Description
(E.sibiricum Altai Snow)
Formerly thought of as a colour form of E. sibiricum, fresh studies on Asian Erythronium have elucidated many of the inter-relationships of these little known species (including krylovii and sajanense). As a result of this research, the strain Altai Snow is now thought to be a member of a subspecies of E. sibiricum. ( Bartha et al. J Plant Res (2015) 128:721–729). Having said which it appears to me to be indistinguishable from E. krylovii when grown side by side with that plant.
A superb horticultural plant, discovered and introduced by Janis Ruksans, this has big white flowers with a slight cream tinge. At the base of the petals there is a creamy to yellow zone with some orange spotting. With age the tips of the petals shade to violet.
E. sibiricum altaicum is NOT a clone, but a seed-raised strain, variable to some extent in shape, size of basal spots and intensity of pinkish suffusion developing with age. It keeps its distinct features when seed-raised in isolation. In addition, it propagates reasonably well, vegetatively in a half-shaded spot in a humus-rich soil, but this does need a proper winter rest, so it is one for a correct site the garden rather than pot growth.
This is one of the very earliest of the sibiricum alliance to flower.
