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Despite the wind, insects are plentiful in the Patagonian mountains and steppe, including butterfies, moths, flies, bees and beetle and most of the colourful flowers are insect pollinated.The Cistanthe is not from Patagonia, but from the drier more northern areas of Chile. Many calandinias have short-lived flowers but some open each flower daily over several days. Once pollinated, flowers go over quickly.
Gerrit,Nice to see a few South Americans in flower.Your Junellia is J. micrantha. It occurs throughout most of Patagonia and prefers to grow in areas where the soil is wet in spring, drying out later in the year. It forms a flat mat, sometimes flowering around the edge of the mat, others with flowers over the whole mat. We need some of these well-flowered clones in cultivation. Flowers can be white, pink, or lavender in colour, usually with a dark spot at the base of the petals. For us, this grows vigorously both in pots and in raised beds outside. The prostrate stems root readily as they extend.
Gerrit ... Viola dasyphylla lives amazingly still. Maybe because I got the good advice from Martin ... she needs a lot of light. I took three photos quickly ... I do not know how long I can still look forward to it. It has grown even a bit ... there are still miracles.
The season is still young. Who knows, perhaps your little plant gets more fat on his body instead of getting taller. Do you allow the rain falling on his head? A real miracle would be: flowers.
Gerrit ... I am surprised and grateful that this viola still lives. To dream of blossoms would be measured. 😊She is standing under a cover of glass in the sun. She gets only little water ... rarely.I have unfortunately no experience with this species. Maybe Martin can tell you something more ... substrate, water, location ... I would be grateful.Thomas
Perhaps it should be better not under glass. Glass prevents UV if i'm right. Under an open sky, faced south, but away from any precipitation. That's my suggestion. Rosulate violas have leathery leaves which are arranged like tiles on a roof. Maybe rain does not harm them to much. Perhaps you may cover the soil in order to keep the substrate rather dry. Rosulate violas also have taproots, to give them stability on the moving screes and find melting water streaming underneath the surface. So maybe give them a deep pot. and give them water from beneath. The most vulnerable spot is where the root begins just under the rosette. Give them enough water and do not let the soil drying out completely. In their natural habitat it seems they grow in dry soil. Mostly vulcanic sand. There are 2 types: The volcanica-group, growing in the vast steppe. and the andina group, growing in the most hostil envronment in the high mountains. I was estonished, the forst time i saw them. "How can they suvive?" But after digging a small hole in the sand, i understood. There is permanent water, also in the steppe.
