This species is still a matter of disagreement among
the "experts" of hostadom.
The Hostapedia by
Mark Zilis (2009) referred to the 1940 monograph on hostas by
Dr. Fumio Maekawa and W. George Schmid's monograph from 1991. Zilis states, "Simply put, Maekawa's and
Schmid's H. cathayana are the same as the most common
hosta in American shade gardens - H.
'Lancifolia'."
According to
The Genus Hosta by W. George Schmid (1991), "...the "autumn wind hosta" is often mistaken for
the cultigen H. 'Lancifolia' because the only visible differences are the former's smaller,
glossy leaves and shorter scapes, persistent bracts, and later
flowering time ("blooms in the autumn wind")...originally from China as its species epithet indicates (cathaiana = from China )."
It is an upright growing, small size plant about 10 inches in
height with a spread of 12 to 28 inches. The leaves are glossy
green, slightly wavy and smooth in texture. Pale purple,
funnel-shaped flowers with purple anthers bloom from August into
September. They produce viable seeds.
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