September 2010 in the Southern Hemisphere

[arillady]

Yeah sounds like my conditions would be ideal Bill and Lesley.

[t00lie]

Dave, Corydalis solida 'Toole's Purple' looks to be a real winner; an excellent color form.

 And such a fitting memorial to t00lie's late lamented hiking leggings 
( see photos in old NZ threads to see photographic evidence.......     )

Dear Maggi

I had another look in town today in the quest to replace said purple long johns  
Alas a failure ---(i have a real worry that without them i just won't measure up to your expectations in terms of a dress sense when we finally meet ). 

[arillady]

Well I guess this is the closest that a river would get to 'flowering'. PS. Belladonna clump in the foreground.
Tulipa clusiana ex Marcus H - this is the most I have seen it 'out' - I never seem to be home in the middle of the day lately.

[Tecophilaea King]

This rare, and unusual Lachenalia aloides var.vanzyliae species has a most fascinating color combination, with conspicuous white bracts and pendulous flowers with green segments, that fade into pale blue at the base.
The foliage is beautiful as well, with dark maroon spots, and bluish green leaves. Another species for the collector.

Cyclamen libanoticum is a delightful species from Lebanon, the flower colour varies from soft pink to carmine, with darker dove-shaped markings.
As an added bonus, they have an unusual but not overpowering mousey scent.

[Martin Baxendale]

Bill, I think you meant to write pseudibericum, not libanoticum.

[annew]

Dave, how will we recognise you if you are not wearing something, um, unusual???

[Tecophilaea King]

Thanks for the correction Martin, should have known. Sorry senior moment

[t00lie]

This rare, and unusual Lachenalia aloides var.vanzyliae species has a most fascinating color combination, with conspicuous white bracts and pendulous flowers with green segments, that fade into pale blue at the base.
The foliage is beautiful as well, with dark maroon spots, and bluish green leaves. Another species for the collector.

Bill -----i saw a plant of the Lachenalia for the first time at last years NZAGS spring show --as you mention what a beauty 

Dave, how will we recognise you if you are not wearing something, um, unusual???

Anne
 Desperate times require desperate measures --i have a number of paisley ties that i haven't worn for over 20 years ?---none are purple mind you--i may pack a couple  --no promises though.........

[Tecophilaea King]

The first of two early Fritillaria species to flower, unfortunetly lost the names, perhaps someon could ID them for me please? Thanks

[Maggi Young]

Bill second, yellow and bronze one is F. reuteri.
Cannot tell what the first is without seeing  whole stem, lower leaves etc.

[Lesley Cox]

Anne
 Desperate times require desperate measures --i have a number of paisley ties that i haven't worn for over 20 years ?---none are purple mind you--i may pack a couple  --no promises though.........

I was thinking of knitting a pair of purple longjohns for Dave but I'm not sure that I'd get them finished in time, and they could be a bit scratchy too, wool next to the skin. 

[Armin]

Bill,
I'm not the specialist but perhaps the other 'lost label' fritillaria is a from of F. pudica?

[Rogan]

Two exceptional plants in flower in my collection at the moment:

A Lachenalia cultivar, I've no idea what it may be called;

My venerable Cyrtanthus falcatus specimen has produced four inflorescences this year - this is one of them:

[TheOnionMan]

Bill,
I'm not the specialist but perhaps the other 'lost label' fritillaria is a from of F. pudica?

Armin, it doesn't look quite right to be Fitillaria pudica to me. 
Maybe a form of F. liliacea, a Californian species:
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?query_src=photos_index&where-lifeform=any&rel-taxon=contains&where-taxon=fritillaria+liliacea&rel-namesoup=matchphrase&where-namesoup=&rel-location=matchphrase&where-location=&rel-county=eq&where-county=any&rel-state=eq&where-state=any&rel-country=eq&where-country=any&where-collectn=any&rel-photographer=contains&where-photographer=&rel-kwid=equals&where-kwid=&max_rows=24

There are other possibilities too, but it would help to see more of the plant; seems reminiscent of F. bithynica and conica too.

[Lesley Cox]

The colour and shape are wrong for F. pudica but as Mark says, it would help to see the whole plant.  I'm thrilled to have two flowering bulbs of F. aurea this year so will cross pollinate as soon as the second comes out. From seed, there are perhaps 7 or 8 but only the one has flowered for the last 3 years. Have also bought a couple of F. aurea, smallish, in pots and won't flower now so can't confirm as yet.