Lilium and allies (Cardiocrinum. Notholirion and Nomocharis) 2008

[Lesley Cox]

As you've guessed, mine hasn't flowered yet but the seed was from plants at the Dunedin Botanic Gardens and the rosette of young leaves was basically green but with heavy mottling of red/brown and it for that that I originally wanted the seed. I hope they come true. I have about 8 I think.

LesLEY

[Paul T]

Magnar,

That Nomocharis forrestii is absolutely stunning!!  What a colour and spotting.  Beautiful!

[gote]

Rob,
Thanks for the offer but I have in the meantime got seedlings going from the RHS Lily group's seedexchange. For now I am well provided.

Lesley,
Cardiocrium cordatum is a Japanese endemic. My plants have Chinese origin.
Cordatum and its Chinese counterpart cathayanum are both supposed to be smaller; never more than 1.5m. The one I have as giganteum is about 2.5m.
(I must measure them both. I always forget  ).
Something that bothers me is that pictures of C giganteum (presumably from south Himalaya) show real trumpet shape whereas my big one has these loose unconnected tepals and bent flower shape.
I had one last year that had these flowers and was definitely smaller. It was labeled as C. cathayanum and fitted the description so-so.
I assume that the difference is not easily seen in herbarium material but on the living plant it is very obvious.
Göte

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks for extra information Gote.

Paul my seed of Nomocharis forrestii came from Marcus just 4 years ago. It has flowered twice already.

[Paul T]

Lesley.  Well done!!  I've never had quick flowering from Liliums from seed for me, but then again the last 6 or 7 years everything has been neglected due to my health.  I've got more seedling repotting done in the last few months than I have in years, and then only a fraction of what needs doing.    Still not stopping me from sowing more stuff though, just cutting it down a bit from how much I was sowing some years in the past. 

[rob krejzl]

Göte,

Something that bothers me is that pictures of C giganteum (presumably from south Himalaya) show real trumpet shape whereas my big one has these loose unconnected tepals and bent flower shape.

Sure I remember (but can't recall where of course) a reference to this phenomenon somewhere else - that the flower form varies across the range, becoming progressively less symmetrical.

[gote]

Rob,
Thank you for the confirmation.
I never remember anything these days but if you should wake up in the middle of the night and say "yes that was the cardocrinium reference" I would be glad to have it  Well also if you remember in the daytime 

I have already decided to try to get a giganteum (meaning a bulb)  from the west end of the range.
Who could supply? Paul Christian?? I am not interested in seed. They germinate one year too late (even if well), take seven years and although I have been lucky with bulbs, seedlings die in the winter.

Göte

[johnw]

Two Lilium in bloom here today - L. nepalense with wonderful night fragrance (dampened by Amorphophallus titanum Konjac unfortunately). Also one from seed ex the Taylors when they spoke in Vancouver, L. porophyllum (NW Himalayas) and I can find no reference to this name. A few L. canadense just coming out and L. michiganense is out (last shot).

johnw

[Lesley Cox]

I didn't realize L. nepalense was night-scented. I'll be out there in a few months, torch in hand and sniffer on the alert.

[arisaema]

John: Beautiful pictures, that L. porophyllum in particular is stunning! I had never heard of it before, but after looking at IPNI I wonder if it could be L. polyphyllum?

L. taliense is flowering here, three stems this year, so I must be doing something right (by doing nothing...)

[johnw]

Arisaema - You are on to something. I guess it was a typing error here or on the package of seed.  So L. polyphyllum seems to fit, I will go out and self it if not too late (one done). Here is another shot from this evening, this one hasn't reflexed yet - this flower has no stigma.

Your L. taliense is superb, ours has a lot more yellow. You have some wonderful plants and I guess I should never be surprised - it's Norway.

Thanks again

johnw

[johnw]

I didn't realize L. nepalense was night-scented. I'll be out there in a few months, torch in hand and sniffer on the alert.

Leslie - The fragrance of L. nepalense is quite exotic with slightly soapy/waxy overtones.  It has been warm the past few nights with temperatures at 20c. The scent of the lindens is incredible in the front, horrible tree but oh those 2-3 nights in mid-summer make you forget its many faults. I meant to mention that Vico Yellow Clivia is very slightly fragrant - I had no idea.

Pity that Amorphophallus Konjac has the yard stunk up...and then there are the flies.

johnw

[johnw]

Leslie - I meant to mention that I was rather alarmed when my C. cordatum died off rather suddenly about 5 or more weeks ago. Tonight I was brave enough to check the roots and they look big and stout so I assume the bulb is okay. So yet another one not to be skewering with the fork mid-season a la cordatum satay.

johnw

[Jim McKenney]

Cardiocrinum cordatum should be in bloom here very soon. This will be the third time it has bloomed here – it’s been in the garden for eight years. It bloomed year 1, year 4 and now year 8. The plant here has never shown any trace of bronze on the foliage. It emerges very early, sometimes in late winter, and overnight freezes do not seem to bother it. So far, the deer have not touched it, although they have eagerly cropped other nearby plants.

The tall Cardiocrinum Göte has described appears to be the same plant which has flowered several times in recent years here in the greater Washington, D.C., USA area (USDA zone 6 and 7). Whatever this is, it always seems to bloom much earlier (first week of June this year)  than the shorter C. cordatum. One grower received it from Chen Yi under the name C. cathayense ( a misprint for yunnanense?).

I don't yet have this tall plant in my garden. Isolated plants copiously set what seems to be viable seed. This is also true of my Cardiocrinum cordatum. 

[Lesley Cox]

When your C. cordatum flowers will you post a picture of it please Jim?