Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

Bulbs => Bulbs General => Topic started by: Shauney on March 28, 2018, 04:14:48 PM

Title: Chionodoxa ident please
Post by: Shauney on March 28, 2018, 04:14:48 PM
Hi, please could someone help me with identifying which chionodoxa this is? I think it's c. forbesii but have seen pics of c. luciliae that look very similar! Any help would be greatfull.
Thanks Shaun
Title: Re: Chionodoxa ident please
Post by: David Nicholson on March 28, 2018, 07:25:15 PM
According to The Plant List it is Chionodoxa forbesii with C. luciliae being synonymous with the former.
Title: Re: Chionodoxa ident please
Post by: Maggi Young on March 28, 2018, 08:10:57 PM
The RHS, when  trialling this sort of plant, called it the trial of the "Little Blue Bulbs" - tells you all you need to know!  #confused # mostofusare!
Title: Re: Chionodoxa ident please
Post by: Paul Cumbleton on March 28, 2018, 10:22:29 PM
The "Little Blue Bulbs" trial Maggi mentioned was written up and the report can be downloaded as a pdf file here: https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/PDFs/Plant-trials-and-awards/Plant-bulletins/hyacinthaceae.pdf (https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/PDFs/Plant-trials-and-awards/Plant-bulletins/hyacinthaceae.pdf). It talks about the confusion in naming Chionodoxas and tries to sort them out.

Paul
Title: Re: Chionodoxa ident please
Post by: Jacek on March 28, 2018, 10:35:54 PM
I don't know the name, but I noticed there are two different types of plants available in garden centres. I have both.

Type 1 Bulbs small, elongated, easily dividing into two. Plants smaller, up to 10 cm, 1 or 2 flowers per stem. Flowers up facing, the biggest of all chionodoxa. Often not clear blue, somewhat purple tinted and not dark.

Type 2 Bulbs bigger, round (like Scilla sibirica or small Hyacinthus orientalis), without visible tendency for division. Plants bigger, ca 15 cm, 2 to 5 (or more) flowers per stem. Flowers up and side facing, big but smaller than type 1. Within this type pink and white clones are sold. The blue clone has clear dark blue flowers (with white eye, of course).

Both plants retain their different features in mixed garden population. Shaun, your plant rather belongs to type 1

And the plant sold by The Pottertons as C. sardensis is clearly different - like an intensely dark-coloured type 2 miniature.
Title: Re: Chionodoxa ident please
Post by: Shauney on March 29, 2018, 12:53:09 AM
Thanks all for your replies.
David:-  Thanks for the ident.
Paul:-  Thanks for the interesting and confusing link!  ???

Thanks Shaun
Title: Re: Chionodoxa ident please
Post by: Maggi Young on March 29, 2018, 01:25:51 PM
If you search the forum using the search term "Little Blue Bulbs"  (  from the search button, fourth left in the line  near the top of the page)   you'll find  quite a few  posts about this  subject!
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