Haemanthus 2011

[jshields]

I have not heard of any hybrids made intentionally in cultivation that involved pauculifolius.  The species was discovered in 1993 or before, and appeared fairly quickly in cultivation after that.  I got mine as seeds from Silverhill Seeds in 1999.  There has been enough time for hybrids of pauculifolius to have happened in cultivation.

Known Haemanthus hybrids include the well-known x-clarkii, which is [albiflos x coccineus].  I have made [humilis hirsutus x coccineus], [barkerae x coccineus] and [coccineus x barkerae], as well as [coccineus x crispus].  I have one seedling that looks as if it might be [barkerae x namaquensis], but that would be strictly accidental.

In truth, the only way to be absolutely certain of a possible hybrid's parentage is to have its DNA looked at as well as that of its parents.  Ben Zonneveld may have done that for some Haemanthus as well as for many other genera.

Jim

[Hans J]

Jim ,

thank you for your informations .

I have a idea : I could self pollinate this plant and look if it set seeds ...if it set no seeds so it really could be a hybrid - what you think ?

Hans

[jshields]

Hans,

Some hybrids are sterile, for instance [humilis hirsutus x coccineus] and my only plant of x-clarkii; others are quite fertile, like  my plants of [barkerae x coccineus] and the reciprocal.  Some Haemanthus are somewhat self-sterile, like namaquensis, but albiflos seems quite self-fertile.

If it is sterile, your plant is most probably a hybrid.  It is certainly a good idea and worth trying!

Jim

[Hans J]

Jim ,

If I remember me correct so I believe I had never seeds on this plant ...I will test it !

Hans

[PeterT]

My plant which I believe is the same, would not self last year.

[Hans J]

Jim , Peter :

I have sent yesterday evening my pics of this strange plant to a nice person in South Africa to ask what he thinks - just I have received his answer :

"Your plant is quite clearly a typical Haemanthus albiflos.  H. pauculifolius always has only one leaf and the flower shape differs quite substantially from albiflos."

So it seems this is only a strange form of H.albiflos !

Hans

[PeterT]

I have been trying to work out the distinctions between four 'species' of Haemanthus.
http://www.facebook.com/groups/Haemanthus/294867883866568/?notif_t=group_activity

Haemanthus coccineus and Haemanthus tigrinius which has been incorparated into H coccineus.

Also Haemanthus sanguineus and Haemanthus incarnatus. H incarnatus has been incorparated into H sanguineus.
there was a discussion here a few years ago http://www.srgc.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=2743.msg64936#msg64936

I am confused about the distinctions between H coccineus and H sanguineus to start with, aparently the peduncle of sanguineus has a solid colour (usually reddish) and coccineus is (usually?) spotted .

I did find this link for a description of H incarnatus.
http://plants.jstor.org/flora/floc015552

[Hans J]

Peter :

Here is what I have just found on PBS :

"Haemanthus sanguineus has a wide distribution and is found in seasonally moist habitats on mountains and coastal flats, mainly in winter rainfall areas. It has two leaves pressed to the ground that are dry at flowering and red to pink flowers on a somewhat compressed compact umbel. Although the flowers resemble Haemanthus coccineus, the leaves are tough and leathery, rounder in shape with a distinct reddish margin and always flat on the ground. There are no markings on the underside of the leaves. This plant flowers late summer to fall (January to April). It is in leaf from April until November."

Hans

[jshields]

Peter :

Here is what I have just found on PBS :

"Haemanthus sanguineus has a wide distribution and is found in seasonally moist habitats on mountains and coastal flats, mainly in winter rainfall areas. It has two leaves pressed to the ground that are dry at flowering and red to pink flowers on a somewhat compressed compact umbel. Although the flowers resemble Haemanthus coccineus, the leaves are tough and leathery, rounder in shape with a distinct reddish margin and always flat on the ground. There are no markings on the underside of the leaves. This plant flowers late summer to fall (January to April). It is in leaf from April until November."

Hans

Remember that the information on PBS was written by human beings, just like us.  From Snijman's book (1984) I get the following:

                    coccineus                                             sanguineus
Leaf         banded or spotted on underside                plain on underside
              plain edge, but sometimes red edge           cartilaginous edge, red or not
              upper surface smooth                              upper surface rough, dark green
              leaf shape variable                                  leaf shape variable


Peduncle       spotted or banded, smooth                   plain, solid red or pink color, maybe grooved

Note 1: I have observed that in cultivation under low light, leaves of some Haemanthus species tend to stand more upright than in the books.
Note 2: Many of my coccineus seem not to want to make spots on their leaves this year.
Note 3: Apparently, in the wild, hybrids occur between coccineus and sanguineus, just to make things even more confusing.
Note 4:  I have found coccineus very easy to grow and sanguineus almost impossible to grow from seed, in the same greenhouse on the same bench.

It is clearly difficult to distinguish between sanguineus and coccineus.  They apparently hybridize in the wild, so some specimens will not have a simple A-or-B identity.  Both species are variable and fairly wide-ranging in the Cape provinces, which a century and more ago led to a profusion of botanical names for both of them.  Dee Snijman has sorted these out as well as can be done until extensive DNA comparisons are financially feasible.  All a DNA phylogeny would take is plenty of money and a graduate student or three.  In the meantime, they will continue to present interesting challenges.  I think it's time I tried to grow sanguineus again.

Jim

[Hans J]

since some days is my Haemanthus deformis flowering ...but with those bad weather it was not possibly to make pics earlier ...just between two rainshowers 

Hans

[jshields]

My current deformis are still just young seedlings, too small to bloom.  The blooms on the albiflos are all faded or a couple are just fading, but there are scapes shooting on the pauculifolius.  I'll have blooms there very soon.

I posted the first part of an article I'm working on, on Haemanthus, which I hope to submit to one of the plant publications.  For the current draft of Part I, introduction to the genus Haemanthus, see my blog at:
http://www.shieldsgardens.com/Blogs/Garden/index.html

I'm a bit too wordy to post it here.  The whole article runs about 4500 words so far.  I'm still working on part II, the species.  I'd appreciate suggestions, comments, and criticism.

Jim

[Maggi Young]

I posted the first part of an article I'm working on, on Haemanthus, which I hope to submit to one of the plant publications.  For the current draft of Part I, introduction to the genus Haemanthus, see my blog at:
http://www.shieldsgardens.com/Blogs/Garden/index.html

I'm a bit too wordy to post it here.  The whole article runs about 4500 words so far.  I'm still working on part II, the species.  I'd appreciate suggestions, comments, and criticism.

Jim

Jim, many thanks for including us in this loop...

[angie]

Hans your Haemanthus deformis is lovely, glad you got a break in the weather to take a picture 

Jim , I have only had a quick look but tonight I have some good reading . I think by the look I will be as green as I can ever be. All those wonderful plants.

Angie

[jshields]

...

I posted the first part of an article I'm working on, on Haemanthus, which I hope to submit to one of the plant publications.  For the current draft of Part I, introduction to the genus Haemanthus, see my blog at:
http://www.shieldsgardens.com/Blogs/Garden/index.html

...

Parts II, The Species, and III, Hybrids, have now been posted to the blog, same address.  Feedback would be most welcome.

Jim

[jshields]

...

I posted the first part of an article I'm working on, on Haemanthus, which I hope to submit to one of the plant publications.  For the current draft of Part I, introduction to the genus Haemanthus, see my blog at:
http://www.shieldsgardens.com/Blogs/Garden/index.html

...

Parts II, The Species, and III, Hybrids, have now been posted to the blog, same address.  Feedback would be most welcome.

I've posted part IV, Care & Culture of Haemanthus, to my blog, at the same address:
http://www.shieldsgardens.com/Blogs/Garden/index.html

Feedback would be appreciated.

Jim