Japanese Toad Lily (Tricyrtis formosana)

Photographed at Sissinghurst, October 2002

That's a great pic, and cool looking flower :) I have to buy one next year, if they sell any here...

Thanks Evert. I've bought a couple recently, but there both without the freckles. I've never been too sure if i like the spotty ones. This one looked very good growing in the garden at Sissinghurst though - i may have to change my mind LOL.
I didn't realise how tall they grow, or that they flower so late in the season either.

Sorry to be nitpicky, but T. formosana should be "Formosa Toad Lily" or "Taiwan T. L." as T. hirta is the "Japanese T. L."

A look around the net has convinced me that about half of the cultivars offered for sale are mislabeled - there are hundreds of hybrids between the two here in Japan, and most show preponderence of T. hirta genes. T. formosa for me is a much smaller plant with very little puple stippling on the petals and sepals. In my experience, hirta has hairy leaves, and formosana has smooth leaves, but this is not always the case. Flowers from the leaf axils is also an unreliable diagnostic. In Kyushu there are said to be wild hybrids, but T. formosana could be an ancient escapee, as these islands have had avid gardeners coming and going for over two thousand years.

A muddle, as usual.

Oh darn - I got so taxonomically worked up, I forgot to say: "Nice pic philomel!"

BTW - T. hirta in the wild in Japan: http://plantsdatabase.com/showpicture/7798.html

Hi Loph.
I photographed this toad lily in the National Trust garden at Sissinghurst in Kent. It was labelled T. formosana. An entry for this had already been made in the PDB, so i just posted the photo there. Perhaps you could use the error reporting option on the T. formosana page in the PDB to register the correct taxonomy?

Love your spotty picture!!
:)

I worked voluntarily at Sissinghurst Castle Garden over the summer months this year. I noticed this plant in the priests garden. There is one there labeled as Tricyrtis hirta 'Miyazaki'. Could this be a different form to your picture?

Yes, I think the two are different Dan
I didn't see the other flowering - i bet that's good.
Have answered your emails :)

This message was edited Monday, Nov 18th 7:54 AM

diggingdan -
Miyazaki Prefecture is on the island of Kyushu, 'way down south and the area mentioned above where the so-called "natural" hybrid between T. hirta and T. formosana is said to occur. Kyushu is also home to the dubious species T. macropoda (which may be an ancient hybrid of T. hirta and who knows what crossed back into the T. hirta line.)
Here's an example of what the net has to offer for "Miyazaki": http://www.underwoodshadenursery.com/grafix/01376A%20Tricyrtis%20hirta%20'Miyazaki'.JPG
Now compare it to this on line example of T. macropoda: http://www.gardenweek.org/journal/091800/Images-2/e9962.jpg

Confused? Join the club. ;)

For an in depth analysis of the Tricyrtis complex in Japan, I recommend Kitamura et al. "Genshoku Nihon Shokubutsu Zukan, Kusamoto-hen vol. III" (4th ed, 1987) pages 143-148.

Then you'll be even more confused....

Eugh! Thanks Lophophora :(

I have a plant masquerading as T. macropoda, yellow, small flowered, heavily spotted and flowers in June/July.