Chionophila jamesii

[McDonough]

Definitely not for a hot humid climate like mine.  I think the color quite lovely, pale creamy white with a fine brown line at the edge, quite subtle.  We can't all be kniphofias, Panayoti.

I held my tongue regarding this plant, because I've never seen it in real life, and sometimes plants in the flesh can be far more fetching than they might appear in photos.  I have to agree with Panayoti, at least based on photos I've seen, the flower color is a bit off putting, the brown lines on the lips giving the impression of a flower going over and singed by heat of the day.

To me, Chionophila tweedyi seems to perch on an inferior branch of the family tree.

And that branch is a tiny twig indeed, as the family tree is very short, just two species.

[Spiegel]

Mark, you'll just have to go see it in person.  It's getting a bad rap here.  Unfortunately I don't have a digital picture, but a really nice slide.

[cohan]

I'm very late to this thread- but currently debating whether to add one or the other of the two species to a seed order from Alplains.. both seem very charming, though I'm leaning a bit toward tweedyi..

[Spiegel]

Try them both, but if you can only get one my vote would be for C. jamesii, far superior to my eye.

[cohan]

Thanks, Anne; I'd love to try both eventually, but am trying to keep this order very small, since I am also making a couple of other orders...lol