Massonia 2010

[Paul T]

Howdy All,

I'm sure there should be somewhere else that these would fit, but you think I can find it?  If the moderators feel it would fit better elsewhere then please just blend it into that topic.  

These are a few of my Massonia that flowered for me this autumn...

Massonia pustulata, showing pics of when it first emerged and when it was in flower.  This is the first time I have had a mature one of these, traded with a friend last year.  I just adore the leaves.

[Paul T]

Massonia depressa is one I have had for a number of years now, flowering each and every year successfully.

These Massonia jasminiflora I have shown before, in fact a few of you have seedlings from them (or seed promised.... I still have the list of those I promised it to last year   ).  There is seed setting on it again this year by the look of it, on the ones I hand pollinated.

And lastly for now Polyxena pymaea, which I think is now Massonia pygmaea if memory serves me correctly.  A little cutie. 

I hope everyone enjoys the pics.

[ThomasB]

Really interesting plants with nice flowers! 

Doesn't the genus Massonia belong to Hyacinthaceae not Amaryllidaceae?

[Brian Ellis]

Massonia pustulata, showing pics of when it first emerged and when it was in flower.  This is the first time I have had a mature one of these, traded with a friend last year.  I just adore the leaves.

I agree with you about the leaves Paul, amazing things aren't they?

[Maggi Young]

Really interesting plants with nice flowers! 

Doesn't the genus Massonia belong to Hyacinthaceae not Amaryllidaceae?

Oops, so it does.... Paul all uded to that in his post.... will move it now to Bulbs General.   

[Paul T]

Thanks Thomas and Maggi..... I had a feeling they weren't Amaryllids, but wasn't sure.  They always remind me of Haemanthus, even though they look nothing like them. 

Thanks for the correction.

[Paul Cumbleton]

Hi Paul,
You mentioned seed on the Masonia you pollinated by hand. There has been some research done on Massonias (M. depressa specifically, but I would guess the others are similar) regarding its reproduction methods. They have shown that in the wild they have no mechanism for self-pollination. If you artificially self-pollinate them, they set some seed but usually not many and these seeds are small. When cross-pollinated they produce lots more seed and these seeds are much larger and heavier than those produced by self-pollination. So cross-pollination is the usual and best method for getting seed on Massonias

Cheers

Paul

[TheOnionMan]

Paul, your Massonia jasminiflora is a stunner... WOW.  Are the flowers scented?

[Paul T]

Paul,

I've only been successful cross pollinating between the M. jasminiflora, never self pollinating them.  My understanding is that they tend to be self infertile, as you say.

McMark,

I don't know whether they're perfumed.... I haven't checked.  The flowers have actually now finished, so I can't tell.  The pot in the pic is 7 inches across, so they aren't huge, but the flowerheads themselves are very picturesque.    You definitely can't miss them.  Although they basically appear white in the pics, there are a couple of different shades of palest pink in some of the flowerheads as well.  Only 4 of the 4 flowered this year and I again didn't note which was which, but I have had 2 white, one palest mauve and one palest pink in the past.  But they are very pale.  I just love em. 

[FrazerHenderson]

I was gifted this bulb by Drren Sleep (a fellow forumist and renowned grower of S African bulbs). It was labelled Massonia sp. (Burdoch 1182 - Addo Elephant Park). Any assistance with identification would be most welcome. It is the first Massonia that I've flowered...plenty of bulblets and seedlings but first at proper bulb size.

[Hans J]

Here are two pics from my Massonia bifolia ( earlier Whiteheadia bifolia ) from today - this change was made by Manning, Goldblatt & Fay (2004).
This flower is maybe not a beauty ...but in any way it is interesting !

[Maggi Young]

What a sculptural form... very pleasing  shapes.

[bulborum]

I bought just this one on ebay USA
hope it arrives
and is not stopped at the customs
like my gladiolus from America

Roland

[Darren]

That form is quite remarkable Roland - hope it arrives safely.

[angie]

Frazer aren't we lucky. I have the same Massonia from Darren.
I never thought that I would have a flowering Massonia in my greenhouse   But thanks to Darren I have Massonia sp. in flower.
I just love it, I must have looked at in ten times or more.
I have some more Massonia that will open soon.

Angie