gynandiriris - how hardy

[mark smyth]

At the weekend I spotted a pot of Gynandiriris on the floor of the green house. Thankfully their pot was getting water from the rain that flows in under the bottom edge of the greenhouse. They survived -13c

Pity their flowers only last an afternoon.

Is it hardy enough to be planted in a trough?

[Ezeiza]

It must be G. sisyrinchium, as the South African species would have died in slight frosts.

[mark smyth]

I should have posted some photos

[mark smyth]

the photos

[Lesley Cox]

I have some seedlings simply labelled Gynandiris sp Iran, 90cms. Has anyone a suggestion of what species it might be. I've seen it if flower and it really is that height.

[Ezeiza]

There is a "giant" M. sisyrinchium in a spot of S. Italy. Some say it is just a form of that species, but others think it is a different relict species.

[PeterT]

Then you regard the Gynandriris as Moreas Alberto? and presumably this would include the South African species?

There is a "giant" M. sisyrinchium in a spot of S. Italy. Some say it is just a form of that species, but others think it is a different relict species.

I understood the mediteranian G/M sisyrinchium to be quite variable with a huge distribution and therefor presumably varients have been named? though I have only grown one form similar to Marks picture and G/M monophylla which was very small but taller than Brian Mathew suggests.

[Ezeiza]

Yes, Peter, Gynandriris is a section of the genus Moraea and has been for a good number of years. Basically the difference is that Gynandririses have a beaked capsule, otherwise they are "very Moraea like".
It comprises the two Mediterranean species and the South Africans as well.

[PeterT]

Thankyou Alberto

[Anthony Darby]

I wonder where you got those from Mark?

[Oron Peri]

Morea sisyrinchium [Gynandriris sisyrinchium], an album form i have found last year on Mt. Hermon.

[monocotman]

Mark,
your post has jogged my memory.
I saw carpets of these lovely plants flowering in the spring of 2010
in a nature reserve on the south east coast of Scicily.
They were growing right on the edge of the sea cliffs in very poor soil and were extremely short - less than 10cm.
I doubt that they receive any frosts at all at this site.
I did find a few alba plants in amongst all the blue ones.
Will post some photos if I can find them,
David

[Lesley Cox]

The white is very lovely.

[Paul T]

Mark,

I grow G. setifolia, simulans and pritzeliana here in small pots without any problem.  I think that some of these may have died out through neglect the last year or so.  While fleeting, they make up for them in the amount of flowers a clump can produce.  They have no problem for me down to the -8'C that we get each winter, but we do get the warmth during the day so pots never fully freeze through the soil.  I'm assuming that Alberto is meaning frosts below -8 when he refers to slight frosts?  I've grown them here for something like 10 years, with some seeding around into other pots and times.  I find they struggle more with competition than anything.  Where grass has infested a pot they tend to get much smaller and can dwindle away.

[pehe]

There more common form of Morea sisyrinchium from Malta

Poul