South African Bulbs/Geophytes 2019

[David Nicholson]

Yes, David's plant I would agree is Polyxena longituba (now called Lachenalia longituba, though like David I will not be changing my Polyxena labels anytime soon!). The Polyxenas have been passed around with incorrect names attached for quite a long time now.

Paul

I'm pretty certain mine is the 'real deal' The original bulbs were grown from SRGC seed 07/2424 sown December 2008.

[Jon Evans]

Polyxena corymbosa exhibited by RHS Wisley in 2013, and Polyxena longituba exhibited by George Elder at the AGS Kent Autumn Show just over a week ago. 

[P. Kohn]

I think I am convibced that we have grown longituba and not corymbosa. Obviously people are largely growing both as pot plants. Has anyone any experience of trying to grow either species outdoors in Britain ?

[Paul Cumbleton]

I think I am convibced that we have grown longituba and not corymbosa. Obviously people are largely growing both as pot plants. Has anyone any experience of trying to grow either species outdoors in Britain ?

I have grown P. corymbosa outside (in Somerset) for just one year so far. It survived -6C last winter and has come into growth again recently.

Paul

[David Nicholson]

Polyxena corymbosa exhibited by RHS Wisley in 2013, and Polyxena longituba exhibited by George Elder at the AGS Kent Autumn Show just over a week ago.

Jon, many thanks for posting them.

[Jon Evans]

One other point about the Polyxena which may be of interest.  When I first started growing South African bulbs, in the '90s, Polyxena longituba was quite widespread in cultivation in the UK, though often misnamed, so plants and particularly seed received as P. corymbosa, P. ensifolia, P. odorata etc usually turned out to be the same thing, but it was not known from the wild, and was only rediscovered in the Roggeveld about 20 years ago. 

The plants exhibited by George were grown from seed from the rediscovered material sown in 2001 (?), received from Gordon Summerfield as Polyxena sp., and have a slightly stronger coloration than the material originally in cultivation.  The shortness of the leaves at flowering time is not because of this, but a testament to George's cultivation skills.

[Jon Evans]

I just found some more authoritative information about this.  Terry Smale says:

"The common species in UK collections because it was sent over by Harry Hall in the late '60s. It is grown under a number of names because no botanist realised that it was a new species until 2000. The above name was then published after "rediscovery" of the species in the wild. "

The name P. longituba was first published by AM van der Merwe in the South Afncan Journal of Botany 2001, for material from two populations in the Komsberg, discovered by Gordon Summerfield in 1997 and by JC Manning in 1998.

AM van der Merwe says "The plants of the one population were meagre with off-white to very pale pink flowers. ... The plants of the other population were more sturdy with lilac flowers ..."

[David Nicholson]

Interesting stuff Jon, thanks for that.

[Maggi Young]

Another  diary  entry  from  Jon  on the  AGS  site  - this  time  with a  viaduct  I didn't  know  about  (shame  on me!) and  photos   from the  Harlow  Carr  Show  :

https://www.alpinegardensociety.net/plants/harlow-carr-show-2019/?fbclid=IwAR2tzyZ37VIzMU2AEN4WDBZ44NEf5UKfwbv1UNphKHjrgJM7MSCWcX_XG1Q

[ashley]

Massonia mimetica  was first described in 2013 from the Northern Cape, Kamiesberg. This is the first time of flowering for me and I think it is one of the more attractive species with cinnamon coloured leaves and pale yellow flowers with attractive red markings on the petal bases.

Nice leaf colour Paul; under glass?

[Paul Cumbleton]

Nice leaf colour Paul; under glass?

Hi Ashley, Yes these are under glass. We do get a good degree of sunlight in our location which helps. I have two bulbs and have brought them into the house to keep them away from other Massonias so that I can cross pollinate them and hopefully get seed. My first priority with rare material is always to propagate, propagate and propagate, hopefully resulting in them becoming more widely available and grown in due course.

Paul

[fermi de Sousa]

The first Babiana tubiflora is in flower
cheers
fermi

[Claire Cockcroft]

Babiana tubiflora surely lives up to its name.  Lovely, Fermi.
...Claire

[johnw]

PaulC - Your Massonia mimetica is smashing!

johnw
halifax,ns
19c & drizzling today

[fermi de Sousa]

I think this is Moraea lewisiae. It came up in a pot labelled M. gigandra which it isn't!
cheers
fermi