Zdeněk Zvolánek -Edraianthus Session

[Stone Rider]

Today I obtained extremely rare picture from the Red book
of Soviet Union showing Edraianthus owerinianus. Our  plantsman
and explorer Dr. Vlastimil Pilous sent it to me as an illustration to
his nice article about this preglacial relict plant. The plant, which 
was renamed to Muhlbergella oweriniana is 2000 km distant from its
Balkan cousins and it is endemic to 1600 km deep limestone karst canyon
in wild Dagestan (NE Caucasus) close to Czecenya. Dr. Pilous is sure
that this exotic alpine is not in cultivation. See the strange
appendixes between calyx lobes !!

[Sinchets]

It does look really quite different. Hasn't recent literature taken it back out of Edraianthus? Unfortunately although the real plant may not be in cultivation it's name is!

[Olga Bondareva]

Hello Zdeněk!

Thank you very much for this topic especially for turning to E. owerinianus.

It is really rare plant even here. The place it lives is very dangerous to visit. Many years I’ve dreamed to find it but I can’t. All plants I saw under this name were variations of E. pumilio.

In addition to strange appendixes between calyx lobes this plant has flowers that never open widely. Look at the another picture from Russian Red Book:

[Olga Bondareva]

This is a plant which I have as E. owerinianus. Think it is not true.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

I have the same thing Olga - and I think many people will ... 
Better change labels 
Nice looking pumilio though !

[Sinchets]

I think it is fairly safe to say that the real thing should retain the name Muhlbergella oweriniana!

[David Sellars]

PROPAGATION QUESTION

We have grown Edraianthus serpyllifolius for about 5 years and the plant is doing well ( see photo below).  For a number of years I have tried to propagate the plant with cuttings.  The cuttings strike easily enough and can be transplanted but the new growth tends to be very elongated.  I have tried trimming it back but it refuses to grow into a bushy plant.  I grew on a couple of plants which developed what seemed to be good root systems.  When I planted them out in the rock garden they did not last more than a few months.

Has anyone else had this problem propagating Edraianthus serpyllifolius?  Any ideas for alternative approaches?

[Zdenek]

EDRAIANTHUS TENUIFOLIUS GROUP
Edraianthus dalmaticus (a karst meadow plant) and E. serbicus are not small enough (surely not true alpines). I grow E. tenuifolius, collected by Joyce Carruthers in Central Monte Negro. It is self-sowing pleasant perennial providing nice blue excitement to bumble bees and to us in late spring and early summer. Flowers with extra long bracts are 2 cm long and in clusters up to 15. Surely the most attractive (new because of DNA test) member of this group is E. wettsteinii from Sutorman and Rumija Mts. in southern Monte Negro. The species resembles E. pumilio but solitary (or 2-3) flowers are densely hirsute. Nice plant is seen in the gallery of Franz Hadacek in a noble Vienna trough. E. wettsteinii ssp. lovcenicus from Lovcen Mts. is not so compact and it is taller.

As regards Edraianthus wettsteinii, I hope this my plant is the thing. I am aware however that I am rather late.

[Martijn]

Hi Zdenek,

I think it is the real wettsteinii, I grow exactly the same plant from Josef Jurasek seeds.

greetz,

Martijn

[Great Moravian]

Dr. Pilous is sure
that this exotic alpine is not in cultivation.

But the Red Book claims it is cultivated in the botanical garden of Vladivostok.
Verbatim, Культивируется в ботаническом саду Владивостока.
The information should be verified. Why exactly Vladivostok.

[Maggi Young]

Hello "Great Moravian", welcome to the Forum.

Thank you for this comment about Edraianthus owerinianus.

I am not sure I understand your comment about "Why exactly Vladivostok."

Perhaps we can ask one of our Russian members to make enquiries about the plant being in cultivation in Vladivostok ?
Sometimes it can be written that a plant is grown in a garden, botanic or other and since  it was written, the plant has died! 

[Great Moravian]

I am not sure I understand your comment about "Why exactly Vladivostok."

Hello Maggi,

Merely my musing. I would expect a garden in Caucasus, for instance Vladikavkaz, or a large scientific centre.
Vladivostok is not specialized in Caucasus flora, and Muehlbergella is a super speciality. Russian
friends should check the information because Russian and Chinese institutions never reply abroad.

[Maggi Young]

Ah, I see.... I will ask Russian friends to check then....pity we haven't a Forumist IN  Vladivostok!

[Great Moravian]

Perfect images  of Muehlbergella oweriniana can be found in Skalničky 2011 No 4.

[Maggi Young]

Perfect images  of Muehlbergella oweriniana can be found in Skalničky 2011 No 4.

Thank you, Josef.