South African Bulbs/Geophytes 2017

[ArnoldT]

Steve:

Thanks for the highly informative response.

I've struggled with over wintering my summer growing Boophone distichas.

I've had most success just placing them in a cool basement during winter months.  They seem to know when it's time to commence growth.

[ArnoldT]

Last of the season.  Came in as another bulb.

Lachenalia callista

[François Lambert]

Steve:

I've had most success just placing them in a cool basement during winter months.  They seem to know when it's time to commence growth.

Hello Arnold, that's how I keep all my summer growers.  Haven't kept any log of when they start to grow and if there is any influence of the conditions over winter, but it really is surprising to see how all the bulbs of the same species start growing at the same time.  Almost as if they have an alarm clock telling them the growth season is back.  Young seed raised plants however are often earlier to start growing than their older parents.

[ArnoldT]

A better shot of Lachenalia callista.

[ArnoldT]

Ledebouria sp. Huntsdrift.

Located in the Eastern Cape region.

[Graeme]

nothing special but I seem to be acquiring a lot of rhodohypoxis

[Steve Garvie]

Gethyllis seedlings germinating.
Seed must be sown fresh and is unfortunately expensive and difficult to procure (though good seed produces 100% germination).
My supply of seeds came with small fragments of seed pod pulp attached which I washed off with mild detergent. The seed was sown on a mix of pumice/silica sand/Sophistocat cat litter/perlite which was kept just moist by surface spraying.
Bizarrely the fleshy seed seems to expand in size on germination soaking up water such that even after formation of the root/vestigial bulb and the single leaf the seed appears plump though takes on a dark colour (most noticeable in the G. namaquensis seed shown below). The seedlings are in full sun in an open frame -this seems to encourage the leaf coiling. The seed source was from RSA. I will try to keep the seedlings in growth for as long as possible despite the fact that these are winter-growing bulbs.

Gethyllis namaquanensis -note the dark expanded seed at bottom-right.


Gethyllis grandiflora

[ArnoldT]

Ledebouria ovalifolia

Ledebouria sp. DMC DMC is David M. Cumming of Hoya "fame." He is a Scottish expat living in South Africa now after many years in the Philippines. 


Ledebouria socialis

[ArnoldT]

Trying to get light and close-up
Ledebouria sp. Hunts Drift.

[Rimmer de Vries]

Haemanthus humilis hirsutus ex Dirkiesdorp
Photo from 11 June, been blooming for a few weeks

[Paul Cumbleton]

Drimia nana is a very rare, localised species from the Northern Cape, currently known from about five sub populations, but may also be overlooked. Sub populations are small, consisting typically of fewer than 100 plants. The total population in the wild may be less than 1000 mature individuals. Most Drimia species have white or dull coloured, not very showy flowers but D. nana has lovely bright pink flowers that can make quite a show, each bulb producing several flowering stems when mature. It flowers at the very end of its growing season, after the grass-like leaves have already died down, or sometimes as they are in the process of dying down.This species is barely in cultivation, but seed is freely set and germinates well, so hopefully this plant will not remain rare for long, at least in cultivation.

Paul

[Matt T]

What an amazing display from such a diminutive plant!

[Steve Garvie]

Certainly a bonny wee thing Paul!

[ruweiss]

Now flowering:
Albuca fastigiata v.floribunda

[ashley]

Lovely things here.
My humble offering, Gladiolus flanaganii from the seed exchange (SRGC 66-1867).