Sternbergia 2009

[Hristo]

Never noticed that Gary, I will check more closely to see if this is a common feature!
Anthony, I like your Sternbergia greuteriana, nice 'miniature' Sternbergia.

[Gerdk]

Sternbergia lutea - a gift from a nice forum member from southern Germany.

Gerd

[Anthony Darby]

Here's the first of my Sternbergia sicula. I now have two flowers open in this pot.

[Gerry Webster]

Sternbergia greuteriana

Despite the poor summer this is flowering well with a number of buds. It seems to require less of a severe summer bake than other species. The narrow leaves in the background belong to S. sicula; the leaves of S.greuteriana are relatively broad (c. 8mm) with a silver stripe.  

[Gerry Webster]

Sternbergia lutea

A garden centre form. It was given a hot dry bake  over the summer before being planted out. This form of S.lutea will not flower in the open garden here

[hadacekf]

Sternbergia lutea
I have two forms of Sternbergia lutea. One flowers without leaves, the other one with leaves.

[Gerdk]

-- and both forms looks beautifully in your meadow!

Gerd

[Anthony Darby]

I've just noticed how much smaller the anthers of my sicula are compared with greuteriana.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Franz,
Your Autumn meadow looks just as good as your Spring meadow ! 

[Ragged Robin]

Your meadow is a fantastic sight Franz - how deep is your soil?

[Gerry Webster]

Virused Sternbergia

A few posts back Poul asked for photos of virused Sternbergia. I think this plant is infected. The symptoms are clearest on the leaves but are also visible on the tepals - not as obvious in a photo.
Despite the infection, the plant remains vigorous & floriferous. Unfortunately, it is clonal & self-sterile so there is no possibility of raising virus-free plants.

[hadacekf]

Thank you all together for the kind comments.
My garden is an old meadow and in the earth there are many stones in all sizes.

[Gerdk]

What is Sternbergia greuteriana?

It seems there are some difficulties to determinate the species mentioned above. The following pics show 3 different Sternbergia specimens, the first two were sold as S. greuteriana, the third one (from Karpathos) is very near to it at least.
The petal width is 5,5 mm (first one), 8,2 mm (second) and between 6 and 11 mm
(last).
For me no. 1 fits the description for greuteriana, but no. 2 and the smallest
in the pot of no. 3 belongs either also to it or they are some intermediates with Sternbergia sicula/lutea.

Gerd

[Anthony Darby]

I thought Sterbergia greuteriana was only found on Crete?

[Gerry Webster]

What is Sternbergia greuteriana?

It seems there are some difficulties to determinate the species mentioned above. The following pics show 3 different Sternbergia specimens, the first two were sold as S. greuteriana, the third one (from Karpathos) is very near to it at least.
The petal width is 5,5 mm (first one), 8,2 mm (second) and between 6 and 11 mm
(last).
For me no. 1 fits the description for greuteriana, but no. 2 and the smallest
in the pot of no. 3 belongs either also to it or they are some intermediates with Sternbergia sicula/lutea.

Gerd

Gerd (& Anthony) - A recent paper [EWAN GAGE & PAUL WILKIN Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 158, 460–469] argues that the botanical distinction between S. lutea, S.sicula, & S. greuteriana cannot be maintained & that they should all be sunk into S. lutea. The  authors suggest that the current species might be retained as horticultural cultivars.
(Thanks to Hans J for sending me a PDF of this paper)