October 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere

[fermi de Sousa]

To start the month off, here's one of my favourite Aussie native plants, Eutaxia microphylla (prostrate form) which looks like a creeping conifer till spring when it bursts into flower!

cheers
fermi

[Paul T]

Nice, Fermi.  Not one I think I've ever seen before.

[Ragged Robin]

Is it related to Yew? I really like it Fermi 

[Paul T]

It is one of the "bacon and egg" plants, with pea flowers in yellow and red/brown colouration.  A member of the Fabaceae family I think.

[Tecophilaea King]

Another popular plant is the Veltheimia genus.
In late winter and spring they produce waxy flowers, which resemble dwarf pokers (Kniphofia ssp.) and attractive foliage.
The tubular flowers are upright when in bud and pendulous when open, and make attractive long-lasting cut flowers.
They are beautiful plants, well suited to growing in milder climates, and are generally most successful when grown in containers in sandy well-drained mix.
Veltheimia bracteata is the species mostly grown, and has flowers in various shade of (rose) pink with greenish tips. Several outstanding colour forms have been selected, some of which pictures I will show. Enjoy.

[Tecophilaea King]

Maggi, my last Veltheimia posting should have been in the October 2009 - Southern Hemisphere - Spring forum.
Sorry about that chief.

 Edit by Maggi.... nae probs, Bill.... just added another choc bar to your IOU to me! 

[Paul T]

Bill,

Great Velts.  I have your first bicolor one as well, plus a couple of pink shades.  I have tried for the pure yellow from seed, but that is where my bicolors came from (so it wasn't quite that bad that they weren't correct, as they are so beautiful).  I quite like your greeny bicolor at the end too.  There are also variegated forms as well apparently, although I have never been able to source them as yet.  I'm hoping to grow the yellow and the variegateds one of these years. 

Thanks for the excellent pics of these.  Wonderful to see them all together.

[cohan]

Another popular plant is the Veltheimia genus.
In late winter and spring they produce waxy flowers, which resemble dwarf pokers (Kniphofia ssp.) and attractive foliage.
The tubular flower are upright when in bud and pendulous when open, and make attractive long-lasting cut flowers.
They are beautiful plants, well suited to growing in milder climates, and are generally most successful when grown in containers in sandy well-drained mix.
Veltheimia bracteata is the species mostly grown, and has flowers in various shade of (rose) pink with greenish tips. Several outstanding colour forms have been selected, some of which pictures I will show. Enjoy.

very striking! they certainly do look like aloaceae/asphodelaceae (whichever name is in favour now) are they? i cant remember though i know i've seen the name listed oft enough...

[Paddy Tobin]

Bill,

Love the veltheimias. My wife, Mary, has a few big potfuls of V. bracteata and they annually provide a lovely display, round about Christmas time here.

I haven't seen V. aurea or V. bicolor available here and must look out for them. They are outstanding.

Good post, many thanks, Paddy

[Lesley Cox]

Is it related to Yew? I really like it Fermi  

Well it was a reasonable question Paul. Yewtaxia? and Yew is Taxus of course so whichever way you looked at it....

[Paul T]

 

 

[Tecophilaea King]

So what are the differences between lahue and your quariemana?  I'll definitely keep an eye out for pulchella. 

Herbertia quareimana according to Alberto Castello is a species not well known, but the difference, as far as I am concerned is mainly in the colour of the flower, with perhaps slight differences in the markings, according to the experts. The botanists of course don't always agree either.

[Tecophilaea King]

Two more closup images of the colourful Moraea species flowering for us, Moraea elegans and Moraea lurida, not very well known species, originally imported seed from Silverhill Seeds, SA.
Do you grow these species Paul?

[Paul T]

Bill,

I grow lurida (although not nearly as strongly a coloured variant as those in your pic... I particularly like the darker one on the left) but I don't grow elegans.  I don't have any of the old Homeria types as I recall.  That green and gold looks most suitable to be grown by aussies!!    Both are very nice.

[Tecophilaea King]

Another little treasure making its debut is the charming Sanguinaria canadensis "Flore Pleno" aka bloodroot.
Its a good plant for the woodland area, shaded rock gardend or the alpine house.