Flora of North America species comparison

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Chlorogalum

amole, soap plant, soaproot
Habit Herbs, perennial, from tunicate bulbs.
Leaves

basal;

blade linear, reduced to scarious bracts in inflorescence.
Inflorescences

paniculate.
Flowers

scattered at intervals along branches, 1–several per node, each subtended by small bract;

perianth white, purple, or pinkish;

tepals 6, distinct, linear to oblong, with nectaries at base, persisting in fruit and twisting together above capsule;

stamens 6, inserted on bases of tepals;

anthers versatile;

style slightly 3-lobed at apex;

pedicel articulate.
Fruits

capsular, 3-valved, dehiscence loculicidal.
Seeds

1 or 2 per locule.

Chlorogalum
Distribution
from USDA
w North America; mainly Calif
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Species 5 (5 in the flora).

Based on floral characters, chromosome numbers, and karyotypes, Chlorogalum probably is closely related to Camassia, from which it differs primarily in the number of ovules per locule (1 or 2 in Chlorogalum, more than 2 in Camassia).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Key
1. Flowers diurnal.
→ 2
1. Flowers vespertine.
→ 3
2. Tepals white or pinkish; flowers or buds 2 or more per axil.
C. parviflorum
2. Tepals deep blue to purple; flowers and buds occurring singly along inflorescence axis.
C. purpureum
3. Leaves 2–5 mm wide, margins not strongly undulate.
C. angustifolium
3. Leaves 6–25 mm wide, margins strongly undulate.
→ 4
4. Pedicel 5–35 mm, ca. equal to or exceeding perianth.
C. pomeridianum
4. Pedicel 2–5 mm, much shorter than perianth.
C. grandiflorum
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 307. Author: Judy Jernstedt.
Parent taxa Liliaceae
Subordinate taxa
C. angustifolium, C. grandiflorum, C. parviflorum, C. pomeridianum, C. purpureum
Synonyms Laothoë
Name authority Kunth: Enum. Pl. 4: 681. (1843)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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