Divvying up the mandrake seed harvest

[Rodger Whitlock]

Well, the mandrake seed has finally been cleaned. It was a disgusting task: I am sick of the slightly acrid, slightly fruity, slightly cheesy odor of the flesh of mandrakes.

A problem has arisen: I have a very good harvest of mandrake seed, far and away the best ever (cf. the picture of the fruits posted a few weeks ago). There's enough, I'm thinking, to satisfy all demand for mandrake seed. But the problem is, how much should I send to the AGS, and how much to the SRGC? Does anyone have at their fingertips statistics on the operation of the two exchanges that might guide me?

Anyone have any comment on this? I'm sure I'm not the only contributor who has been faced with this conundrum.

[Maggi Young]

Rodger, the AGS exchange is bigger than the SRGC.... so greater amount should go to AGS, I reckon.
60/40 perhaps?
I know both exchanges will be very pleased to receive the results of your smelly labours!

[Anthony Darby]

Must send off some seed to the SRGC seed exchange as I didn't bother to send off last year. Anyone grow Mandrake in Scotland?

[Johan Nilson]

Hello Roger & Maggi,

I got to see some mandrakes in flower on my Sikkim trip this spring and I would be very glad if you could help me out how to find the tread with that picture of one in seed.

(cf. the picture of the fruits posted a few weeks ago

Roger,
Great that you are able to grow them and great that you are sending to the seed exchange!

Some pictures of Sikkimese mandrakes.

[Maggi Young]

Johan, I think others may also be intereseted, so I repost Rodger's pix and words here.......

The coin envelope at the back of the green plant saucer is 2" × 3.5", to give you a sense of scale. The black tray in the front contains such seeds as I've already harvested. Of the four fruit I've dealt with, two were dried out husks — perhaps a homeless slug hollowed them out to make a cozy nest. The other two had over 53 sound seeds between them, as shown.

You can see how some of the fruits were scalded by the brilliant sun last week.

The second photo is of my supposed Mandragora autumnalis in flower. You will note the purplish tinge to the cluster of flowers in the center of the rosette of leaves. This may, or may not, be diagnostic. 
 

[Maggi Young]

This page may also be of interest....
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=3827.msg100578;topicseen#msg100578



Also this pic of the plant in fruit before Rodger harvested it.....

[Maggi Young]

Your M. caulescens are much more green in flower than this very dark type showed earlier by Magnar, from a Tromsø  garden, Johan......

[Maggi Young]

Here is another dark form, from Yunnan, shown by GerdK from a photo by Dieter Z. ..... and also a photo of M. autumnalis in flower, also from GerdK... from Spain .......

I hope it is handy to see some of these photos together?

[Paddy Tobin]

Wow,

I missed those last two photographs, Maggi. Great colour. Must look out for those.

Paddy

[Johan Nilson]

Thanks Maggi!

Great to see different mandragora species together side by side. Anyone who knows how many species within the genus?

Your M. caulescens are much more green in flower than this very dark type showed earlier by Magnar, from a Tromsø  garden, Johan......

We did see some variation. Some a little bit darker but not as dark as the ones shown here. Ive been looking through a japnese book 'Himalayan Plants Illustrated', showing a Mandragora caulescens subsp. flavida which looks similar to the one I photographed.
 
One very interesting thing was how the flowers sometimes bended downwards, pressed to the ground. And the flowerstem was really fixed in that position. Maybe has someting to do with it being pollinated?

a picture of a little bit darker one with flowers facing the ground.

[Johan Nilson]

Maggi,

the Mandragora autumnalis was really beautifull!

[Rodger Whitlock]

Thanks Maggi!

Great to see different mandragora species together side by side. Anyone who knows how many species within the genus?

My thanks to Maggi, too. I can now say that what I have been thinking was M. autumnalis isn't. What it might be, with its flat, metallic-looking leaves I do not know. It is of interest that mandragora species occur as far east as Yunnan (M. caulescens) and as far west as Spain (M. autumnalis). Does anyone know what their actual distribution is?

How many species within the genus? From what I've read in a few scattered references, it seems like mandragora is one of those genera with a taxonomy in a state of utter confusion.

Edited to incorporate range reaching Spain.

HOWEVER: my few references are all old enough that they may be completely outdated by now. \

If anyone is up to date on mandragora taxonomy, speak up and enlighten us, please.

Or is it that the botanical keys utilize the musical pitch in which the plant screams when uprooted?

I.
Plant screams on note above middle C → II.
Plant screams on note below middle C → III.

[Maggi Young]

is it that the botanical keys utilize the musical pitch in which the plant screams when uprooted?

I.
Plant screams on note above middle C → II.
Plant screams on note below middle C → III.

Seems a more reasonable premise for a key than  many I've seen, Rodger!

[Anthony Darby]

I would definitely be interested in trying these from seed. I expect they will need sharp sand for germination? Perhaps sharp sea sand, or is that C^# sand?

[Paul T]

Maggi,

Love that black flowered one (although none of them are "bad", so to speak).