Nomocharis

[Thorkild Godsk]

Nomocharis.
I think it's a little difficult to put names to Nomocharis as they are very similar. Here are 5 picture. I'm not sure the names of them if it's wrong, I'd like to know.
Billede 1 Nomocharis aperta
Billede 2 Nomocharis finlayorum
Billede 3 Nomocharis meleagrina
Billede 4 Nomocharis farreri?
Billede 5 Nomocharis pardanthina
Thorkild-DK

[johnw]

The second last one looks like my N. aperta/saluensis.  I've changed that label many times.

They're all exquisite.  I gave up trying to identify mine and assume they're all likely garden hybrids.

johnw

[latestart]

This is a plant I have not seen before but I think Numbers 3 and 5 look very alike. I agree they do look exquisite.

[Lesley Cox]

I think you're right John. I had a single bulb many years ago, simply as Nomocharis?species and from it I have had many, many seedlings all a little different, more or less spotting/blotching, and subsequent sowings from seedlist seed have shown as much variation regardless of what specific name has been attached. But every one is a treasure and it doesn't really matter so much what it SHOULD be called.

[Susan Band]

I call all the large spotted ones hybrids and the other plain small one aperta. Not sure if that is right though. As you seem to grow these really well have you looked at trillium.no ? Bjornar has seed of N.basillia which looks a really different colour. I have got seed of all his different collections so I can try and establish a true collection. At least for the first few years before they start to hybridise. Hopefully I will flower one of his N gongshanensis this year 
Susan

[latestart]

Can someone please explain the differences between 3 and 5 so that I can learn to know what I should be looking for. 

[Susan Band]

Hi. I think what we are trying to say is 2,3 and 5 are all the same, just seedling differences in colour/spotting these Nomocharis have all had different names in the past. Finlayorum,after a strain in the Knox Finlay's garden in Scotland. Meleagrina and pardalithina seem to be interchangeable in cultivation although both are listed as different species in the plant list. Basically very confused in cultivation

[Thorkild Godsk]

Nomocharis.
For I sent pictures of Nomocharis was because I thought it's hard to name them, so I have no comment, if 2, 3 and 5 are the same, what is the real name?
Thorkild

[johnw]

Thorkild  - As Susan rightly points out 2,3 & 5 would likely be hybrids.  No one who has donated Nomocharis seed to any seed exchange that I have seen has ever noted "selfed" or e.g. (aperta x aperta) hand-pollinated etc. so we can assume they are all open-pollinated, species (? - quiet likely those spp. are hybrids too!),  that Nomocharis are promiscuous and that the donors have sizeable collections of hybrids or spp..  We might further deduce that aperta comes reasonably true? even open-pollinated from seedexs.   Susan - help!

Latestart - Here's the key which Gote kindly sent along, it might give you idea which spp. are possibly be involved in those complex hybrids.  A splendid way to get a headache.

Collected wild species seed would be the only ones to trust.

johnw

[Susan Band]

I think aperta is quite likely to come true. I have a plain one like John's which seeds true, it is kept quite far away from the others. Here are a couple of pictures of others i have had in the past. The white type occasionally appears amongst my hybrids The other I can't remember where it came from, it was more an aperta type. Really you should just enjoy them what ever their name

[johnw]

The other I can't remember where it came from, it was more an aperta type.

Nay, more the "to-die-for" aperta type!

[Cyril L]

Nomocharis saluenensis seems to be quite distinct, with up facing flowers and the stigma not overtopping the anthers.  This is grown from seeds from a Cox collection, Cox 6116.  These pictures were taken beginning of June last year.  In the wild some are totally without spots.

[pontus]

what a beautifull plant the saulensis is, ! I had never seen it before! Please let me know if you ever get some seed...or maybe a small offset in time..

Pontus

[latestart]

Thank you all for taking the time to help me sort out what I see. When I first started gardening seriously, away back in the 70's, I was interested in shrubs. A friend told me then to buy from nurseries rather than GC's and to learn the Latin names of the plants I fancied as otherwise I might end up disappointed. In the past two years having become interested in alpines I am still trying to figure out what I will have in the garden. Choosing from the seed list is still a bit of a lottery but I am learning. There are 7 Nomocharis in this years seed list and having seen them on here I might look to buy some seeds at Dunblane if there are any left. How long will they take from sowing to flowering? I realise bulbs from seeds take time to get to the flowering stage.

[johnw]

Splendid Nomocharis there Susuan and Cyril - what a treat.

Thorkild you have lovely ones as well no matter what they are.   Latestart -  I've never seen a Nomocharis I didn't like so just take the plunge and grow some seed.  They are slow for the first 3 years here in Nova Scotia.

Pontus  - I've been growing N.s for 25 or more years and I cannot say I have ever had so much as a single offset.  Susan? Cyril?  I suppose one might try rooting a few scales but better by seed as virus buildup is a serious concern, I've had to toss my oldest ones and that is painful.

johnw