Bryocarpum

[johnw]

Friends did an expedition to Bhutan last Spring and asked me about a source for Bryocarpum himalaica. It has been on my want list for years. Does anyone know if it ever appears on a seedlist or in catalogues?

johnw

[Lesley Cox]

Don't know about catalogues but certainly not in any seedlist that I've seen. My wants list too, for at least 45 years!

[WimB]

Never heard about this plant before.

Lesley, since you have been looking for it for 45 years it must be a really special plant

Does anyone have a picture of it since there doesn't seem to be one on the internet.

[fermi de Sousa]

Never heard about this plant before.
Lesley, since you have been looking for it for 45 years it must be a really special plant
Does anyone have a picture of it since there doesn't seem to be one on the internet.

Ditto!
cheers
fermi

[ranunculus]

Oh that we could get (and sustain) Bryocarpum in cultivation ... and so many other Himalayan gems ... chesneyas, eriophytums, oreosolon, gueldenstaedtia, Ranunculus lobatus, primulas, cremanthodiums, meconopsis and saussureas - the list goes on and on.....

[Lesley Cox]

I can only recall Bryocarpum himalaicum from an old black and white photo in an early AGS Bulletin. It belongs to Primulaceae and I seem to remember a flower like a sort of elongated soldanella flower, possibly fringed but not sure about that. It is probably purple though for some reason yellow is in my mind. I think the low rosette of foliage was not unlike that of an Omphalogramma.

I'm sure I've seen a more recent picture somewhere but can't think where.

[Maggi Young]

Try a search of old forum for a pic.... there was certainly one once in the show reports of the main website... there are (were??!! ) a couple of folks growing and showing this delightful little plant.... leaves like a little primula, flowers like a yellow soldanella... utterly charming. May be that I have a pic on main pc...which is still in the repair shop

[WimB]

I don't seem to find the picture(s) in the old forum. Anyone else?

[Maggi Young]

Oh dear, it seems that it was not on the forum..this means it was an old show report....I MAY have it on our sick pc...fingers crossed! Off now for a search of the journals......

[Maggi Young]

Well, last two mentions of it at a show were in 2001 and 2003, shown by Barry and Cathy Caudwell and by Cyril Lafong. In the 1950s it was being grown by, at least, RBGE, General Murray-Lyon, R.B. Cooke and Willie Buchanan... he last two also showing the plant it seems.
Here is a black and white photo from 1958, and a description of the plant by Murray-Lyon.
You will note that the flower is described as "un-fringed" although Cathy  Caudwell says that their plant did have the soldanella type fringing, and that is how I remember it.

[ashley]

SRGC Journal index:  Bryocarpum himalaicum : 5/211; 6/169, 153B; 17/192; 27/264; 110/46

[Maggi Young]

Quite so, Ashley.......quote comes from 5/211
photo from 6/153, other references are simply to plants as being shown on the benches at various shows.

[Mick McLoughlin]

reference on the AGS journal:
Entry                         Volume  Page 
Bryocarpum himalaicum    72     322,323C

[ashley]

Quite so, Ashley.......quote comes from 5/211
photo from 6/153, other references are simply to plants as being shown on the benches at various shows.

Apologies Maggi.  Not having them to hand I was not in a position to check  no apology needed, Ashley, I am sure M

[johnw]

Am trying to get a photo of it in Bhutan and will post if possible. Maggi - Thanks for the gorgeous old photo.

Leslie - Indeed it is yellow.

There's also a line drawing in the AGS Encyclopaedia of Alpines Volume #1.

johnw