Podophyllum

[Susan Band]

I was wondering what this lovely Podophyllum is. I must have had it for a while, but this is the first time it has flowered. I suspect that I cut up the roots when I got it as I have quite a few flowering plants this year. It is only 10cm high at the moment but no doubt it will get bigger, flowers are large for the size of plant. It has furry leaves .

[Robin Callens]

Susan,

This is P. aurantiocaule subsp. aurantiocaule. This species is the last Podophyllum to emerge.
It has hears on both surfaces of the leafs and a mixture of teeth and hairs on the margins of the leafs. (only this species has this)

Robin

[Susan Band]

Thanks Robin, it certainly has lovely flowers as well as leaves. Hope it sets seed.
Susan

[johnw]

This was bought as Podophyllum versipelle and is growing in a friend's garden here.  About a week or more from flowering.  Does it appear correct?

johnw

[Robin Callens]

John,

I think we should wait untill your friend's plant flowers before deciding wheter this is Podophyllum versipelle or pleianthum.

Robin

[johnw]

Robin  - There are two shots of my Podophyllum pleianthum in flower. Not quite open and a bit redder live. The source was the Rhododendron Species Foundation.  What do you think?

johnw

[Tony Willis]

John

that is what I am calling versipelle(at the moment) I saw some plants on Amand's display at Chelsea and the ones he had labelled versipelle looked like mine. He had others labelled pleianthum with very different shaped leaves.I could not see the flowers. I wonder if they are all just variations on a theme and have been split.

Robin you have not commented on my post No.27 on the 20th May about those I labelled mairei. What do you think of those small cupped shaped flowers?

Here are another two pictures of my No 3 which I posted on the 22nd May,post No 18.
It appears to have leaves similar to delavayi but you will see it has versipelle/pleianthum flowers!!

A picture of one of the versipelle which is now 45inches tall and 40 inches across.They are certainly not small delicate woodlanders.

[Robin Callens]

John and Tony,

I grow 6 different leaftypes of the Podophyllum pleianthum-versipelle complex (Podophyllum species from the section Dysosma, with shiny green leaves, without drawings or spots, multiple flowers and regular foliar marginal teeth)

1a) Podophyllum pleianthum
1b) Podophyllum pleianthum group
2) Podophyllum mairei

[Robin Callens]

3) Podophyllum versipelle form 1
4) Podophyllum versipelle form 2
5) Podophyllum versipelle form 3
6) Podophyllum versipelle form 4

[Robin Callens]

I checked the flowers and found 3 different flower types within these 6 leaf types:

flower type 1

A flower with a glabrous pedicel, six dark red-brown elleptic petals (broadest part in middle of petal), forming a sferical chamber around a green ovary and six stamens with a short filament and broad anthers (stamens as long as the ovary)

I call this Podophyllum pleianthum

flower type 2

A flower with a hairy pedicel, six bright red obovate petals (broadest in the apical part of the petal), forming a sferical chamber around a light green ovary and six stamens with a long filament (almost as long as the anthers) and narrower anthers (stamens longer than the ovary)

I call this Podophyllum versipelle.

flower type 3

A flower with a hairy pedicel, six pale pink-reddish obovate petals (much smaller than type 1 and 2), forming an open flower around a green ovary and six stamens with a short filament and broad anthers (stamens as long as the ovary)

I call this Podophyllum mairei.

[Tony Willis]

Robin

what excellent pictures which clearly illustrate the differences. Although my flowers are very pale I think we can agree on mairei which is very distinct.

I will attempt to take photographs of my pleianthum/versipelle plants in the same style for you to compare. The weather here is very wet and I am away on Friday until Monday so it will be early next week before I can post them.

What do you think of my number 3 with the mottled leaves and pleianthum flowers. Do you have any like it?

[Robin Callens]

Tony,

I think this is a hybrid between P delavayi and pleianthum/versipelle. I don't have such a plant. It's a very nice plant!

Robin

[johnw]

Robin  - I am so entranced by your garden that it is difficult to concentrate on the superb shots and text identifying the Podophyllums.

Thanks so much.  Are there any great plants you don't have?

johnw

[Tony Willis]

Robin thats what I was thinking.I have several more from the same batch of seed still to flower and so will see what they look like. i did not know such a hybrid was possible.

[Paul T]

Robin,

Fascinating layout of the differences between those you have.  Wonderful reference material.  Such fascinating plants.