October 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Paul T]

Lesley,

Very nice.  Ruby Contrast is great with those beards, and Mary B looks like it's rather nice too.

[kiwi]

Doug,

Thanks.  I couldn't remember who bred the others.  So how does 'Genie' compare colour-wise to those others?  And size-wise.  Always hard to tell from a picture. 

1. If you love 'black tulip' you will die for 'Genie'.
2. Aciphylla pinnatifida's architectial bloom.
3. Clianthus puniceus - Kaka beak.

[Paul T]

Doug,

I guess I had better try to find out whether 'Genie' is here in Aus then. 

Interesting to see the Clianthus puniceus..... used here as the rootstock for grafting out Sturt Desert Pea onto, which I find sort of amusing given that apparently Clianthus puniceus is very much endangered in the wild.  Grows easily from seed of course, but apparently not very much in it's natural environment.

[Tecophilaea King]

I have a very small, charming little Iris species (1.5 inch. 35 mm.across) flowering at the moment, a real cuty, unfortunetely lost the name. This Iris came from Betty Tunnah, perhaps you reconise it Lesley?
Thanks, otherwise will post it on the Iris forum they might ID it for me.

[Paul T]

Bill,

If it is as small as it looks, then I'd be hazarding Iris cristata, but I am not sure it is the usual "alba" but perhaps a named form (or seed from a named form)?

[cohan]

great stuff!
bill--that tiny iris is wonderful!
doug-- i guess the second two are natives? love to see these things we dont see much of  up here..
Aciphylla pinnatifida- very cool plant and
 Clianthus puniceus looks lovely..

[Lesley Cox]

Bill I'm inclined to think I. verna alba. It's not cristata - no crest. I. verna alba is around down here very sparsely. I lost my original but was able to get a tiny one last week. Treasure it as it's very rare and very precious.

I. verna below for comparison.

Now I look at it again, it DOES seem to have a crest and so perhaps I. lacustris alba, rather than cristata. It is the smaller of the two.

Here's the verna anyway.

[Paul T]

Lesley,

Aren't there 3 crests on the fall?  One larger one in the centre with a parallel one on each side?  The fact there there were extra crests is why I thought it wasn't the "usual" cristata, but I had thought the 3 ridges were crests.  I guess I had better go and find my old pics of cristata and see what the crests on them look like..... I was just running from memory.

[Lesley Cox]

I modified mine Paul, before yours came up. Yes, there are crests. Usually cristata has a flatter flower so I'll still go with lacustris, on the size (height) if nothing else. I've not heard of any named forms of either.

[Lesley Cox]

Bill, put it on the Iris pages anyway as many don't look at the SH pages. It will be of interst there.

[Paul T]

Lesley,

There is an Echo series of cristatas, at the very least "Echo White Angel", but I think there are others which is why I say series.  Supposed to be a bigger and better form of cristata.  I used to have cristata alba and lost it a couple of years ago.  I was mortified as I loved it.  Quite a bit larger than the normal blue species, and even better flowerer.  I just love em. 

[Lesley Cox]

I've never come across these "Echo" plants Paul. Not in NZ so far as I know.

[Lesley Cox]

A couple of other things at present. Gentiana acaulis is turning out to be a bit of a thug in its raised bed. I'll plant it out soon. Nice thug though.


with Dianthus 'Whitehill'


and with Fritillaria carica.

A pleasant form of Iris innominata, perhaps closer to the species than Bill's.


Lathyrus laxiflorus which is such a reliable and generous performer, never receiving a drop of water except what falls as rain. It has totally filled its trough and overlaps the troughs on each side. There will be plenty seed of this later on.

[johnw]

A couple of other things at present. Gentiana acaulis is turning out to be a bit of a thug in its raised bed. I'll plant it out soon. Nice thug though.

What a charming little combo! Stunning thug and a super colour.

johnw

[Paul T]

Lesley,

I don't think the Echo iris are here in Aus either.  I got seed from the white angel one and they grew fine until the whole lot got wiped out by snails one year.  Total and complete loss of the seedlings.  Some were in bud at the time.  Scarey how quickly the snails obliterated them.

Gentiana acaulis as a thug!!    I've not yet managed to get it to flower a second time (i.e bought in flower for the first flowering).  I can keep them alive a couple of years, but never flowered again.    Could live with that sort of thug I think.