Massonia 2010

[Darren]

Good news Roland.

Nice to see that Massonia looking so well Angie!

Like Paul, I find they grow easily from seed though as I've mentioned elsewhere I now have concerns about them interbreeding now I have a varied collection with overlappng flowering times. Therefore apologies in advance to anyone getting the seed I donated to the SRGC exchange this year and finding hybrids...  At least they might be interesting. I've taken steps to further isolate plants in flower this year.

Again, like Paul, I find the seed keeps really well at room temperature. In fact I have sometimes had better germination in the second year after collection and I hypothesize that the seed perhaps needs a warmish post-harvest ripening period. In a cool NW UK summer maybe this is not achieved sometimes and they need to wait an extra year? This is also the case with some Romulea and with Hesperantha vaginata. Never store cape bulb seed in the fridge!

[angie]

Thanks Darren

Glad you said never store cape seeds in the fridge, that's where I put all my seeds, so you have saved them.
Ok everyone don't laugh. When do I remove the seeds  I left my seeds on my Haemanthus thinking they would fall off  but no they just shrivelled a little.

It's snowing here and really cold but I was out in my cosy greenhouse admiring my Massonia today.
Others are just starting to open 

Thanks
Angie

[jshields]

Collect those Haemanthus seeds as soon as the berries fall off easily when touched.  Seeds of Haemanthus albiflos turn bright red orange when ripe.  Clean off the skin and soft fleshy pulp, then plant on the surface of your potting mix.

In the same greenhouse with the Haemanthus, Massonia depressa/echinata (I'm not sure which) are in bloom.  These are from seeds that came labeled Androcymbium pulchrum, if that helps.

Outdoors, it is snowing, and we have a thin covering of snow on the ground as well.  Winter has come to Indiana.

[angie]

Thanks Jim there is only a few round green seeds on the flower head. I shall watch closely this time.

Angie

[angie]

Some more Massonia sp flowering today in the greenhouse, they have done well considering they have hardly seen any sun in the last week.

Angie

[YT]

Thanks for showing us cool Massonia pics. My tiny Massonia pygmaea fully opened its white florets a week ago and now they are totally blushing. The pot diameter is 7.5 cm.

[bulborum]

Hello Tatsuo

beauty special the pink on
I marked that one as Massonia pygmaea Tatsuo Pink in my computer
if one day you have some spare seeds from this one
I am lining up

Roland

[angie]

Hi Tatami

That's a little beauty  , pretty in white but then to have it change to pink is so nice. When you get a flower that changes it colour like that it's like getting two plants for one. Thanks for sharing your Massonia with us.

Angie 

[YT]

Roland, OK, I'll tell you if I get the seeds but the point is I only have this single plant and Massonia is self-incompatibility as Paul C mentioned in this thread I didn't know that when I got it

Angie, yes indeed, this plant is a new comer and changing flower colour is a happy surprise for me