Asphodelus acaulis

[fermi de Sousa]

I have lusted after this plant since seeing it in a reference book but no one seems to grow it around here and I've always missed out on getting it through the Seedexes. Imagine my delight when I scored some "Asphodelus acaulis hybrid" seed in the 2002 AGS Seedex. Further imagine my disppointment when ( as aptly put by Monty Python ) "nothing happened"!
The seedpot stayed in a tray in the shadehouse and lo and below! Four and a half years after sowing 2 seed leaves magically appeared last week! As even the Bulb Despot admits, sometimes I may not collect the seed from quick seeding bulbs in the same area, so maybe they are just strays.
However did anyone else get this seed and germinate it? Or perhaps are familiar with the species? Is this unusal behaviour? Any advice or what to do next? Does it form a bulb or tuberous roots? It's the height of summer here, so I presume I should keep it in the shadehouse.
Cheers
fermi

[hadacekf]

Fermi,
Aspodelus acaulis is a native of the Atlas Mountains (Morocco). Propagation by seed in spring and it can be divided with care once several rosettes have formed.
Where winters are severe it is best in Alpine House. I lost my in a frame. It needs sharply drained soil a sunny site. It forms tuberous roots. Perhaps is your seed of A. fistulosus, an annual and 40 cm or more in height. There are pictures on my website, growing in the wild and garden.

[Lesley Cox]

Hi Fermi, Asphodelus acaulis grows here in a hot place - as Franz says, it comes from Morocco so can take all the heat you can give it. It's bone hardy with me so I can't imagine you'd have any difficulties. Mine sets very few seeds and I've not sown them myself, but given them away so can't suggest anything about germination. The roots are long, fleshy and rather tuberous, not a bulb.

Below is a pic from early this last winter.

[fermi de Sousa]

Thank you, Franz and Lesley,
3 more germinations occurred over the weekend, so I'm hopeful that they are the sown seed and not some "volunteers". One of the earlier germiantions is already developing a second leaf and this would mean the first leaf is not a cotyledon as it appears to be coming out of its side rather than from the base. I wonder if they have suddenly germinated because they got some shade and water this summer when they normally would've been kept dry?
Does anyone have a way of telling what (ungerminated) seedpots should be kept watered over the summer in case they need the warmth or some other factor to break dormancy?
cheers
fermi

[Lesley Cox]

Fermi, can you remember what the seed was like? They should be large (about .5 of a centimetre across) like tiny lumps of coal.

My infallible way to tell what pots should be kept watered over summer, is cross my fingers and hope for the best. Seriously, once seed is sown, I feel the pots should be kept a little bit moist at all times as who knows what effect repeated watering then drying may have on ungerminated seed. And some seeds though we can't see the plant, are already germinated. Some lilies for instance and paeonies. Juno irises can put down a root but not have a shoot showing for 4 months. So better to play safe.

[fermi de Sousa]

Lesley,
I seem to remember that they were black but "like tiny lumps of coal"? I can't say and I don't think they were particularly big or I wouldn't have sown all in the one pot... presuming the label is accurate! I had a bad habit of writing out the label then changing my mind when actually sowing (say, to keep half for sowing later) and forgetting to change the label! I think I've grown out of that habit, though I think it just means I'm more organised and have a labelling pencil with me at all times!
Someone in our local group (you know who, Lesley) told me that they imported the species from NZ (Otago, perhaps?) and it's doing well in captivity. So if this plant flowers in a few years and it's not what I hope it is, I may have recourse to another supply!
cheers
fermi

[Lesley Cox]

If we're talking about "our lady of the hyper-tufa troughs" I'm pretty sure she got it from Hokonui alpines, last time (but one) when over here. So yes, Otago.