Bulbs from South Africa - 2010

[Darren]

Funny how our seasons differ Chris,  my aloides are only just in bud and will be very late this year. Rubida (autumn flowering) has already gone dormant. Most Lachs are still green and some still to flower. It looked today like we might get a few hot days which would send them over, but the forecast has suggested a bright but cool week ahead.

[Lesley Cox]

The Watsonias and Gladiolus I've grown from seed have taken from 3-5 years to flower, when I can get Gladiolus to germinate at all, that is.

Chris, the Lachenalia seed arrived on Saturday, having duly been inspected and passed. Thanks very much. Raining lightly today but very warm, so a good sowing day.

[Hristo]

Darren, curious indeed, my aloides have always flowered within a week or two of  bulbifera, even in the UK.

Lesley, glad they made it through the 'Green Curtain' that is you inspection process!!

[Lvandelft]

I put this in the Plant Identification thread, but thought it useful to put it here too?

Yesterday we saw at the weekly Show in Lisse an unknown bulbous plant.
This plant was found in Eastern Transvaal on grassland (meadow?), near a place called Amsterdam.
The plant shown is about 40 cm.high. The leaves were not visible now, but are grassy like.
Is there anybody who knows what it is?

[Gail]

I put this in the Plant Identification thread, but thought it useful to put it here too?

Yesterday we saw at the weekly Show in Lisse an unknown bulbous plant.
This plant was found in Eastern Transvaal on grassland (meadow?), near a place called Amsterdam.
The plant shown is about 40 cm.high. The leaves were not visible now, but are grassy like.
Is there anybody who knows what it is?

Albuca of some sort??  There are 60-70 species and I've only grown two so can't be more specific!

[Hans J]

maybe Bulbine or Bulbinella ?

[Michael J Campbell]

Geissorhiza aspera

[fermi de Sousa]

Three IS a howling success compared with the 3 I've never had!!!

Even a few more flowers on "Ken Aslet", Lesley!


The yellow form of Oxalis flava produced a single flower on the weekend,


The cerise Oxalis hirta "Rosea"


and its "Salmon" form


Oxalis palmifrons,


Oxalis kaajvoegensis,


Oxalis massoniana,


Oxalis polyphylla - unsurprising, in a crevice 


And Spiloxene alba




cheers
fermi

[Lesley Cox]

I like O. kaajvoegensis with its hirta/massoniana type foliage. I believe Bill D has it available so will order it.

[ArnoldT]

Moraea polyanthos

Arnold
New Jersey

[t00lie]

Moraea polyanthos

Arnold
New Jersey

Very nice Arnold --I have young bulbs from seed awaiting their first flowering .......

In the meantime providing some colour in autumn ---a Polyxena sps.

Love the combination of pale lilac striping on the inside --on the outside ,(as if someone has used a crayon), the striping takes on a blue colouring .

Cheers  Dave 

[Lesley Cox]

It's probably P. longituba Dave. I have many hundreds of flowers out at present, and they have a powerful scent, en masse.

[Maggi Young]

I see exactly what you mean about the "crayoning" look, Dave.... are you sure Hilda hasn't been out there kidding you? 

[Michael J Campbell]

Moraea aristata.

This little group of bulbs are planted in a  raised bed  (second pic) 22cm deep, and survived three months of continuous frost down to -12c on quite a few nights. There is another group in the same bed but the flowers are not open yet.

[Michael J Campbell]

Gladiolus cunonius, in the greenhouse.
Romulea citrina ?