January 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere

[ArneM]

Oron, it isn't. D. stramonium has got jagged leafs.

[ArneM]

I think because it receives full sun and water.

That's interesting. I thought it needs a shady place, without much sun. Is the air humidity there high?

[Oron Peri]

Arnie,

I agree with you , it looks more like D. inoxia also by Paul's description that it is ' white flushed with lavander'  any way a farther check on the fruit will help to identify it.

For your question, D. stramonium has adapted perfectly in the Mediterranean, in full sun even in areas that recive snow in winter. 

[ArneM]

Here in Germany D. stramonium also runs to seed. You can see it often in fields where it grows to large plants that seed freely. 

[Lesley Cox]

In case Otto isn't watching now, his climate is FAR from highly humid. Melbourne and surrounds, even in the mountains, has up to low 40sC at this time of year and can be bush-fire dry! But anyway, I think he made a lot of paper cut-out flowers and stuck them on the plant to photograph it. NO-ONE gets that many flowers on Philesia!!!

[Maggi Young]

In case Otto isn't watching now, his climate is FAR from highly humid. Melbourne and surrounds, even in the mountains, has up to low 40sC at this time of year and can be bush-fire dry! But anyway, I think he made a lot of paper cut-out flowers and stuck them on the plant to photograph it. NO-ONE gets that many flowers on Philesia!!!

 We do know of Otto's skills with cake decorating, of course.......

Ian and I are green with envy to think of Otto's 2 square meters of Philesia... it is a plant we are both very fond of . What a great grower that fellow Otto is ....more power to his elbow (or should that be "back"  )

[Lesley Cox]

You're right as usual Maggi, they're made of icing. That would fully explain their 3-dimensional look.  So pleased Otto that you don't mind a little laugh at your expense, especially since you've offered me Narc. viridiflorus. Dear man, I'll email you privately.

[Otto Fauser]

Maggi,
 was the new [latest] photo of you on the Forum taken in your late teenage years ?
 Gorgeous ! despite what Lesley says , yes it reaches 40C on one or two days in summer here , but being in a temperate Rainforrest area at 500 meters altitude , it is always3 to 5 degrees  cooler up here and we also have more humidity.
  Lesley ,"fair dinkum ", there were that many flowers on the Philesia ,Iwould not have
the patience or skill to do paper cut-outs.
,

[Maggi Young]

Dearest Otto, you are TOO kind.... but I thank you VERY much! 

I can only imagine the joy of having a Philesia such as yours. I know that much of your garden is on a slope... is the Philesia growing on the slope? I have an idea that it would enjoy such a position and that it would be particularly beautiful in that place because it would allow the flowers to hang well to be seen.

[maggiepie]

Otto, your Philesia magellanica is absolutely beautiful, I have never seen one before.
Are they related to camelias?
I'm totally ignorant of so many of the plants I see in these forums.

[ArneM]

Philesia magellanica is the only member of the genus Philesia and belongs like Lapageria rosea to the Philesiaceae family but I don't know if they are distantly related to camellias, although they have the same preferences for e.g. the type of soil.

Does anyone know about Luzuriagaceae and their affinity to Philesiaceae? Do they all belong to Liliales?

Maggi, lucky you. There are so many nurseries in the UK selling those special plants. 

[Lesley Cox]

Maggi,
 was the new [latest] photo of you on the Forum taken in your late teenage years ?
 Gorgeous !
,

My golly, that man is a crawler!My golly, that man is a prince among men ... edit by guess who?

[Otto Fauser]

 Maggi , yes the Philesia is growing on a slope in my garden, and is slowly invading and "strangling"some dwarf Rhododendron species, but luckily my nice neighbour
Tim Orpin has 5 hectares af garden, so some has found a home there.
  Maggipie , I am not a Botanist, but as far as i know , Camellia is in the Family
 Theaceae, and not related to Philesia .-what you drink at breakfast .
     Arne , I also grow the bigeneric hybrid between Lapageria and Philesia , a modest
climber , not as vigorous as Lapageria , after 5 years it has not flowered for me , maybe
it is not worth growing ? Luzuriaga radicans ,with it's starshaped , white flowers is a
modest beauty, but again too rampant in my garden , creeps around and if there is a shrub or fence nearby will climb up 3 meters high.
 I did not know that Luzuriaga has it's own Family now , it used to be in Philesiaceae.
      Lesley dear , if you would change your photo to one taken when you were a teenager , I am sure compliments would be streeming in from around the globe !
      Otto.
   

[ArneM]

Otto, there's a hybrid between them? I didn't know that. Do you know how old your plant is? Lapageria for example takes about 7 years to flower for its first time. May your plant is just too young to flower?
You are right, Luzuriaga also belongs to Philesiaceae but there was one website which showed it belonging to its own family .
Does Luzuriaga really climb that high? 

[Lesley Cox]

[quote author=Otto Fauser
      Lesley dear , if you would change your photo to one taken when you were a teenager , I am sure compliments would be streeming in from around the globe !
      Otto.
   
[/quote]

Speak for yourself Otto. I DO get compliments streaming in from around the globe. Frequently!
So far as photos are concerned, between the ages of 10 and 60ish, I managed to avoid any at all, so there aren't many to choose from.