South African Bulbs 2014

[johnstephen29]

It took me ages fermi, all done now thank goodness.

[Maggi Young]

It took me ages fermi, all done now thank goodness.

I was wondering if they would all fit back in, or if you'd be left with a few - like the old joke about mending a clock!

[johnstephen29]

Hi Maggi, no they all went in, just took me 2 1/2 hours getting them all sorted into there proper place. Just think I'll have it all to do again come spring.

[David Nicholson]

To think I cleaned mine every year. Not now though the outside gets a good clean when I take my shade paint off and the inside gets a "lick and a scrat- Yorkshire Expression!!) every seldom.

[johnstephen29]

Mine gets done inside and out twice a year David, especially this year with all the bugs about. I had white fly in the greenhouse, till I blasted them

[Paul Cumbleton]

Hi Steve,
Lovely plants! I think your Massonia echinata is actually Massonia hirsuta. You can easily tell M. hirsuta from the buds - the scales overlap each other rather like roof tiles. There is a picture below to show a M. echinata bud on the left and a M. hirsuta bud on the right. Also, I have never seen M. echinata with anything other than white flowers, while M. hirsute can be white or, as in your example, mauve.

Cheers
Paul

Buds: Massonia echinata (left) and Massonia hirsute (right)

[ArnoldT]

Veltheimia capensis

[ArnoldT]

Strumaria truncata

[SJW]

Hi Steve,
Lovely plants! I think your Massonia echinata is actually Massonia hirsuta. You can easily tell M. hirsuta from the buds - the scales overlap each other rather like roof tiles. There is a picture below to show a M. echinata bud on the left and a M. hirsuta bud on the right. Also, I have never seen M. echinata with anything other than white flowers, while M. hirsute can be white or, as in your example, mauve.

Cheers
Paul

Buds: Massonia echinata (left) and Massonia hirsute (right)

Thanks, Paul, that's really helpful. I was given the bulbs (but I think the seed was originally from Silverhill) and I did wonder about the pink/mauve flower colour, others I have are white. The PBS has M. hirsuta down as a synonym of M. echinata, presumably this is now out of date? I do know the genus needs some tidying up! By the way, I also have some young plants of the Massonia sp. ex Addo form. Has the species been identified now? Also hirsuta? Cheers.

[johnralphcarpenter]

Chasmanthe floribunda var. duckittii flowering outside. Will it survive the winter here?

[johnw]

Cyrtanthus contractus during a repot yesterday, ex seed November 2009 from Rogan.  Interesting to see how broken roots can send out new roots at the breakage point.  Hoping for flowers soon and finding seeds of C. tucki & C. breviflorus someday.

johnw

[Robert]

Cyrtanthus contractus during a repot yesterday, ex seed November 2009 from Rogan.  Interesting to see how broken roots can send out new roots at the breakage point.  Hoping for flowers soon and finding seeds of C. tucki & C. breviflorus someday.

johnw

John,

I grow Cyranthus breviflorus. I'll check to see if I have any extra seed. If not, I think that Ginny Hunt (seedhunt) lists it this year.

[YT]

Polyxena pygmaea
Lachenalia rubida, dark leaf form

Both are 1-2 weeks earlier than the usual here

[ArnoldT]

YT:

Your plants are so much more compact then mine.  Out light levels are a real detriment to growing tight compact plants.

[pehe]

Massonia pustulata in flower and Daubenya aurea in bud.

Poul