February 2010 Northern Hemisphere

[Hans A.]

Urtica bianorii (Knoche) - the only member of this genus which I am really glad it likes my garden. It is an beautiful, endemic species of Mallorca/Balearic Island - a near relative to U. atrovirens.
(Apart of the beauty of this plant also the name of the person who described it is interesting )

[Maggi Young]

That is a very smart looking nettle, Hans.

That Knoche fellow has often been busy in your islands describing the plants, hasn't he?   

[Hans A.]

Yes it seems so - but I still did not met him here... 

[Maggi Young]

Yes it seems so - but I still did not met him here... 

Really? Perhaps he is very shy? 

[Gerdk]

That is a very smart looking nettle, Hans.

That Knoche fellow has often been busy in your islands describing the plants, hasn't he?   

Thanks god it wasn't me whose name is associated with a stinging nettle    - it is Hermann
Knoche, who wrote 'Flora Balearica' for instance.

Gerd

[Maggi Young]

Now, Gerd, don't be hard on Hermann.... it is a very nice nettle and he spends time to describe Euphorbia etc also!  

[Gerdk]

Of course - an interesting plant and a famous botanist. Just a joke! 

Gerd

[Hans A.]

 

[Stephenb]

Urtica bianorii (Knoche) - the only member of this genus which I am really glad it likes my garden. It is an beautiful, endemic species of Mallorca/Balearic Island - a near relative to U. atrovirens.
(Apart of the beauty of this plant also the name of the person who described it is interesting )

Wow!! Thanks for showing that beauty.... As a self-confessed Nettle-nerd I've never seen that one before - well, i have a picture of this species at Kew, but it is wrong.

If you ever see seed, please think of me and I'll make it worth your while.....

Is it now recognised as a separate species? I've seen it as a Urtica atrovirens ssp bianorii.

[Hans A.]

Stephen I will keep an eye on this nettle for seeds, it appeared in various locations in the garden and especially in seedpots for other species, so it should be possible to collect some. 

[Hans A.]

Leucojum aestivum subsp. pulchellum in flower here.

[Mike Ireland]

First day with the sun out for ages.  A few plants in flower.
Adonis amurensis
Adonis amurensis from seed ex Japan
Cyclamen coum
Hepatica nobilis from seed ex Japan

Mike

[Diane Whitehead]

Did you buy the Adonis amurensis seed from a Japanese
company, or was it sent to an exchange? 

[Diane Whitehead]

I do have some little plants in flower - like Trillium ovatum
maculosum which keeps to its California timetable, and
Synthyris missurica.

It is so much easier to stand up and photograph the many
shrubs that are flowering.  I didn't even have to go outside
for this picture of Camellia Cornish Snow, outside the window
where I have kept my pepper plants since digging them up
in the fall.  I've been harvesting them all winter.  This one
is Cambuci, a type of Friar's Hat.

[Mike Ireland]

Diane
The seed of the adonis was a swap with a Japanese grower who I made contact with through a site called GardenWeb.  http://www.gardenweb.com/
I germinated the one plant from a batch of 50 seeds, not a high success rate.  The grower used a powder to sterilize the seed before he sent it to me, not sure if this would have effected the viability of the seed.

Mike