Fritillaria-2008

[olegKon]

Frit season is still on. Here are some flowering today

[Lesley Cox]

From the previous posts, will someone please tell me about Frit. legionensis? I've never heard of it and can't find any reference. But Ian and Rafa, you both seem to know it as an old friend.

[Rafa]

F. legionensis is an endemic species from Picos de Europa region (between León and Asturias province, in Spain).

It is bigger than F. pyrenaica and the last leaf before the flower is divided (verticiliada in spanish like a snake tongue.

Last year I donated seeds to SRGC, exchange and gift to many people and I hope to send this year also to our seed list.
 

[Lesley Cox]

Thank you Rafa. I wonder why it isn't mentioned in The Gardener's Guide to Growing Fritillaries?" That book is REALLY deficient in many areas. Get with it Martyn Rix.

[biodiversite]

These photos are not mine so, Maggy, sorry if I only post a link to my little french forum, but I think you could be interested to see wild F. involucrata & F. montana in the south of France 

http://plantes-passion.forumactif.fr/les-milieux-naturels-f26/une-journee-dans-les-alpes-maritimes-t1851.htm#21054

[Gerry Webster]

I wonder why it isn't mentioned in The Gardener's Guide to Growing Fritillaries?" That book is REALLY deficient in many areas.

Lesley, I agree that this book - published in 1997 - is deficient but it appears that F. legionensis was only described in 1983 so it is, perhaps, not surprising that it is not mentioned.

Bio, many thanks for publishing the link to F. involucrata in the wild; they look wonderful. Also nice to see F. montana (tenella) though not the Lily Beetle about to attack it.

[Maggi Young]

Bio, a most interesting thread in your link... thank you! This is a good reminder to us to check out your forum more often to see what is happening there 

[Lesley Cox]

Lesley, I agree that this book - published in 1997 - is deficient but it appears that F. legionensis was only described in 1983 so it is, perhaps, not surprising that it is not mentioned.

That of course explains it though I would have thought 14 years was enough to have caught up with information especially when you're researching for a book. The 1983 date raises another question, why was the frit described only in 1983 when western European species and habitats have been known for centuries? I would guess that F. legionensis was split off from something else very close (botanically and geographically) and that is why it apparently hybridizes so readily with F. pyrenaica. While I'm always a fan for a new frit species, I'm generally of the 'lumper' fraternity so won't be too worried about F. legionensis.

[Lesley Cox]

And F. involucrata too, has the double leaf immediately behind the flower.

[Boyed]

Some pictures from me

[Magnar]

Boyed:

That F. persica is stunning. Here when planted in the autumn the flower the following spring, and then never show up again.

[Boyed]

Magnar,

Fritillaria persica likes warmth in summer to produce flowers. I think if you harvest the bulbs anually and store them in warm place, and give a protection againts winter frosts, it'll do well for you.

[art600]

I am told that if you store the bulbs in a box in the greenhouse they will flower the following year.  You must ensure however not to expose the bulbs to sunlight or they will scorch.

[Boyed]

Arthur,

It is very wrong to expose the bulbs to the sunlight, as thy will somewhat damaged by it. You just place them in a very warm place rptecting them from sunlight by box, paper, etc the way that there is air circulation around the bulbs

[art600]

I am told that if you store the bulbs in a box in the greenhouse they will flower the following year.  You must ensure however NOT to expose the bulbs to sunlight or they will scorch.

Boyed

That is what I said - advice given to me by Janis Ruksans during our trip in Iran