On Jul 23, 12:28*pm, wrote:
Dear austin.gardening group,
* *With a widespread, significant rain in the offing in your area, I
am seeking seeds of Habranthus tubispathus, also known as Habranthus
texanus or Zephyranthes texana. *This is the little copper-yellow rain
lily that will be blooming over the next weekend in lawns and
roadsides. *The seeds should be ripe about 18-19 days after
flowering. *I would like, if possible, five to 10 mature seed capsules
in separate wrappers, with the locality where they came from. *The
seeds will be used in a study of reproduction in this apomictic
species, and possibly to start a mapping population.
* *You can see photographs of this species atwww.google.com, under
the web option, by entering "Habranthus tubispathus".
* *My address is: Charles Crane, Department of Botany and Plant
Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906-2054. *I will
reimburse postage plus $5.00 to the first two persons to fill this
request.
Addendum, August 6:
Thank you for your postings to austin.gardening. Please check out
the following web images to determine if you have H. tubispathus:
http://www.bio.utexas.edu/courses/bi...ubispathus.htm
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=HATU
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Ha...us_tubispathus
http://www.wildflower.org/gallery/re...id_image=19892
What it is not:
http://www.tuinkrant.com/plantengids...ssen/29315.htm
(Zephyranthes pulchella)
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Im...es_citrina.jpg
(Zephyranthes citrina)
http://www.plantdelights.com/Catalog...tail/00113.htm
(Zephyranthes citrina)
http://www.bulbsociety.org/GALLERY_O...primulina.html
(Z.primulina)
The flowers of H. tubispathus are slightly nodding, with four lengths
of stamens and a deeply trifid stigma. The flowers of yellow
Zephyranthes are upright, with one length of stamens and a capitate
(rounded) stigma. The fresh seeds of H. tubispathus are pretty flat,
while those of the Zephyranthes, when fresh, can be a third to half as
thick as they are long. The Habranthus produces 30-100 seeds per
flower, while these two Zephyranthes typically produce less than 30,
sometimes only 10. Also, the Habranthus is much more likely to flower
as a single bulb, whereas the Zephyranthes produce offsets, and Z.
pulchella can make substantial clumps. The leaves of Z. citrina and Z.
pulchella are longer and more terete (cylindrical) than those of H.
tubispathus, although you won't see this in a mowed lawn. Z.
pulchella and Z. citrina natively grow in heavy clay soils, but H.
tubispathus prefers sandier soil (think College Station). The
farthest north known native population of Z. pulchella is a low spot
near Sutherland Springs, while H. tubispathus is reasonably common in
lawns up to Waco.