March 2017 in the Northern Hemisphere

[Robert]

A few pretties from our Sacramento, California garden.



Primula (Dodecatheon) hendersonii



Stick Sedge, Carex multicaulis. A cespitose species.



This species is rarely used as an ornamental in California. I like the flowers, but I grow it mainly for the quill-like foliage.

[Hoy]

Nice, Robert. Especially the hendersonii!
Not many grows sedges as ornamentals but they are increasingly popular I think. I have a few in my garden. The most impressive is C. pendula.

[Robert]

The last of the Narcissus romieuxii. The slugs destroyed all of the earlier flowers. 



Narcissus triandrus ssp. triandrus. I love this species - can't have enough of them. 

Trond,

I am very pleased with the Primula (Dodecatheon) hendersonii. The plants growing on the farm set very few viable seeds and multiply vegetatively for the most part. I am guessing that they may be triploid. I grow another form from about 1525 meters (yes they does have rice-like bulblets) that emerges and blooms later in the season, even in our Sacramento garden. My guess, judging from the foliage, etc. is that it may be a tetraploid. Regardless of their disposition, they are first rate garden plants in our climatic zone.

[fermi de Sousa]

The last of the Narcissus romieuxii....
....
Narcissus triandrus ssp. triandrus. ....

Hi Robert,
will you try crossing the two?
cheers
fermi

[astragalus]

Very nice dodecatheon, Robert.

[Maggi Young]

Very nice dodecatheon, Robert.

That's what I was thinking - they appear much laterthan this here.  Also, they are still dodecatheon to me  too- I'm too  set in my ways to  call 'em Primulas, I'm afraid!

[Catwheazle]

Adonis amurensis Ex Sachalin.
Not the infertile hybrid is almost exclusively in the trade.
Hope to get seeds this year 

[Robert]

Hi Robert,
will you try crossing the two?
cheers
fermi

Hi Fermi,

Yes!    Unfortunately, I might have to wait until next season. It is unfortunate that I am "out-of-town" at this time. Yesterday, I could only race around the yard for a few minutes before I had to focus my attention on other important things and then return to the farm.

[Robert]

Very nice dodecatheon, Robert.

Anne,

Yes! Our native Dodecatheon are divine (as far as I am concerned). 

That's what I was thinking - they appear much laterthan this here.  Also, they are still dodecatheon to me  too- I'm too  set in my ways to  call 'em Primulas, I'm afraid!

Maggi,

Molecular-gentic studies / DNA sequencing, etc. certainly have their place. However, I too am often frustrated! I see such science as only one perspective (a very useful perspective) to a very complex system. There is plenty of room for error and there is plenty of disagreement even within the scientific community. I guess on a quantum level everything in the unknown universe is nothing more than vibrating strings of energy and everything is united as nothing more than empty space and an amorphous mass of vibrating energy. Personally, I like the mystical perspective of the universe and the pure joy of Dodecatheon in bloom. 

[Gabriela]

Robert,
Great to see Dodecatheon hendersonii flowering for you, it really is very beautiful. Last year in Vancouver Island I had to admire it in fruit But I read a bit more about it and regarding this:
"I am very pleased with the Primula (Dodecatheon) hendersonii. The plants growing on the farm set very few viable seeds and multiply vegetatively for the most part. I am guessing that they may be triploid. I grow another form from about 1525 meters (yes they does have rice-like bulblets) that emerges and blooms later in the season, even in our Sacramento garden. My guess, judging from the foliage, etc. is that it may be a tetraploid. Regardless of their disposition, they are first rate garden plants in our climatic zone."

I wonder if the plants at your farm may not be D. hendersonii var. hansenii, which is said to form very little seeds. The populations in V. Island which are D. hendersonii var. hendersonii were having plenty of seeds.
Things are more complicated of course, but since you have it in the garden it may be easier to check for characters:
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=250092201

[Robert]

Gabriela,

Thank you for the information. 

"The chase has been on" for some time now. When investigating the Dodecatheon hendersonii complex phrases like "needs further study" arise frequently.

These are some characteristics associated with D. hendersonii at the farm, and elsewhere in our area: 1.) They are completely glabrous which rules out D. clevelandii 2.) They have have bulblets which rules out D. hendersonii var. hansenii and D. clevelandii. Plants with these characteristics are found throughout our area, however due to their high degree of sterility some sort of past (paleo?) introgression seems completely possible. The plants are not completely 100% sterile, as I have grown on a few seedlings.

The high elevation form of D. hendersonii does have some affinities to D. subalpinum, however they are different. To quote The Jepson Manual, "Evidently a high elevation ecotype but possibly more appropriately treated as a var. of D. hendersonii, for which the name D. hendersonii var. yosemitanum H.L. Mason is available". The chromosome count of D. subalpinum is listed as 2n=66, a polyploid of sorts. In my research terms such as  a "highly variable polyploid complex" pop up. At the present time I have no way of verifying this information. High on my list of priorities is to find D. subalpinum in the central and southern Sierra Nevada this summer.

Thank you again for the link. It is greatly appreciated!     

[Gabriela]

Thank you for the extra info Robert

I will not pursue any further the study of D. hendersonii complex, FA gave me enough of a headache! Only last year's trip to Vanc. Island made me to look more into it.
The polyploid complex indicates that hybridization was involved somewhere and this makes it a difficult puzzle to solve. But you certainly have a good 'playground' for studying more this 'complex' Dodecatheon 

I only hope to have my seedlings growing somewhere in the spring; don't know when that will be, cold snap here -10C day/-15C tonight.

[Hoy]

Not much in flower up in the mountains. But the sun makes the snow crystals twinkle like diamonds.

[Maggi Young]

Spectacular views, Trond!

[Robert]

Trond,

Once again some beautiful scenes of your snowy countryside. 

This photograph was taken yesterday while traveling through the Deer Creek Hills. This area is a transition zone between the Sacramento Valley and the lower Sierra Nevada Foothills. Depending on where I looked there were a few things blooming; Plagiobothrys fulvus var. campestris, Amsinckia, Dichelostemma, etc. (fallow) or nothing (active rangeland).

Right now it is 2 C and dropping at the farm. It is trying to snow! Traverse Creek is definitely snowy today! If it snows today at the farm and sticks, it will be worth a photograph. Typical spring weather in our part of California.