Looking for Speea humilis

[PeterT]

I would like to obtain seeds or bulbs  of Speea humilis. I am happy to pay or swap within reason.
Peter

[Maggi Young]

Entering the world of the weird flower that!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chilebosque/5399392115/in/photostream/

[PeterT]

I saw it a couple of years ago at Kew Maggie. Related to GethyllisGethyum, Solaria.
It has a synonom Geanthus humilis, is from Chile and I can't find out much more except for some herbarium information.
The overall look of the plants at kew resembled Asphodelus acaulis with green and black spidery flowers.

[Maggi Young]

With such spidery, exotic looks to the plant I have a feeling it'll be uncommon hard to grow.
In some pictures it looks more like a sea-creature....
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chilebosque/5399391549/in/set-72157625809577337/

[Carlo]

We've got a Mediterranean House I'd love to see this growing in! Add me to the list!

[PeterT]

 Sorry I should have said related to Gethyum, not Gethyllis  . Happy to share Carlo, If I can find it. I grow a form of Solaria atropurpurea and Miersia chilensis and dont find them difficult....

[Lesley Cox]

A real oddity. I'd love to be able to help but.....

[Ezeiza]

No, it is not difficult to grow at all under mild conditions, say like growing South African bulbs with plenty of ventilation. It is impervious to slight frosts and grows in full sun in well drained soil. We lost ours years ago during an extra cold spell (-12 C). By the time the collection was grown outdoors on concrete benches and clay pots. This  species is guaranteed not to produce any heart stroke. It has one or two long erect leaves and the flowers appear at ground level like an upwards pointing Fritillaria purdyi. Those fancy color forms are not the common ones: these are a mud pink ground and some liver color streaks. Most interesting in that it belongs to a group of plants naturally rare in the wild. Summer dormant, mediterranean cycle.

[PeterT]

Thankyou Alberto.
If there are fancy colour forms then who is growing them? and are the normal wild forms in cultivation?

[Ezeiza]

Naturally, those flowers with unusual color are preferred for phots but the widely found form is not as striking.

I do not know if thery are in cultivation right now. For that you should ask one fo the best bulb growers, Peter Taggart in the U. K. He grows lots of uncommon species. Wouldn't be surprised if this is in his collection.

[Maggi Young]

But Alberto, it is Peter Taggart who is asking for a source!