South African bulbose plants 2008

[Paul T]

Mark,

Looks spot on to me.  I've never flowered mine as yet (how big is the bulb on your flowering one?) but I have it firmly in mind from when I saw a picture of it years ago.  Reminds me so much of a Nerine at first glance.  I'm hoping mine will flower one of these years.  So that makes it an autumn flowerer then?

[David Nicholson]

Just got hold of some Oxalis bulbs and I'm confused-a state I'm quite familiar with!

The first one is Oxalis karooica but the PBS Wiki suggests this is not a valid name and they may be O. gracilis-can anyone enlighten me please?

The second is labelled O. purpurea 'Ken Aslett' but reference to the Old Forum suggests this is O. melanosticta-enlightenment again please?

The third is O. versicolor

I have 15/20 very small bulbs of each species and thought I would plant them roughly 10 bulbs to a 9cm square pot. Does this seem reasonable?

[Lvandelft]

The second is labelled O. purpurea 'Ken Aslett' but reference to the Old Forum suggests this is O. melanosticta-enlightenment again please?

O. purpurea was the old name, but since I cultivated it, the name changed.
3 or 4 bulb in a 9x9 pot is enough (when flowering sized bulbs)

The third is O. versicolor

I would prefer a round 10 cm. pot David, because when flowering it's much nicer to see.
Otherwise again, 5 bulbs would do in a pot. But you might leave them for 2 seasons in the pot.

[fermi de Sousa]

This is an orange flowered spiloxene species which is apparently different to S. linearis;
any suggestions ?
cheers
fermi

[David Nicholson]

Luit, thanks for the information.

[Lesley Cox]

A little information for me too please. I have recently obtained two small bulbs as x Rhodoxis, bigeneric hybrids between Rhodohypoxis and Hypoxis. One is called 'Hebron Pink' and the other, a white' I have no name for. Has anyone a picture of these or anything else I should know?

[ChrisB]

That's quite interesting, Lesley.  I've never noticed where the bits are on the flowers to pollinate them, far less obtain seed.  Let us see them when they flower please.  Will be interesting to see what they do!  Just checked my Plantfinder, and sure enough they are listed.  Must seek one out to give it a try.

[Maggi Young]

Lesley, a pic here: http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=474.msg12367;topicseen#msg12367 from Gerd, I think

[Maggi Young]

and here from Toolie : http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=84.msg1568#msg1568

[mark smyth]

and from me - 'Hebron Pink'

[ChrisB]

Quite lovely, aren't they?  Nice photo Mark!

[Lesley Cox]

Thank you Maggi and Mark, they are indeed, delightful and I'll look forward to my tiny bulblets increasing. Chris, to pollinate the Rhodohypoxis, you need to pull the petals outward to expose the stamens and stigmas, then fiddle around a bit. Nothing is very big. The little black seeds sit in a cup with no top so can be tipped or washed out quite easily when ripe.

[fermi de Sousa]

Mark,
that's a nice colony of "Hebron Pink".
Here are some more Sth Africans in bloom in our garden, some I've already posted to the SH thread
Lachenalia bolusi, grown from SilverHill seed,

Gladiolus tristis,

Geissorhiza corugata, also from SHS

G.spledidissima,

A pleasant mix of Ixia and sparaxis,

Yellow ixia,

And a "stray" Moraea without a label, possibly M. villosa,

cheers
fermi

[Lvandelft]

Ooh, so good to see such nice springflowers from the SH, while the leaves are
falling here.
This yellow Ixia is superb Fermi !!

[mark smyth]

That small colony is being swamped by the conifer.

Is anyone down under looking for Rhodohypoxis 'Kiwi Joy'?