The plant world of Patagonia

[gerrit]

Mutisia spinosa in the wild. Paso Cordoba

Murisia retrorsa, Salto del Agrio

[Martin Sheader]

Gerrit, nice Mutisia spinosa - we have occasionally seen the white form in the wild. I think it looks better than some of the dirty pink forms in cultivation. Mutisia retrorsa is very much a dry steppe species and we have seen it in the central steppe over to the Atlantic coast of northern Patagona. Not sure if this is in cultivation.
These small mutsias are quite beautiful. We saw several species in Chile last January. We have tried these from Flores & Watson seed some years ago without much success, but now I know where they grow I think I would stand more chance of success. I have seed from Chileflora - I just hope it germinates!
Below are 3 species from our Chile trip - all should be hardy. Mutisia sinuata is photographed at the small ski resort of Lagunilla. Mutisia subulata f. rosmarinifolia and M. linearifolia are spectacular dwarves, here both photographed in the Maule valley.  In M. linearifolia the ray florets are sterile and the orange-red style is elongated.

[ruweiss]

Martin and Gerrit, many thanks for your quick and informative replies.
30 years ago I tried to cultivate some Mutisia species without longer succes,but
don't know if the colder winters or the lack of experience were the reason.

[gerrit]

They are spectacular indeed Martin, some in two colours, what a gorgeous plants and also dwarf forms. How dwarf? Do you have any idea?

[johnw]

Fantastic Mutisias everyone.  I especially like Martin's oligodon.  Martin you say it climbs up a Berberis emnpetriformis, here that shrub only gets knee-high at best.  How big does it get there?

I grew a Mutisia oligodon several years ago, it sprouted in mid May and by July was this size, it then promptly died.  I blame one steamy day at 29c on its demise.  Had it in a gritty pumice-laced mix and then wondered how on earth I would ever transplant it without a major disturbance to the root system. Need a straight-sided square pot with a removable bottom!

john

[Martin Sheader]

John, fantastic rate of growth for your mutisia. Various references give Mutisia oligodon as reaching about 30cm. We have seen it to about 40cm in the wild. It is often confused in cultivation with smaller forms of other climbing pink species such as M. spinosa.  The very toothed leaves on your plant suggest it might be M. ilicifolia.
Gerrit, the three 'dwarf' species are all low growing. M. linearifolia is perhaps 10-20cm, usually sprawling over the ground, sometimes growing through other low plants. The other two (M. subulata & M. sinuata) scramble through low shrubs and are generally up to about 40cm.

[gerrit]

Junellia micrantha

1. My garden
2. In Patagonia, Volcan Tromen
3. In Patagonia, Primeros Pinos

[Martin Sheader]

Gerrit, good to see Junellia micrantha growing well for you It is one of the few junellias that grows well outside for us, though never covering itself in flowers as it can in the wild. In the wild it often grows in flat areas or depressions which may be moist or even wet in spring, becoming drier in summer.
On our 2015 AGS Tour we found a population of white-flowered J. micrantha on the north side of Lago Cardiel in Argentina's Santa Cruz Province. This would be a wonderful introduction:

[hamparstum]

Hello, I'm so pleased with all your cultivation efforts! I was wondering if anyone has tried introducing Anarthrophyllum ( i.e rigidum) into cultivation. We have a university student working ( Matias Sanchez) here with us, who is considering it and if there is any information he would greatly benefit from it. I'll gladly pass it , since he is not fluent with english. Thank you.

[gerrit]

A wonderful plant indeed. It make me think of the many flowers of an Androsace. But perhaps it is disappointing in our environment. I think, my junellia is poor, when one sees it in real. I presume you have brought some cuttings home.

[Martin Sheader]

Arturo,I don't think anybody has been successful with anarythrophyllums in the UK - I could be wrong. Many tried growing A. desideratum from Flores & Watson seed - it grew but didn't flower for us. You probably stand much more chance of growing anarthrophyllum species in Bariloche. Marcela Ferreyra, who you may know, lives in Bariloche and may be able to help. She has recently retired from the university.

[Maggi Young]

We were among those growing A. desideratum from Flores & Watson seed  - it grew quite well for several years but never flowered.  It is the only Anarthrophyllum we've ever tried .

[hamparstum]

The species that is under trial here at the university is Anarthrophyllum strigulipetalum, which is a short bush quite adaptable to a rock garden setting. Germination was successful with scarification with sand paper.  These are recent trials so there is no information of growth speed or ways to speed them up. Since they are a local native species in due course of () time they should flower. Like what occurr with many treasured gems in nature, one would love to see them doing their thing as profusely in a garden setting. Hardly ever that happens...But that is a challenge for future breeders as the breadth of cultivated plants widen...

[Martin Sheader]

Arturo, A. strigulipetalum, with its bicoloured flowers, is perhaps the most beautiful species in the genus. Unfortunately I don't think seed has been available in the UK. Let us know how the trials go. It would be certainly worth trying here if it ever becomes available. Below are images of the species from the road between Villa Pehuenia and Zapala:

[Mark Griffiths]

are there any suppliers of South American seed? I got some things from Watson and of course Archibalds but wondering if there is anyone now selling seed?