Liriopogons are evergreen perennials with a confusing taxonomy. New cultivars are being rapidly selected and named. The landscape industry uses them extensively and they are being planted in improper sites. Morphological studies were done at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana to identify cultivars by comparing plants to botanical keys. Cultural studies were done at Burden Station in Baton Rouge, Louisiana by comparing cultivars in sun and 63% shade, and by greenhouse fertilization experiments, and pruning experiments. Plants were harvested, studied, dried and mounted in the Louisiana State University Herbarium as permanent record. Of the 19 cultivars of Liriope and Ophiopogon studied, there were two genera and eight species identified. These were studied for flower morphology on dissected flowers under microscope. Aztec grass, which had been labeled Ophiopogon jaburan was discovered to be Ophiopogon intermedius. Liriope muscari \u27Big Blue\u27 is L. muscari but some plantings in landscapes are L. exiliflora. The cultivar \u27Samantha\u27 has erroneously been classified L. muscari but cf. to L. exiliflora, according to the rhizomatous root system and spaces between flowers. \u27Evergreen Giant\u27 and Supergreen Giant were called cultivars of Liriope muscari and they are morphologically Liriope gigantea \u27Evergreen Giant\u27 and \u27Merton Jacobs\u27 Supergreen Giant™ respectively. A three-year study at Burden Center with 19 cultivars, sun and 63% shade treatment and six replications showed the top sun performing cultivar to be Liriope gigantea \u27Merton Jacobs\u27 Supergreen Giant™. The second was Liriope muscari \u27Big Blue.\u27 Liriope muscari \u27Monroe White\u27 and Ophiopogon japonicus \u27Silver Mist\u27 were the two low sun performers. The top shade performers were O. japonicus and O. japonicus \u27Nana.\u27 The low sun performers were Liriope muscari \u27Densiflora\u27 and Liriope gigantea \u27Evergreen Giant.\u27 Bib production benefited by 20% pruning in Ophiopogon intermedius but did not have significant effects on any other cultivar. Plant height, quality, N and P were the most influenced variables for all combinations of liquid fertilization + controlled release and liquid fertilizer alone over any of the controlled release rates of fertilization
