August 2015 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Maggi Young]

Maggi, it's not a very clearly written abstract, to say the least! But I think the paper deals with two different plant species.

Odontites longiflora is not listed on The Plant List, though it sounds familiar to me and a number of photos on the web are listed as this species

Quite , Tristan, that was my point.
I also mentioned that  "Macrosyringion longiflorum is a synonym of Euphrasia longiflora  which is a synonym of Odontites longiflorus - none of which , it seems from the Kew plantlist, is a fully accepted name "    which  lead me  to the conclusion  that the  plant was  Macrosyringion longiflorum - but could equally well be called either of the other two synonyms!  ( to save cluttering up the post too much, I left out all the authorities!)

[Hillview croconut]

You could try putting it in a post pack and posting it... just a thought.

Please Don't! They are a very unforgiving lot ....

Hi Viv, I did put up a thorn fence around the fritillaria and went back 5 weeks later to see if i could collect seed.  The bloody goats had pushed it all aside and devoured whatever was there. Surprisingly plants that I didn't try to protect had set seed and came through unscathed.

Cheers,  Marcus

[Jupiter]

I was kidding. I have a weird sense of humour and a typical Australian disdain for authority. I work with Quarantine people and know them personally. Sometimes after a stressful day at work I get a bit narky.

[vivienne Condon]

I nearly had my Spanish seed confiscated at the airport Jamis as they said it all had to be commercially packaged. I said I thought it just had be in a new clean envelope with its Latin name on the packet. He checked on AQIS web and found that, that was the case then checked the names of the seed I had bought in and all were permitted. You don't want to get the backs up of the authorities coming through customs and I know you work for them, but I find them a bit scary.

[Jupiter]

Yes I know Vivienne, bad idea. I've had seed orders confiscated in the past and destroyed and received the notification that unless I make a claim and pay for proper testing they will incinerate them and that's the end of it. Luckily they weren't expensive purchases.

[vivienne Condon]

Marcus wondered if you could have a look at my Fritillaria pictures do you think they are all Fritillaria lusitanica, I thought that Fritillaria ? 2 was Pyrenaica.  Fritillaria ?6 and 7 are the same Fritillaria just different angles. Thanks Marcus or anyone else who knows Fritillaria's  I would be grateful for your opinions

[vivienne Condon]

and the last 3 Fritillaria's ?

[Anthony Darby]

This delightful little hoop petticoat is flowering for the first time. I have it labelled as Narcissus blancoi, Huertezuelas (Granada, Spain) (sown) July 2011. It is very white.

[Lesley Cox]

What a little gem Anthony. Sparkling white! Did you use Persil? In spite of many so called "white" forms of hoops, I've never yet had a truly white seedling, always with a little bit of creamy colour. Annoying.

Viv, of course I am often wrong but I don't see anything there that looks like pyrenaica. But I wouldn't have said any were lusitanica either, if - as I'm frequently told - lusitanica is a synonym of hispanica (or the other way about). Time for Marcus to enter, stage left. Your frits are early. Nne in bud for me yet and very few even up though liliacea is going to flower. This is incredibly tough. I rescued it from long grass before I moved in Feb 2013 and it had been struggling there for at last 10 years but still survived and gave the occasional flower. Amazing.

[Arum]

Flowering in my garden at present are 2 groups of galanthus I have raised from seed. I would appreciate somebody setting me straight as to whether they are elwesii or plicantus please. The lovely G. jaquenetta is just beginning to open & G. dionysus is still putting on a good show.
Edna

[Arum]

Also flowering: the first of my arums - Arum orientale sintenisii - [facing the wall!]. Hepatica pink form.
And another plant I need help with please - I have long lost the label to this "Alpine Lily?" with lovely delicate pink flowers.
Thank you.
Edna

[Anthony Darby]

The first pic shows elwesii; the second plicatus.

[Arum]

Thanks Anthony much appreciated.
Edna

[Anthony Darby]

And another plant I need help with please - I have long lost the label to this "Alpine Lily?" with lovely delicate pink flowers.
Thank you.
Edna

I think it is Asphodelus acaulis, a native of Morocco and the Atlas Mountains.

[vivienne Condon]

Oh I should have said Lesley the Fritillaria were all photographed in the Pyrenees, all photographed on Castellar de n'Hug   if only they were in my garden.