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Dichelostemma volubile

Common name:	Snake Lily	Family:	Alliaceae
Author:	(Kellogg.)A.A.Heller.	Botanical references:	1, 71
Synonyms:	Stropholirion californicum, Dichelostemma californicum ((Torr.)Alph.Wood.), Brodiaea volubilis ((Moriere.)Baker.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	South-western N. America.
Habitat:	Clay or granite, bushy or open slopes below 750 metres in California, where it clambers over shrubs[71].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	3	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	Macroscapa volubilis[B,P]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Twining Snake-lily [B], Twining Snakelily [P],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	volubile = twining, turning;

Physical Characteristics

Corm growing to 3.6m. It is hardy to zone 9. It is in flower in July. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). We rate it 3/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires dry or moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Sunny Edge, By Walls, By South Wall, By West Wall.

Edible Uses

Root.

Corm - raw or cooked[105, 161, 257].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Prefers a rich sandy loam and a well-drained soil[1]. Succeeds in most soils and situations so long as the ground is well-drained[42]. Likes plenty of moisture whilst in growth, followed by a warm dry period in late summer to autumn[200].
Plants are not very hardy and may require protection in severe winters[1]. This can be provided by applying a good organic mulch such as dry bracken in late autumn and removing it in the spring. Alternatively, you can cover the ground with a cloche or similar device. Plants are susceptible to rot in wet winters.
Plants are often found growing with Rhus toxicodendron in the wild[90].
A very ornamental plant, it can flower in 2 years from seed.

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a free-draining compost in a cold frame[200]. Sow stored seed in spring in a cold frame[175]. Seedlings are prone to damping off and so should be kept well ventilated[175]. Germinates in 1 - 3 months at 15°c[175]. If the seed is sown thinly enough, it can be grown on for its first year without transplanting and then the dormant bulbs can be planted 2/3 to a pot. Otherwise prick out the seedlings when large enough to handle, planting them 2/3 to a pot. Grow on the plants in a greenhouse for at least two years before planting out in late spring after the last expected frosts.
Division in autumn of offsets that have reached flowering size[1]. Dig up the clumps of bulbs and replant the larger ones into their permanent positions. It is best to pot up the smaller ones and grow them on for a year in a cold frame before planting them out.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[C] Taxon data. from the CalFlora database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[42] Grey. C. H. Hardy Bulbs. Williams & Norgate. 1938
Rather dated now, but an immense work on bulbs for temperate zones and how to grow them. Three large volumes.

[71] Munz. A California Flora. University of California Press 1959
An excellent flora but no pictures. Not for the casual reader.

[90] Phillips. R. and Rix. M. Bulbs Pan Books 1989 ISBN 0-330-30253-1
Superbly illustrated, it gives brief details on cultivation and native habitat.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[161] Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.
A comprehensive but very terse guide. Not for the casual reader.

[175] Bird. R. (Editor) Focus on Plants. Volume 5. (formerly 'Growing from seed') Thompson and Morgan. 1991
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. A good article on Corydalis spp.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
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