South American Bulbous Plants 2010

[Paul T]

Miriam,

The Hesperantha is glorious!

Fermi,

The Crossyne are excellent.

And Chris..... don't encourage her. If you start calling Lesley a "Grand Old Dame" then she might take the initials to heart and put on airs and graces. 

Thanks for the wonderful pics everyone.

[ashley]

Very nice David.  My few seedlings from last year's exchange reappeared around November and seem easy to manage so far, but won't reach flowering size for at least a couple of years I suspect.

[Lesley Cox]

Paul I fully accept that Maggi is the Goddess and I don't believe in God, so I shan't be looking for the title or the adulation.

[Lesley Cox]

The Ipheion is very nice. Has it been put into Nothoscordum? or taken out of Nothoscordum? or otherwise messsed about with by "those taxonomists?"

[Ezeiza]

Lesley, nothing escapes your keen eye!

It has been merged into Nothoscordum and seems it will stay in there. The genus Nothoscordum is very difficult as it has many species and the jigsaw puzzle can not be completed as it grows in prime agricultural land so all you find are isolated populations and it is impossible to determine if there is a continuum (that is, intermediates).

[Maggi Young]

.....and was it not once also a Tristagma? 

[Ezeiza]

Yes, Maggie, it was also a Beauveardia, and Ipheion... this group shares some characters with Ipheions, others with some Nothoscordums, so they thought they were best in their own, Beauverdia. Practically all characters are present in Nothoscordum ostenii, a gem that is grown in Britain, introduced by Brian; therefore it was placed in Nothoscordum. N. osteni has characters of the transparent tunic Nothoscordums and share the biscuit colored hardish "shell" typical of Beauveardias.

Incidentally and much as we hate the continuing nomenclature changes it seems we will have to get accostumed to the name Tristagma for our Ipheions. Now that more Tristagmas are in cultivation from John and Anita collections it is clear that there are no significant differences with the Ipheions, and Tristagma has the precedence over Ipheion.

[Rogan]

I just don't seem to get near the forum these days, however things will have to change when the autumn season starts in earnest - come on the fall... 

Just a question regarding a South American irid, Tigridia philippiana - does or has anyone grown this bulb at all? I understand that it is a winter grower, which is unusual for a Tigridia.

Any suggestions / advice would be welcome - thanks!

[Hristo]

Hi Kris,  very crisp andclean looking Ipheon sellowianum.
Nothoscordum sellowianum or Ipheon sellowianum etc flowered here in November, the same plant is flowering again in February. Interesting effect of exposure to frosty nights is the colour change in the outer petals ( petals are perfectly normal otherwise ), I've never seen this effect before.

[krisderaeymaeker]

Hi Kris,  very crisp andclean looking Ipheon sellowianum.
Nothoscordum sellowianum or Ipheon sellowianum etc flowered here in November, the same plant is flowering again in February. Interesting effect of exposure to frosty nights is the colour change in the outer petals ( petals are perfectly normal otherwise ), I've never seen this effect before.

Hi Chris ,just perfect! Looks good,healthy and also interesting observations.
With glassprotection or without?

[Hristo]

Hi Kris, grown without any artificial protection at all, it has been buried under snow, but has only been exposed to around -5c without snow cover. I have its sister bulb in a covered frame,the one you see is much more robust than the one grown with protection!

[Ezeiza]

Hi Rogan:

              It is a hot desert plant and very endangered. As a matter of fact, it is one of the species that is being propagated in an effort to avoid its extinction.

               Yes, it is an autumn, winter, spring grower and summer dormant. Ther are several color variants. Not extremely difficult to grow but the dormancy is tricky. It should be grown as a frost free Cape bulb.

[krisderaeymaeker]

Another one in flower today  : Tecophilaea cyanocrocus 'leichtlinii'

[Ezeiza]

Simon, very outstanding under your conditions

[Ezeiza]

Chris, I missed your posting. If it has 8 tepals it is N. dialystemon. Nothoscordum felipponei (I. sellowianum) has always 6 tepals.