Flowers and foliage May 2008

[Kristl Walek]

Kenneth,
I am guessing that your Uvularia might be U. grandiflora, not perfoliata...

[Kristl Walek]

The very beautiful Mertensia virginica; the fantastic Trollius laxus is still too little grown; a great slowly-outward spreading and entirely well-behaved Ranunculus I originally got from Harvey Wrightman (any help with species id would be appreciated; the stunning foliage of the Japanese Cardiocrinum cordatum var. glehinii (the only variety hardy enough for me); Viola jooii which I love, and finally the rare and tiny (2" at most) Iris lacustris which exists in the wild in only a couple locations in Michigan and Ontario, along the great lakes.

[Lvandelft]

Kristl, are you sure your Ranunculus is NOT an Anemone spec.?

[Kenneth K]

No Kristl, I am quite certain that it is U perfoliata. I have U grandiflora as well and have compared them. It is not easy to tell the difference from the picture. Both have perfoliate leaves but grandiflora is higher and have a little bigger leaves and flowers. The most distinct differences though are two. U grandiflora has soft hair beneath the leaves and it has stamens that are longer than the styles. U perfoliata has hairless leaves and the stamens are shorter than the styles.

As a matter of fact I have U sessilifolia to. It is flowering later and I hope to be able to show picture of it also. It is easier to separate from the other two.

[Kristl Walek]

Luit....it is not Anemone rununculoides---which I also grow and which is only starting to flower now, and is *very different*. This mystery plant started blooming maybe 7-10 days ago. What other Anemone could it be? Has never produced seed, so I can't figure it out backwards from the seed. It *does* go entirely dormant after bloom, which is why I originally was leaning towards Anemone too.

[Kristl Walek]

Kenneth:
You will know best, having U. grandiflora in the garden as well; you are right, it is hard to tell with one picture; the flowers seemed way too large to me to be U. perfoliata---but you certainly do know the major botanical differences.

The other major identifying difference between U. grandiflora and perfoliata is the orangish or yellow bumps on the petals (which grandiflora does NOT have).

This is the only picture of the bumps that I could find.

[Lvandelft]

Luit....it is not Anemone rununculoides---which I also grow and which is only starting to flower now, and is *very different*. This mystery plant started blooming maybe 7-10 days ago. What other Anemone could it be? Has never produced seed, so I can't figure it out backwards from the seed. It *does* go entirely dormant after bloom, which is why I originally was leaning towards Anemone too.

Kristl, does it have rhizomes? In that case it might be an Anemone.
BTW, I did see it is not A. ranunculoides.
Do you have a more close picture as well?

[Lvandelft]

Kenneth, did you have a look at Uvularia for ID?
We were discussing Uvularia's there too.

[Lesley Cox]

Kristl, are you sure your Ranunculus is NOT an Anemone spec.?

Have you dug up some root Kristl? I have to say it looks EXACTLY like my Anemone ranunculoides in its single form. I have a semi double form as well but the habit and foliage of mine are exactly like yours.

I adore the Mertensia virginica. I grow it but it gets battered by strong winds every year and torn to rags. Love the Cardiocrinum foliage too and I'll be very interested to compare your pic with my Iris lacustris later, as I have some doubt about whether mine is true. It's a little bigger than you say but smaller than I. cristata.

[Kenneth K]

No, I did not notice the discussion about ID of Uvularia. I have read it now and also your comments here Kristl. Of course I must make a new comparison with my grandiflora. The latter I got from the botanical garden of Gothenburg, so I think it must be all right. I can not now remember where my perfoliata came from and the label has dissappeared. It is about ten years old but I moved it three years ago and could not find any label. I have it registered as perfoliata and I compared it some years ago with my grandiflora when I had a discussion on another forum. Then I was quite certain but when someone from the homeland of Uvularia have reasonable doubts, of course I must check again!

[tboland]

My Uvularia is just breaking the surface!  Oh well, I do have a couple of things blooming in the rockery and woodland bed.  The first Kabschia saxs are opening (I have a seperate thread for those).  Corydalis solida is just about open and my newest aquisition from last fall, iris X histrioides 'Katherine Hodgkin' is a delight!

[Hans A.]

Never come across C. xiphioides before, but will keep an eye out in case it ever appears on any seed lists anywhere.  That Conanthera looks pretty impressive too, and I'm assuming has small purple patches in the throat? It sort of looks that way in the picture, but it could be just shadow.

Great pics.  Lovely to see new and interesting things I haven't seen before. 

Thanks Paul,
do not know if Calydorea is selffertil and I will get seed this year - a second plant will flower in some days but I had no time to collect pollen of the first bloom  - it opened in the morning closed at afternoon and it did not open again  - but in any case it made an impressive show for a few hours.
You are right the Conanthera has blue marks inside - I think it is a hybrid of C. parvula and C. trimaculata - other plants I grow are not marked.

[Kristl Walek]

Luit, et al...

My mystery Ranunculus IS Anemone ranunculoides!!!! The other plant which flowers later, and is decidedly different is actually A. intermedia.

And in fact I had forgotten a plant of wild A. ranunculoides (Norway) in another section of the garden; and sure enough they were the same as the Harvey Wrightman "Ranunculus."

[Lvandelft]

 

[Paul T]

Hans,

I know that Calydorea amabilis is self fertile, as every one sets seed if allowed to.  No idea of other species though.