Any experts in Cremanthodium

[johnw]

Susan -  I sent the link to this page to Finn Haugli in Tromso.  I'm sure you know he was in charge of the Botanical Garden there from its reception to his recent retirement.  I will never forget my visit there in early June, early I was told in advance and to expect snow on the ground, but they had a very early Spring and I caught the Meconopsis in full bloom, saxs too.  I will never forget that garden and its plants - heaven on earth. 

Hopefully he may have some ideas to share on these perplexing plants.

johnw

[Susan Band]

Lesley,
I saw pictures of these herbs a good few years ago, I think it was Steve Newell who showed them from borrowed slides. I was so impressed but since then I have not heard much about them. I would love to have a go at growing them but I believe it is not easy to get seed as they are so protected.
I remember the large daisys. I persume these Crems. come from an area that is in the monsoon or that they are subject to a lot of mists.
I think the same reasoning about growing them applies to all plants, out of 2 species growing next to each other in the wild one will take to cultivation and one won't. Some just don't like being tamed
Thanks John for forwarding this thread,Finn is perhaps our best bet.
Susan

[johnw]

Susan  - Here is Finn's reply received this morning. Hope this is a start.

johnw

"Hi John.
To me these Cremanthodiums look mostly like C. ellisii and C. arnicoides - or possibly even a hybrid between these. I have to say though that I am not going by strict botanical criteria, but rather a visual comparison to plants I know.
Here things are going well  - also with the Rhododendrons. They have never been so full of flowers. The 'Minas Grand Pre' is really excellent - and many of the hybrids obtained from you are also starting to do their things. This summer in my own garden I am most impressed with a R. wardii of KGB origin - and a R. souliei which I got from Glendoick 15-20 years ago. The garden has been really excellent in most other regards also. Cool weather have allowed plants to stay in flower for a long time. The R. in the Arctic-alpine Botanic Garden have been really stunning this summer. A number of new Taliensia from Glendoick have been planted recently."

[Magnar]

Here's the plant I grow as C. arnicoides

Leaves today:


Old pic of the plant in bloom

[arisaema]

...and a pic of C. arnicoides from Himalayan Plants Illustrated:

[Susan Band]

Magnar,
Crem 3 certainly looks like your one, so I will go with Crem. arnicoides for it.
I will continue to work on Crem 1 and look up Finn's sugestion of ellisii .
Crem 2/ligularia isn't really worth a name so will forget about it for just now.
Thanks everyone for their help.

Susan