

The label says E howellii,but it looks like I have 3 species or 3 variants of one species.
Although I have the E key this species is not on it.They all have mottled leaves,but one has dark green leaves and brown markings,in the pics one flower is fully out andthere is another spike about 3 ins from the base the other one is just opening,the third is about 2 weeks from flowering but it has a spike of about 5 flowers on the end of the spike.So i would like to know what you think I have .thanks bye Ray

[Paul T]

Ray,

I'll leave this to those who are more in the know.  Once you've sorted this one out, I'll post a pic of similar Erythroniums (but not the same) which I need to work out whether they are hybrids or just a bit of variability.  I'll leave yours to be sorted out first though, rather than putting a second lot in here.

[Maggi Young]

Ray, you need to have a good look at the inner parts of the flowers.... you're looking for auricles... "swollen saccate appendages" at the base of the floral segments.......E. howellii does not have these but E. citrinum does.

There seems to be quite a variation in the overall look of your flowers and if the auricle question cannot be clearly  answered, then you've likely got hybrids of some sort. 

[Ray]

Hi Maggi,will get back to you tomorrow about that. bye Ray

[Ray]

Hi Maggi,not sure what I am looking for,the only thing I could find was what looks like little lumps at the bottom of the petals as per pics.Do you have any pic of these auricles? thanks bye Ray

[fermi de Sousa]

If that stigma is twisted downwards then that should define it as E. helenae
cheers
fermi

[Maggi Young]

Good photos, Ray.
Yes, those bumpy bits are the auricles.... so.... NOT E.  howellii then. The style does seem bent so that suggests  E. helenae. Is this the flower in your pic 223 above?

Pic 224  with the whiter pollen seems NOT to have a bent style so might be citrinum ..... or they could be hybrids  

 I think the "technical term" for what you have there is a pot of mixed widgets 

[Ray]

H Maggi,this is the same flower as pic 223 and it does have a slight perfume.Pic 224 also has auricles but the style is not bent as much,it is also the one with dark green leaves with the brown markings.It will be interesting to see what the next one is,it has 8 flower buds and atm the buds are upward facing.Thanks for your help,and today has not been a total loss I have learnt were to find auricles! bye Ray

[Rodger Whitlock]

Pic 224  with the whiter pollen seems NOT to have a bent style so might be citrinum ..... or they could be hybrids  

 I think the "technical term" for what you have there is a pot of mixed widgets 

And that is why the seed of Pacific coast erythroniums from my garden is aggregated and sent to the exchanges as a lucky dip that might include chance hybrids. Watch for at a seed exchange near you.

[Maggi Young]

Sensible move, Rodger.... of course, as the Bulb Despot never tires of telling us; every Erythronium is beautiful and a blessing to this planet, so they are all worthy of our adoration and attention! 

[Ray]

Hi Maggi & Rodger,it would appear that I am being very naive to expect that the seed I buy from commercial seed people would turn out to be what I have not ordered.This is 2nd time in as many weeks that this has happened,as I only have a small collection it doesn't really matter as I get some species that I don't have anyway,but I would be really cheesed of if I already had it.
So watch this space because there will be more ID's coming . bye Ray