South African Bulbs 2015

[Rimmer de Vries]

from the other end of the spectrum Nernine platypetala from Mpumalanga is in bloom here in the Northern Hemisphere

Does anyone else question the identify of this Nerine?  N.  platypetala is supposed to have flattish petals.  This evergreen Nerine may be N. angustiflora.

[majallison]

Yup, definitely not platypetala; don't think there's an angustiflora, but it could certainly be angustifolia

[Maggi Young]

Does anyone else question the identify of this Nerine?  N.  platypetala is supposed to have flattish petals.  This evergreen Nerine may be N. angustiflora.

 Lovely N. platypetala pix here  from Michael Myers   

   or try

-  one should work!

[fermi de Sousa]

Some more spring flowerers at our place:
Mixed Hesperantha
Hesperantha vaginata
Hesperantha vaginata ssp stanfordiae, including some forms looking like the "type"!
A pure yellow form,
cheers'fermi

[johnralphcarpenter]

Hesperantha coccinea, possibly 'Major'. I planted this so long ago I had forgotten about it and had assumed it had died out. Never flowered before. Seems the recipe for success is patience, neglect, and favourable weather.

[David Nicholson]

..........................Seems the recipe for success is patience, neglect, and favourable weather.

Maybe that's why mine is flowering as well

[Rogan]

I am now living in the Western Cape, near the town of Swellendam. My bulb collection took great strain by the move but, is recovering well. My Moraea elagans never did very well before but, are flowering magnificently this spring - they enjoy being home! It never ceases to amaze me how the dark markings on the "petals" give a 3d look to the flower - dark passages leading to the center of the flower (can insects see in 3d?) 

[Maggi Young]

Hope you are feeling happily settled after the move, too, Rogan.

[Rogan]

Oh, Maggi, I'm home at last - I just love it here! The wind is something else though - blows constantly from different directions 

Another Moraea, M. tricolor, flowering non-stop this spring - I think, the prettiest of all (?)

[Maggi Young]

Oh, Maggi, I'm home at last - I just love it here! The wind is something else though - blows constantly from different directions 

Another Moraea, M. tricolor, flowering non-stop this spring - I think, the prettiest of all (?)

 That is very good news.  Wind is  strengthening - or so my Mum used to tell me!
Moraea tricolor is  lovely - though they're all pretty good from where I'm sitting.

[Rogan]

While we're (I'm!) on the subject of Moraea: here's M. ciliata in flower a kilometer or so from where I live - it has the strong, sweet scent of cloves to add to the allure of the flower.

[David Nicholson]

Good to see you back Rogan.

[Rogan]

Thanks David. I've been lurking for the last few months while I got myself settled here in the Western Cape - it's good to be back.

[Anthony Darby]

My Moraea setifolia, with thumbnail sized flowers, is putting up a good display of very short lived flowers. Last as long as Ferraria crispa - less than 12 hours. Watsonia laccata (hybrid?) is looking good too.

[Rogan]

Your plant resembles W. laccata closely, Antony, as I see it. The local populations are pink, for the most part but, often hybridize with W. aletroides, which is very widespread around here, leading to a whole range of intermediate forms.