Ithuriel’s Spear or Harvest Brodiaea?

These beauties have a lot in common –

· They have a loose umbel of purple-blue flowers

· The flowers have 6 petal-like tepals.

· The tepals often have a dark center line.

Ithuriel’s Spear (Tritelia laxa)

Photo © Neal Kramer

Harvest Brodiaea (Brodiaea elegans)

Photo © Neal Kramer

However, a closer look at the flowers shows their difference.

Ithuriel’s Spear (Tritelia laxa)

Photo by Steve Matson

Six fertile stamens have blue, triangular anthers. The stamens are separate from the central pistil.

Sandy points out that these petals are paper thin, compared to the fleshy Harvest Brodiaea. Also, this flower’s petals form a smooth round cup where they flair out.

Harvest Brodiaea (Brodiaea spp.)

Photo Keir Morse

Three flat, white staminodes (infertile stamens) rise away from the center of the flower. Three additional fertile stamens have linear anthers pressed around a central pistil.

Sandy points out that this flower has fleshy petals, almost as if they’ve been dipped in wax. On the other hand, Ithuriel’s Spear petals are paper thin.

Harvest Brodiaea stays in bloom longer, into the harvest season (August), while Ithuriel’s Spear finishes blooming in June or July.

Have fun figuring these out on the trail!

Corrections/Comments: bruce@PlantID.net