August 2015 in the Southern Hemisphere

[vivienne Condon]

Wondered if any one could identify this plant for me please we found it growing up in Sierra Nevada in a lime stone out crop near a small village called Zubia, I did not think it was Vitaliana primuliflora which we found growing up at Nuria I have included a photo of that for comparison, I hope some one can help me please as I have a few frits for identification also just have to resize them.
Just wanted to thank Margaret and Henry Taylor for their wonderful book on the Mountain flower walks, we used it all the time although it is a bit dog eared by now, we would have been lost with out it.

No no seed Fermi, I did have a good look for some though

[Maggi Young]

Super to hear of folks  taking Margaret and Henry's book with them and enjoying very much the  information it gives them on their own trips, Viv- I'll need to pass on your comments to the Taylors 

 I'll be  very interested to learn what the opinions are from  forumists about your mystery plant - the four petals and long tube "should"  make it easier you'd think, wouldn't  you?!! 

[vivienne Condon]

I think it may be Macrosyringion longiflorum or Odontites longiflorus just found a Spainish site but not being an expert I am not sure about it. Please do pass our thanks to Margaret and Henry Taylor, we had lunch with them when we did the Garden tours what a gorgeous garden. Thanks Maggi

[Maggi Young]

Had a better look at your picture , Viv and I now see the proper shape of the flowers, which is not the  simple four petalled shape I first thought. 

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   

 in this paper : 
Neotypification of Odontitella virgata (Link) Rothm. and Lectotypification of Macrosyringion longiflorum (Lam.) Rothm. (Scrophulariaceae s.l.)
Enrique Rico , Luis Delgado , María Santos-Vicente and Alberto Herrero
Taxon
Vol. 57, No. 4 (Nov., 2008), pp. 1347-1350
Published by: International Association for Plant Taxonomy (IAPT)  ......

it appears that the plant may now have the name   Odontitella virgata (Link) Rothm. - although this is still marked as "unresolved" by Kew - but it's as close as we may get!

This is the Abstract of that paper:

Original material for the endemic Iberian species Odontitella virgata, initially described as Euphrasia linifolia sensu Brot., non L., does not exist. A specimen from Valorado's herbarium (LISU) is chosen here as neotype for the name of the species now placed in the monotypic genus Odontitella. The same specimen is selected as neotype for Euphrasia tenuifolia Pers., basionym of Odontites tenuifolia (Pers.) G. Don, the correct name for these plants in Odontites. In addition, a lectotype is selected for the synonym Odontites aragonensis Willk. Macrosyringion longiflorum, the type of the generic name Macrosyringion, is lectotypified here by a specimen deposited in the Lamarck collections in Paris (P-LA), since that French botanist was the author of the basionym Euphrasia longiflora and not Vahl, to whom authorship has hitherto been generally attributed.

[Lesley Cox]

If it's a Euphrasia it's probably at least semi parasitic and so ungrowable.  All our native species are. I know, I've tried until it seemed wicked to separate them from their homes. Looks lovely though.

[Lesley Cox]

I can't leave go of the Gal. 'Emerald Hughes' but why should I? It's been so good for so long and showing no sign of fading. Two here, in helicopter mode and hopefully showing the markings, inside, and striped on the outer tips.

Two crocuses, minimus albus and sieberi 'Bowles' White' both from Marcus in the first place.Then Rafa's Narcissus bulbocodium nivalis, shorter stemmed but larger flowered than my other and much earlier (at least 6 weeks). Seed from Fermi this time.

And a non bulb, Diapensida lapponica which has fantastic winter colour but so far hasn't flowered. Maybe not cold enough here? We've had 4 frosts on -9C and numerous in the -8s but not consistently, frost day then none and so it goes on.

[Lesley Cox]

Here is Cr sieberi 'Bowles' White' and a few more, mostly from Marcus. C. biflorus ssp alexandri. I wish it showed the glorious outside colour, light and deep blue. Then C. chrysanthus 'Cream Beauty' and 2 of the lovely x Bornmuelleri, in and out.

The first 'Chocolate Soldier' (Cr olivieri ssp balansae 'Chocolate Soldier') came out a couple of days ago but I'm saving that one as I have about 18 corms now and they should be quite a good show when the sun comes out again.

[johnw]

Diapensia lapponica which has fantastic winter colour but so far hasn't flowered. Maybe not cold enough here? We've had 4 frosts on -9C and numerous in the -8s but not consistently, frost day then none and so it goes on.

A slightly different problem here Lesley, but otherwise I think you're spot on.  It needs to be plunged into unabated cold for 3-4 months, the more snow over frozen ground the better.  Even here the cold is not consistent enough and so we get erratic flowering with a few buds opening throughout the growing season.  On a very few occasions over the past 30 years of growing the Hawk Hills, Newfoundland form of D. lapponica we've had single flower every month of the year.   Surely a hybrid of the easier Japanese f. of lapponica with the D. purpurea would produce something a bit less cranky. 

john  - +20c at 22:35, 95% humidity, a misty evening with dense fog threatening.

[Lesley Cox]

Hi John, I believe someone in Christchurch - from whom I bought mine years ago - had some flowers on hers once but not many and I don't think they've been repeated. When we get snow which isn't often, it's just a few centimetres near the coast and is usually gone in a day or three at most. This winter is the hardest for many years and I've never in my life previously felt -9C so if it doesn't flower this coming spring/summer, I'll stop hoping. Might give it a dose of potassium sulphate in a week or so along with the bulby things. Working a treat for those. I wouldn't normally complain about too mild a winter but in this instance.....

[Hillview croconut]

Great to see all those crocus Lesley.

Been out and braved the nasties.

Few snowies. Pretty crappy pictures but here she goes ...

Lady Beatrix Stanley
Ophelia
Titania
Heffalump

Cheers, Marcus

[Otto Fauser]

Fermi , I just came across your Galanthus plicatus photo , so went down my hillside garden and found a few G.elwesii and plicatus still in bloom . Cold here ,only 3C maximum and still patches of yesterday's snow lying about . I think my 2 snowdrops are correctly labelled .

     Lesley and Marcus : nice Crocus and snowdrops in your gardens , specially Crocus x bornmuelleri .Would love to have this one and C . olivierii ssp.balansae "Chocolate Soldier ' .

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Otto,

Your 3rd picture gives the most definitive difference between the two species. G. elwesii on the left has  typical "wrap around the leaf" convolute leaves, while G. plicatus's leaves are applanate or opposite.

The hooded leaf apex is not very apparent on the G. elwesii but to my eyes it is there.

Cheers, Marcus

[Matt T]

Some nice plants on show with you guys. It's great to see them whilst we are experiencing the most winter-like "summer" ever! Keep the pics of your floral treasures coming.

[vivienne Condon]

Thank you Maggi, I will look into it as much as I can what worries me is my plant that I photo graphed was right on the ground and only about 8cm high. Where as the pics on the Spanish site look a lot taller and there were no goats, sheep or cattle that I could tell that had been in that area to chomp it back to ground level. Oh well see how I go.

[arillady]

Wonderful photos all. My one and only Galanthus (may I call it a patch) has three lovely round seed heads. I must say that this early adventure into Galanthus has taught me much. They flower for ages and seed pods take forever to ripen.