Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

Plant Identification => Plant Identification Questions and Answers => Topic started by: PaulM on July 23, 2009, 08:50:39 PM

Title: Smilacina sp from Chen Yi
Post by: PaulM on July 23, 2009, 08:50:39 PM

Hello ! I have this Smilacina sp ( which I have thought to me S. purpurascens ), but searching the internet didn't result in any loo alikes, so I wonder if someone might know which species this could be. The berries turn red in August.

Title: Re: Smilacina sp from Chen Yi
Post by: Paul T on July 24, 2009, 09:30:17 AM

Wow, Paul.  That is rather nice, isn't it?  Interesting arrangement with the leaves below and the long flowering stem like that.  Beautiful!!  Obviously self fertile too, by the sounds of it.  Nice!!

Title: Re: Smilacina sp from Chen Yi
Post by: Afloden on July 28, 2009, 04:21:54 AM

Paul M,

 Going by your photographs I would call it Smilacina szechuanica.

 If you want a definite name try the online Flora of China or send in some measurements of the tepals, filaments, style, ovary, etc. Or just send me a rhizome!

 Do you have more than one clone? I have never had seed set on my non-native Smilacina thus far.

 Aaron Floden
 University of Tennessee Herbarium

Title: Re: Smilacina sp from Chen Yi
Post by: Geebo on July 28, 2009, 07:10:53 PM

Hi Paul,

The plant You post is now called Maianthemum Purpuracence,and is growing in my woodland garden,I purchased the plant a few Years ago from a good plantswomen in co cork,You can also find it in Dan Hinckley`s book "The Explorers Garden"
I like the plant also.
Cheers,
Guy

Title: Re: Smilacina sp from Chen Yi
Post by: Afloden on July 31, 2009, 01:37:33 PM

M. purpureum, Smilacina purpurea, has a rotate or campanulate perianth, while the plant in the picture has an obvious tube. In the FOC key it says M. purpureum tube not prominent, less than 2mm. This plant has a tube and is correctly called S. szechuanica under current treatments.

 Aaron Floden
 University of Tennessee Herbarium

Title: Re: Smilacina sp from Chen Yi
Post by: Geebo on July 31, 2009, 09:33:44 PM

Hi Paul and aaron,

Sorry for the wrong information I posted,just went on the plant name I was giving.lucky we have some members on this forum,who set things right.Just not good enough to pas on the wrong information from my site.

 could You tell me is there a difference in M. Purpuracence / M.Purpurea
I am adding a picture of one of my mystery Maianthemum,any change to identify,it flowers quite late here well after most of them long finished.
Cheers,

Guy.

Title: Re: Smilacina sp from Chen Yi
Post by: Afloden on August 03, 2009, 06:34:22 AM

 Maianthemum purpureum is the currently accepted name by most, but a recent paper I had mentioned before showed that Smilacina and Maianthemum are distinct genera, so I prefer to use Smilacina purpurea. M. purpurascens is likely just a misspelling.

 Your mystery plant looks like it is Smilacina tubifera, but with white veined leaves. Is the veining a normal thing for your plant? What are the flowers like? They look small and purplish.

 Aaron Floden
 University of Tennessee Herbarium