Viewing comments posted by AntMan01

According to the introducer of this selection, Jan Sacks and Marty Schafer, they regard this cultivar as Iris verna var. smalliana, due to the wider leaves than the type species, and the shorter distance between offshoots. I have reconfirmed with Jan & Marty that they consider this Iris verna ssp. smalliana 'Brumback Blue', named for horticulturalist and former director of the New England Wildflower Society Bill Brumback. I recommend changing the record accordingly. Thank you.

Taxonomic Note: I have annotated my photos (by AntMan01) as Epimedium koreanum, as a valid species separate from E. grandiflorum. A list of taxonomic references that support this taxon appear below. I am doing this because the National Garden Association plants Database utilizes the Catalog of Life as a singular guiding taxonomic reference, and it does not follow current 2017 references by RBG (Royal Botanic Garden), KEW Science, and Plants of the World Online.

Epimedium koreanum has long rhizomes and is a fast running species, E. grandiflorum has short rhizomes and is a "clumper". Epimedium koreanum has a few-flowered inflorescence from a pedicel attached to a naked leaf stalk, the flowers opening before the taller canopy of biternate leaves (3 sets of 3 leaflets), the individual leaflets are very large. The long spurs are incurved (arched downwards). Flowers are a noticeably large size. The growth pattern of E. koreanum is like a thicket of separate vertical leaf stalks, each stalk with a flower cluster attached at approximately the midpoint of the leaf stalk, completely different than E. grandiflorum which makes a dense woody pad of congested rhizomes/roots with many leaf stems arising from the rootstalk, and separate flower stems arising from the base.

Flora of China: Epimedium koreanum is from Korea, Japan, and several provinces of China
http://www.efloras.org/florata...

Flora of China: see note regarding grandiflorum not in China, under "insufficiently known species"
http://www.efloras.org/florata...

Flora of China: drawing of Epimedium koreanum, showing biternate leaf arrangement (3 sets of 3 leaflets) and flower stalk off the leaf stalk part way up.
http://www.efloras.org/object_...

Royal Botanic Garden, Kew Science, Plants of the World Online (2017)
http://powo.science.kew.org/ta...

Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone
The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2017. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/

Cultural hint & synonymy note: Recently taxonomists have lumped Epimedium brachyrrhizum into leptorrhizum, even when acknowledging the fact brachyrrhizum is a "clumper" with short rhizomes, whereas leptorrhizum is a fast spreading "ground cover" with long narrow annually expanding rhizomes. The former brachyrrhizum slowly builds into a domed clump, safe to grow amongst other well-behaved perennials and shade plants, whereas leptorrhizum grows much lower but spreading far and wide into a groundcover, and should only be planted where plenty of room is afforded. The distinct plant habits and growing considerations will become blurred over time when both plants are considered but one entity. I hope that helps. All the photos by me (Antman01) show the clumping Epimedium brachyrrhizum plant.

Cultural tip: This is a hybrid between Epimedium alpinum and pinnatum ssp. colchicum. The latter is a tough drought-tolerant plant. While this plant grows and flowers modestly in shade (even fairly deep dry shade), it is much more colorful if grown in sun. Here in Massachusetts I grow it in full sun, where it flowers much more prolifically than when grown in shade, and the spring leaves take on an incredible red-bronze color highlighted with chartreuse veining, a show unto themselves. Late autumn leaf color is yet another benefit if the plant receives enough sunshine.

A. nutans has very broad leaves, typically gray color but can be greenish-gray, stems that are strongly "winged" or "keeled", and flower buds strongly nodding as the stems grow but eventually turn upright, and flower heads that are fully spherical.

The name is incorrect. Both 'Sulphureum' and 'Neosulphureum' are cultivars of Epimedium x versicolor, these are not straight E. grandiflorum selections or cultivars.
Epimedium x versicolor are sterile hybrids between E. grandiflorum crossed with E. pinnatum ssp. colchicum.