Moraea?

[David Nicholson]

Over the last couple of rainy days I have been doing a bit of research on Moraea as they are on my list of plants I would like to have a go at (see also recent Moraea picture on Early Spring in Southern Hemisphere thread) If SueG can grow 'em in Northumberland I ought to be able to have a crack at them.

But, I am confused. My reading started with a couple of paragraphs on Moraea in my copy of Brian Mathew's 'Growing Bulbs-The Complete Practical Guide'-perfectly straightforward. Then I looked on the Net and crashed into Disparrhena and Dietes. I think I have sussed Dietes (the 'splitters' have been at it again!) but I can't understand how Displarrhena fits in. Can anyone help in my enlightenment please?

I have seen that Paddy has some Moraea, but does anyone else have any who could help my learning of cultivation likes and dis-likes

[Maggi Young]

David,  I think you have another obsession coming on! I would think that you should be fairly successful with these plants... and their relatives, whether lumped or split, down there in Glorious Devon. As I have just said in that Southern Hemisphere page, I would love to grow more myself.... so when sage advice is proferred to you here, I will be paying close attention... on the offchance that some space under glass comes my way! Not an outdoor prospect for most here in Aberdeen, I'm afraid.

[David Nicholson]

Maybe the cold is not such a big problem for me but the wet could be?

[rob krejzl]

"I can't understand how Displarrhena fits in"

I don't think Diplarrena (?) does. If you look at the PBS page (http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/Moraea) it isn't mentioned in the subsumed genera.

I grow both the Diplarrena's. D. moraea is widely distributed, frequently encountered in sclerophyllous woodland, whilst the endemic is an alpine.

[Paddy Tobin]

David,

Have a go at them; they are very attractive though some have very fleeting flowers, blink and they are gone!

Silverhill Seeds are are an excellent source of seed.

They grow with ease outdoors for me both in raised bed and some in the open garden.

Paddy

[Maggi Young]

They grow with ease outdoors for me both in raised bed and some in the open garden.

Lucky you, Paddy, is that because of your favourable climate or because you are Banrion na bPlúirni Sneachta ?

[Rogan]

David et al,

I'm not an expert so my opinions must be taken with a pinch of salt: Dietes tends to form rhizomatous clumps and a few species are evergreen; one species (D. grandiflora) seeds itself about to the point of being a nuisance (in my garden at least).

Diplarrhena has zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical) flowers and comes form Australia.

Moraea is generally easy to grow and many species inhabit seasonally wet spots; species originate from both the winter- and summer-rainfall areas of South Africa and should be treated accordingly. One of my favorite species from the Drakensberg, M. hiemalis, produces its gorgeous 'daffodil' yellow flowers in the dead of winter when nothing else is in bloom or even in leaf (image attached below).

Most of the species are well worth growing and their flowers, no more fleeting than e.g. Cypella and Tigridia, are produced in succession over several weeks. A great surprise to me was my success with M. tricolor, seed and bulbs of which are usually difficult to obtain; my plants flower regularly and abundantly and seem to enjoy the conditions I can provide for them.

As mentioned previously, seed of many species is available from Silverhill Seeds in Kenilworth, Cape Town.

Good luck!
Rogan.

[SueG]

Ahem, slightly embarassed here, my Morea in the garden died over the winter 
But I'll get another one I'm sure!
Sue

[David Nicholson]

Ahem, slightly embarassed here, my Morea in the garden died over the winter 
But I'll get another one I'm sure!
Sue

Now she tells me, and there was I paying tribute to her skills!

[David Nicholson]

"I can't understand how Displarrhena fits in"

I don't think Diplarrena (?) does. If you look at the PBS page (http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/Moraea) it isn't mentioned in the subsumed genera.

I grow both the Diplarrena's. D. moraea is widely distributed, frequently encountered in sclerophyllous woodland, whilst the endemic is an alpine.

Rob, I think I confused myself (it makes a change from my confusing everyone else! .) and yes, I also added a mis-placed 's'. It looks as though it can be spelt 'Diplarrena' or 'Diplarrhena'-yet another confusion! I had seen reference to Diplarrena moraea, added two and two together... and made five.

Having said all that I now find I could easily have two new obsessions

[David Nicholson]

Rogan, thanks for the information I will be in touch.

[David Nicholson]

David,

Have a go at them; they are very attractive though some have very fleeting flowers, blink and they are gone!

Silverhill Seeds are are an excellent source of seed.

They grow with ease outdoors for me both in raised bed and some in the open garden.

Paddy

Paddy, which types do you grow? Do you treat them as Winter or Summer growers please>

[Lesley Cox]

While I'm far from certain about this, in my experience Moraeas have corms, like smallish, flattish crocus corms and the Dipplarhenas are herbaceous. Mine are anyway, DD moraea and latifolia.I don't thinkl there's any closer relationship other than that they are both from Iridaceae.

[rob krejzl]

"It looks as though it can be spelt 'Diplarrena' or 'Diplarrhena'"

If you trust Wikipedia (!) the Diplarrhena spelling goes back to Bentham's Flora Australiensis in 1873. Kirkpatrick (Alpine Tasmania, etc.) uses Diplarrena - which is the spelling Labillardiere used for his 1792 collection of D. moraea.