Bulbs from South America 2013

[johnw]

hi Erle,
a better pic would be good.
At present it looks a lot like our old "friend" Habranthus tubispathus - unless that's what R. montana is supposed to look like - I've found R. araucana from the Seedexes mostly are this.
cheers fermi

Fermi / Menai

Indeed it does look like Habranthus, I;d bet money on it.  I have had to relabel a half dozen SRGC Rhodophiala spp. from the SRGC seedex over the past few years - they're all H. tubispathus. 

David  - My Rhodophialas don't read the books, every week in the summertime I give the dormant ones a splash.  I'll email you my notes.

johnw

[Helen Johnstone]

Michael is right.  South American plants, in the strict sense, are generally hard to come by, except for Ismene 'Festalis'.  I would suggest what Michael suggests -- start with Mexican versions until you have learned how to handle the South American forms, and have developed sources for the South American species.  Besides rain lilies, there are Hippeastrum, Phaedranassa, other species of Ismene, Rhodophiala, Eucharis, and don't forget Griffinia and Worsleya.  There are specialist groups for some of these, topics here in SRGC Forum as well as on Facebook and on Yahoo Groups.  The experts are not only your best source for information, they may be your only sources for some of the species.

Jim

Thanks Jim and Michael
I will see what I can do to source some of those.  I'm on facebook but cant find any groups do you know what they call themselves?

[Michael J Campbell]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/503594579711387/?fref=ts

[jshields]

Helen, you should probably join the Pacific Bulb Society at:  http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/
and join its on-line list at  <mailto:pbs-request@lists.ibiblio.org?subject=subscribe>  so you can get the distributions from the PBS BX (bulb and seed exchange).  They often have South American as well as Mexican seeds and bulbs.

On Facebook, you should look at groups like  Zephyranthes and Habranthus at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/zephyranthes.habranthus/ and
Planet Bulb Plant at https://www.facebook.com/groups/planetbulb/

Jim

[Helen Johnstone]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/503594579711387/?fref=ts

Thanks I will follow and learn

[Helen Johnstone]

Helen, you should probably join the Pacific Bulb Society at:  http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/
and join its on-line list at  <mailto:pbs-request@lists.ibiblio.org?subject=subscribe>  so you can get the distributions from the PBS BX (bulb and seed exchange).  They often have South American as well as Mexican seeds and bulbs.

On Facebook, you should look at groups like  Zephyranthes and Habranthus at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/zephyranthes.habranthus/ and
Planet Bulb Plant at https://www.facebook.com/groups/planetbulb/

Jim

Hi Jim
I think I looked at that a while ago so will revisit it.
Thanks for the advice - I do love the challenge of something slightly different but dont want to over stretch myself too early
Helen

[johnw]

A bouquet of 3-label Rhodophiala anyone?

[Mark Griffiths]

very nice. I particularly like the peach one. I have R. montana (I think) but for some reason it's not flowered this year.

[Ezeiza]

Excellent results! The one with the peachy tips is R. araucana most probably. It comes from Argentina.

To Helen. I would suggest start with those bulbs most suited to your conditions. South America is a huge continent with many types of habitats and climates. South American bulbs are rarely seen in cultivation, mostly because they are not permanent when their precise requirements (in most cases) are not met.

[Menai]

hi Erle,
a better pic would be good.
At present it looks a lot like our old "friend" Habranthus tubispathus - unless that's what R. montana is supposed to look like - I've found R. araucana from the Seedexes mostly are this.
cheers
fermi

Thank you fermi for the correction. A bit of a disappointment, I thought JA was a reliable source. I apologise for late acknowledgement but I have been away and therefore missed opportunity to take better photo. It looks as if it has set seed. Presumably being an amaryllid I should sow this as soon as possible.

Erle

[David Nicholson]

Two from the greenhouse today:-

Zephyranthes primulina from seed kindly sent by Alberto Costillo and sown May 2009.

Habranthus tubispathus from seed kindly sent by Paul Tyreman and sown May 2008

[Mark Griffiths]

Not sure if this in the right place as it's more a tuber than a bulb, but this is one of my Alstroemeria hookerii. Jim and Jenny Archibald made a major Alstroemeria collection back in the 90s(?) and I got a number of hookerii varieties from them. Apart from the usual orange/ pink form there was one that was alot more pink, sort of old rose colour. It seems that one has seeded over the years and I'm now wondering if any of the "usual" kind are left.

The problem with them, apart from they are alot taller under glass is that they always push their tubers through the drainage holes of their pots and these then get ripped off if you need to move the pots, sometimes killing the plant. If I had a few more and more space for their current plunge mates I'd proably dispense with the plunge altogether and just stand the pots on slats.

[wooden shoe]

Alstroemeria aurea. I do grow them outside next to an East facing wall. They don't do well in the open garden where they lack protection but are expanding vigourously on this location. These are sown from seed (outside too) and show some colour variation.

[David Nicholson]

Habranthus martinezii

[ccuadrai]

Hello everyone!

I would like to share some pictures about Chilean native genus named Leucocoryne (Glory of the Sun). The blooming starts in the greenhouse right now. I'm in South hemisphere ("upside down") and spring season is coming.

Best regards,

Carlos