Log 6 - 11/10/07

[Paul T]

Great log.  The Crocus meadow is just wonderful,  What a sight!!  Interesting that nudiflorus like more constant moisture in summer.... definitely worthwhile remembering as that wasn't a species I had that in mind for (which is probably why I lost mine!!  )

The fungis are very cool, with an excellent name.... Shaggy Ink Cap sort of sounds like it should be fluffy and black!!    The Nototriche macleanii I thought WAS A Crocus until I noticed the name and then looked at it more closely.  The style/stamen structure looks more reminiscent of a Hibiscus, but otherwise it looks so much like a Crocus it is uncanny. 

And finally, I love the Petrocosmea sericea, which I'm assuming is Gesneriaceae by the look of it.  Very nice looking plant, as are everything else in the display pots that you showed.  Each time I see your log I even more wish that I could come over for a visit!! 

[Ian Y]

Great pictures of the Crocus nudiflorus Paul what a sight especially with the autumn leaves in the background.

I also love Nototriche macleanii - as you say it is superficially just like a cushion plant with crocus flowers, that was my impression the first time I saw a picture of it many years ago.

Good to see the repotting of Iris a species - I do not grow too many of them mostly due to lack of space. I would have to admit that they would not come into my top five bulbs - they might just struggle into the top ten.

Great log Paul, keep it up we are enjoying and learning from it.

[Maggi Young]

Paul, at the stage of the fungus in the pic, the shaggy ink cap, Coprinus comatus is shaggy.... later the cap curls upwards and gets "inky", it "melts" into a black inky goo! The young ones are quite tasty.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Thanks a lot Paul ! Great log !
Not only brilliant pictures but very valuable information as well !!
Need to get back to Wisley next spring though....

[Len Rhind]

Hello Paul,
I am really enjoying the Wisley log, especially since we were fortunate enough to have visited there earlier this year so everything means more to us. I just wanted to note that although you say you do not want to cover the same ground as Ian's log, for myself at least, I think the scale on which you have to do things is of great interest. The 'public' really enjoy seeing behind the scenes of any organization and what may seem mundane to you, probably will not to me.
Many thanks for your work so far. Cheers, Len Rhind.

[Maggi Young]

Paul, I don't think you even have to think about whether you and Ian may be covering the same topics at times.... you are down in the south of England, he is in North East Scotland and as Len says, your operations are on a different scale; I believe any overlap can only be of greater interest and use to the readers. Power to all your elbows!

[ian mcenery]

Paul a fantastic and interesting thread thanks

[Maggi Young]

Further to the Wisley pix of the Shaggy Ink Cup fungi, see this Wildife page :
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=793.new;topicseen#new for some super pix from Cliff Booker of them in different stages, including the gooey one!

[David Nicholson]

Very informative Paul, thanks for taking the time to share your part of Wisley with us. Perhaps like some other members of the Forum I had never heard of Nototriche macleanii and this prompted a bit of further research and, what did I find,- a photograph by the one and only Cliff Booker (in his slightly younger days, well in 2005  ) on the Old Forum pages see  http://www.srgc.org.uk/cgi-bin/discus/board-profile.cgi?action=rate&topic=141&page=13350&post=7599