Can someone ID this Erodium ?

[Maggi Young]

It's pretty huge in word, Mark.. but I have it in pdf at 664 kb.... will I email it to you?

 Full pdf of The Rock Garden 110 :

http://files.srgc.net/journals/vol_1%20to_113/110.pdf

[maggiepie]

That's very surprising. I'd bet it is in the garden of most Australian rock gardeners under probably the former name It's been grown here for at least 70 years; the delightful little double form of it is more recent but still a long time ago and the white form as well which came into NZ in the early 1980s as E. reichardii album. They're a very nice trio. Then there's 'Bishop's Form,' sometimes listed here as a form of this species but it is, in fact, a form of E. corsicum.

Lesley, that's very interesting. I have Bishop's form and it was sold as E. reichardii, I also have the white form, both are in pots inside the house at the moment.
I haven't seen the double form. Do you by any chance have a pic of it?

[mark smyth]

yes please

[Lesley Cox]

No I don't sorry, but I've seen it in several rock garden books and also the AGS Bulletin I think. It's an odd little flower as if a whole lot of rather narrow petals had been pulled together and tied at the back to make a bunch.

Erodium corsicum is very similar to reichardii but the leaves tend to be slightly downy. 'Bishop's Form' has larger, deeper pink flowers.

[Lori S.]

A very bad photo of the a double form...

[Maggi Young]

Mark, it is sent  to you 

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks Lori, though I think yours is different from what we have here, which tends not to have the outer petals so wide and like the singles.

I've just been looking at the article Maggi mentioned on the previous thread page and find that some of the information there is different from my experience. In the first place, 'Bishop's Form' is said to be a form of E. reichardii which I said above, it isn't. I may have to back down on that one though my plant was imported from one of the very high reputation English nurseries under that name and when I questioned it, I was assured it was correct.

Secondly, reichardii and corsicum are said to be short-lived. I've not found this to be so. In fact they are some of the most reliable things in the garden for longevity, and the white form as well. Oh well, you pays wour money and you takes your choice.

[maggiepie]

Thanks for the pic, Lori.
Is yours in the greenhouse?
Did you grow it from seed?

Lesley, I think you are right re Bishop's Form not being E. reichardii, the one I have that is labelled as BF, only has small flowers and they are a lighter pink than pics I have seen of Bishops Form.
Or maybe plants are just being grown from seed and sold as the parent.

[Lori S.]

No, not from seed - I bought it as E. x variabile 'Flore Pleno'.   The plants I've had bloomed very well through the summer, but didn't winter.  I was given a division of it again last summer - should have planted it in the rock garden (instead of in humusy soil) to see if it made a difference, but I forgot to, unfortunately.
I've never noticed seed structures on them, so I suspect it is sterile...?

[Paul T]

Lesley,

I know the double you're meaning.... I grow it here myself.  I bought a plant last year under the name of 'Galaxy' or something like that, which I think is the same thing.  I liked my original plant enough that I didn't mind getting a second one if it turned out to be the same thing, but I hoped it would be different.  I haven't had them flower together, but I think they're the same thing.  I can't recall at present what the 'Galaxy' had on it as a species name etc.

[Lesley Cox]

It may be that 'Galaxy' is a selling name Paul. I find here that many straight species are given tarty names in order to make them easier to sell to the uninitiated. (For which bit of patronizing know-it-all-ship I apologise, but it's a practice I find very annoying as it encourages those who DO know the plant to believe that here is a better selection worthy of being purchased when it's really just the same old same old. )

[Paul T]

Lesley,

I feel the same way about the renaming of things for reselling (and it happens here periodically unfortunately).  I bought this one knowing it was probably the same thing as the other double I was growing, but I didn't mind getting a second plant of it anyway so I was already prepared for it to be the same.