AGS show Loughborough Mar08

[Diane Clement]

A few more
Erythronium multiscapoideum cliftonii won a trophy for Bob and Rannveig Wallis for the best pot of bulbs
and they also won the 3 pan "new and rare", two of which below:
Fritillaria crassifolia ssp nova
and Corydalis seisumiana (from a previously unreported location, or a new species)

[Diane Clement]

To illustrate the "funny lighting", here's two pictures of the same plant, the first without flash and the second with.  The first is definitely more true to the correct colour but sadly fuzzy as I decided not to take a tripod as the hall is often very crowded at Loughborough. 
Anistome imbricata imbricata

[Diane Clement]

Last few
Hepatica Asahizuru
Cyclamen coum pewter leaf (sorry the hall lighting has really spoiled the leaf colour)
Asarum splendens
Saxifraga oppositifolia Iceland form

[Diane Clement]

Well, that's all I've got, but there were several other forumists in the hall and I hope they will be posting more pictures. 

[Lesley Cox]

To illustrate the "funny lighting", here's two pictures of the same plant, the first without flash and the second with.  The first is definitely more true to the correct colour but sadly fuzzy as I decided not to take a tripod as the hall is often very crowded at Loughborough. 

Well Diane, it's a rather fuzzy looking plant anyway, especially in the wild where it NEVER reaches this size.

[Diane Clement]

Well Diane, it's a rather fuzzy looking plant anyway, especially in the wild where it NEVER reaches this size.

Have you a picture of it in the wild Lesley?   

[Peter Maguire]

I was one of the other forumists in the hall, so I'll add my pictures, some of which may duplicate Diane's (by the way, she wasn't in the pub that long, she left before I did). I've also tried to correct the colour casts caused by the lighting in the hall, but the colour cast does vary a bit, depending upon how close you are to the windows.

1. Three celmisias from Ian Leslie - Celmisia semicordata var aurigans, C. spedenii and c. philocremma
2. Three Asiatic primulas from John Richards - Primula 'Arduiane', nana and moupinensis
3. Asarum delaveyi (Cecilia Coller)
4. Asarum splendens (Jenny Bourne)

[Maggi Young]

Some super plants there, indeed.
 Am I the only person who finds it somewhat ironic, to say the least, that the  AGS makes so much of a stated 'no-collection conservation policy', even extending this to seed collecting in some statements, yet there are lauded members who are, by open admission, collecting from the wild? This state of affairs puzzles me greatly. Ought there not to be statements made to clarify who may be collecting with proper permits, etc, to avoid confusion/

[Peter Maguire]

5. Cyclamen coum (Peter Hood)
6. Dactylorhiza romana (Richard Manuel)
7. Dionysia curviflora (Alan Newton - Farrer Medal)
8. Dionysia 'Komet' (Nigel Fuller)

[Peter Maguire]

< Am I the only person who finds it somewhat ironic, to say the least, that the  AGS makes so much of a stated 'no-collection conservation policy', even extending this to seed collecting in some statements, yet there are lauded members who are, by open admission, collecting from the wild? This state of affairs puzzles me greatly. >

I presume you mean the celmisias Maggi - where would we be without the likes of Steve Newell, Ross Graham and others?

[Peter Maguire]

9. Galanthus virescens (Rosina Abbiss)
10. Hepatica japonica forma magna (John Gennard - part of his AGS medal display)
11. Hepatica japonica '?' (John again - I was using a dictation recorder to make notes, and should have spelt out the Japanes name of this one!)
12. Heptica nobilis var japonica (Rosina Abbiss)

[Maggi Young]

No, actually, Peter, I was thinking of the fritillaria.
I have few reservations about seed collecting, in sensible quantity, from wild populations.....in fact we received some great seed from overseas yesterday.... and I can see a case for controlled collection of bulb and plant material too, in some circumstances..... but it seems , how shall I put it... foolhardy......to preach abstinence on the one hand while openly supporting an off-licence on the other, so to speak.
It is so difficult for the average onlooker to know whether or not plant material has been imported with full documentation and all legal permits. With the emphasis on Botanic Gardens being beset by regulations limiting their curatorship of collected material, it is all to easy to see private persons as outwith that system and this muddies the waters further.

It is simplythat I see inconsistencies around  and it irritates me ......I suppose I have an overdeveloped preference for fairness and equality>

[Peter Maguire]

13. Hepatica 'Apple Blossom' (Ian Sharpe) - this colour is about right, the plant looked very pink for Apple Blossom
14. Hepatica nobilis x yamatutai (Rosina Abbiss)
15. Iris narbutii (Ivor Betteridge)
16. Massonia depressa (Cecilia Coller)

[Peter Maguire]

17. Ophrys reinholdii (Carl Hardwick)
18. Rebutia costata (Chris Bowyer) - in a cushion plant class no less!
19. Saxifraga 'Allendale Bonny' (David Hoare)
20. Saxifraga georgei FW83 (Mark Childerhouse)

And that's the lot for the plants. Apologies if you are not a fan of hepaticas, as you can see from the range of pictures, I am!

Peter

[Maggi Young]

Peter, even without a fondness for Hepaticas, you would be hard pressed to ignore such fine specimens!

I agree with your comment about the H. Apple Blossom... the ones we see tend to be much paler... more like apple blossom, in fact!

Is that Ophrys early, or is this a usual time to see it on the bench?  Such improbable flowers, aren't they?