Species Iris Group of North America

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Alophia veracruzana

Botanical Name: Alophia veracruzana (added by D. Kramb, 18-JAN-04)


Botanical Synonyms:

N/A


Classification:

Irid, Tribe Tigrideae (D. Kramb, 18-JAN-04)


Common Names:

Mexican pine wood lily (D. Kramb, 18-JAN-04)


Chromosome Count:

N/A


General Description:

Flowers are 2" (5cm) across in cool blue and face sideways on 12" (30cm) graceful plants. (D. Kramb, 18-JAN-04)

I had two plants that bloomed this year. Each one produced 1 non-branched stalk which contained 3 blooms in the terminal spathe. The blooms were spaced days apart, and depended greatlly on heat & sun to bloom. My plants only reached about 8 to 9 inches tall. (D. Kramb, 03-SEP-06)


Distinguishing Features:

Flowers are cool blue and white. (D. Kramb, 18-JAN-04)


Preferred Habitat:

The original type specimen was discovered along a sandy roadside south of Alvarado, Vera Cruz, Mexico. (D. Kramb, 18-JAN-04)


Hardiness:

N/A


Native Range:

Mexico (D. Kramb, 18-JAN-04)


Status in the Wild:

N/A


Commercial Availability:

Rarely available through seed exchanges such as NARGS or SIGNA. (D. Kramb, 18-JAN-04)


Sources Cited:

N/A


Additional Comments:

Out of 6 flowers, only 1 seed pod formed. I noticed small bees, so I assume one of these was the pollinator, or maybe the wind. (D. Kramb, 03-SEP-06)

I received an email from a concerned gardener in a warm Zone 10 climate. He said: "I obtained a few corms and the plants have performed spectacularly well in my Zone 10 garden. Unfortunately, they have performed too well. They have no natural predators or enemies and a single plant can produce, under ideal conditions, several hundred seeds each season. The plants are self-fertile and every flower results in a seed pod with 20-40 seeds in it. Every single seed seems to germinate and Alophia veracruzana has become a noxious pest in my garden. The corms are deep-seated and are difficult to remove once the plant is a year or more old. Also, if the seedlings come up among other plants, it is almost impossible to remove the corms without damaging the plants that they are growing among. Although it is doubtful that this plant, from Vera Cruz, Mexico, would be weedy in the northern United States, it could be extremely problematic in the southeastern United States." (D. Kramb, 12-JUN-08)

Where to buy it:


Sorry, but no sources of Alophia veracruzana have been uploaded yet.

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