Paris sps ?.

[t00lie]

I have been asked by a contact for the correct sps name of this Paris.Grown from seed collected in China.Plant stands about waist height.

Scanned from photos .

Feedback from a couple of local sources suggest it could be Paris polyphlla var yunnanensis.

Any further ideas ?.

Cheers dave.

[Paul T]

Dave,

Definitely looks like a polyphylla, although not sure of the differences in in the yunnanensis you mention.  I grow the variety in the picture here as well, but it has never set seed for me ever unfortunately. Mine is only a single purchased clone though.  I just love it, particularly the fact that it appears to be in flower for many months because everythign stays in place after the flower has finished.

[Diane Whitehead]

As one of a few friends here who have never managed to germinate
Paris seed, I'd be pleased to know what your friend did to grow it.

[Paul T]

Diane,

Fresh seed is the key to Paris.  I've tried different Paris a few times, but only been successful with seed from Dave in NZ, when he sent me seed of quadrifolia when it was fresh.  Pretty much 100% germination the following winter (I think it was the following winter.  Either way, it was excellent germination all at the same time whichever year it was).  I think I did get a tiny amount of germination from Trillium-L seed of Paris one year (unlike their Trillium seed which I find is always very good in germination percentages despite being sent dry) but nothing at all like Dave's seed.

[t00lie]

Paul
Glad to hear the quadrifolia germinated well for you .

Your description of your plant confirms what my contact says about her plant.It "comes up late november and nothing changes on the plant till about may".

I've also scanned a pic of the rhizome when dug up in 2004 and" 3 pieces removed ".She tells me this year there are about 22 offshoots compared with the normal 3 or 4 so that might be a pointer if you're keen to try and increase it.

Diane
Might take a while to get back to you on how it was sown as i'm only able to communicate with her via snail mail at this stage.
 
However I also received some Paris seed about 5 years ago,(maybe from the same source as Paul?)--I remember soaking them overnight in water with a touch of dishwashing liquid then sowed them in my normal potting mix with added leafmold.

A very small number of P. lancifolia and P. delavayii came up the following spring and are at the proper leaf stage now planted out yet to flower.

While a check last year of the remaining seedpots ,(which i've never allowed to dry out),failed to locate any seed i did find what i thought were some extremely small white rhizomes ?, similar to what i have found with trillium sulcatum ,(prior to the emergence of the cotyledon leaf).
I have my fingers crossed !.

Hope that helps.

Coincidentally i'm  just about to harvest some fresh P.quadrifolia seed if you are interested .

Cheers dave.

[Maggi Young]

That is one tall, good-looking, meaty, Paris, Dave! And no wonder, given the size of that rhizome 
What a JOY to grow a plant that is SO healthy, SO chunky and SO willing to get big enough to split....I hope your friend speaks nicely to it, it deserves some kind words. Just shows why it ia always worth growing from seed.......

[Maggi Young]

Should have said.... I can't get much more helpful than P. polyphylla. Never met a Paris I didn't like... well, apart from that idiot skinny Hilton girl!