Massonia 2011

[Hans J]

Hi Darren ,

thank you for your friendly words 

It seems we had both the same idea with the kitchen paper and yes  - like you I remove the old flowers

Happy growing
Hans

[Hans J]

I am relieved to see that Hans' seedlings look just like mine growing from last year's seedex seed.

I was beginning to worry that I had received the wrong seed, but it seems that the leaves only begin to flatten out after a year or two.  Is this right?

Richard ,

yes the seedlings looks different from the mature plants .
I have looked today in my collection : in first year have some species of Massonia really long leaves ( p.e. depressa ) but pustulata + jasminiflora have more rounded leaves  - in second year are the leaves stronger and bigger , in third year they looks similar like adult plants .I had first flowers on Mass. pygmea after 3 years - all other ( mostly ) after 4 years

Good succsess
Hans

[angie]

Hi Angie ,

thank you for sending me the sun back ....we can use it very well 

Hans

Hans, don't keep that sun for too long, remember this forum is all about sharing 

Angie

[ArnoldT]

Ii have to ask the question.  I have a number of Massonia growing and admittedly not being at all familiar with the habitat where it is found I would make the following observations.

The leaf structure looks perfectly adapted to collecting rain water or dew to provide moisture for growth.  My plants have a small amount of water sitting in the area where the flower bud is emerging.  I haven't seen any signs of rot or fungus present.

I do keep a fan on at all times to provide air circulation.

Am I just being lucky or is this plant morphology there to collect moisture?

[Ezeiza]

Perhaps as seedlings, Arnold. Adult plants with the bulbs deeply buried in the mix/soil have perfectly flat ground hugging foliage.

[PeterT]

Juno Iris collect water in their leaves, sometimes with disastrous consequences, yet if the conditions are right it doesn't seem to matter!
My Massonias seem to enjoy being wetted but I certainly don't have the degree of experiance which Hans or Darren have. Even with the flat leaves there is a depression around the flower which draws water to the flower stem as Arnold suggests. Perhaps in natural conditions there would be less precipitation at flowering time, - and therefor less risk of flowers getting soggy and rotting?

[Brian Ellis]

I was told today that many Massonia do have flat leaves and grow in pebbly conditions, the leaves spread flat on the ground in the heat and, if you were to put your hand underneath them you would find it cool and damp.  Another way of collecting available moisture. 

[FrazerHenderson]

A couple of pictures taken today to show leaf aberrations. Last year the plants each produced two flat leaves.

[Brian Ellis]

Two from me, Massonia pustulata, I like this picture as it shows the texture of the leaf well, and Massonia echinata.  When M.echinata came into flower the leaf was as flat as a pancake.  Now it seems to be assuming a more cupped form, this it did last year too.

[ArnoldT]

Brian:

Maybe 'funneling' the pollinator towards the prize?

[Brian Ellis]

Good thinking Arnold.  I wouldn't be at all surprised

[angie]

Lovely picture Brian  Its maybe trying to keep itself warm.

Angie

[Darren]

Brian - I have a form of echinata that does this too, I suspect it is a response to lowering light levels as autumn progresses.   Thankfully mine is one of the few that offsets and it actually looks fine in a clump. It is one of my only two exceptions to growing massonia one bulb per pot.

Due to my not thoroughly wetting the whole pot this year when I first watered, one side started growing before the other so the display was uneven.

Forgive me for posting again a pic from last year:

[angie]

Darren we would never get fed up seeing that pot of Massonia 

Angie

[Brian Ellis]

That is amazing Darren, I hope mine clumps up like that