South African Bulbs/Geophytes 2018

[ashley]

Colchicaceae Ornithoglossum undulatum in the Cederberg mountains, Western Cape, July.

[fermi de Sousa]

Colchicaceae Ornithoglossum undulatum in the Cederberg mountains, Western Cape, July.

Wow! Something else I've never seen before!
Have you written up your trip for anyone yet?
cheers
fermi

[Paul Cumbleton]

Colchicaceae Ornithoglossum undulatum in the Cederberg mountains, Western Cape, July.

Great plant Ashley! Does anyone grow this? - I have had seed a couple of times but none has ever germinated.

Paul

[Maggi Young]

Wow! Something else I've never seen before!
Have you written up your trip for anyone yet?
cheers
fermi

  Like the IRG, for instance?? Pretty please!!
Quite extraordinary plants for  some (most?) of us!

[fermi de Sousa]

I was trying to be subtle, Maggi
 
cheers
fermi

[Maggi Young]

Hard to remain subtle as an editor, fermi!  I admire your restraint!! 

[ashley]

Thanks Fermi, Maggi and Paul; very kind.

We wandered quite widely in Western Cape and some adjoining areas of Northern & Eastern Cape provinces, but although Helen has the patience of a saint I didn't want to push my luck by spending too many rapt hours among the vegetation
In retrospect my photos are disjointed and (mostly) mediocre so hardly do the plants justice or merit a proper write-up.  Evidently I was too excited to concentrate, like a kid in a sweet shop.  We'll have to go again

[fermi de Sousa]

Gladiolus watermeyeri from NZAGS Seedex 2011
cheers
fermi

[ashley]

Spectacular
It makes you wonder what evolutionary pressures drove such extravagant colour and form.

[Ian]

Ornithogalum ceresianum

what's the size of this bulb? very big or a tiny one?

[Diane Whitehead]

and the scent!  I would smell it as I was walking, and then would look for the flower.

[fermi de Sousa]

and the scent!  I would smell it as I was walking, and then would look for the flower.

Hi Diane,
I presume you are referring to Gladiolus watermeyeri - the scent of violets is so strong you would think you had a tray of violets in front of you rather than a single flower of the gladdie!
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

Hesperantha vaginata grown from seed and showing some variation
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

Gladiolus gracilis grown from seed from Gordon Summerfield in 2010; first flowered in 2015
cheers
fermi

[Steve Garvie]

Boophone sp. Port Elizabeth


Haemanthus sp. Giant form. This is possibly just a form of sanguineus or coccineus but it produces a massive pair of oval rubbery leaves.


Empodium plicatum