Flowering now September 2007

[Maggi Young]

Rafa, I have not seen N. x perez-larae : this is a natural hybrid of N. serotinus and N. cavanillesii , is it?

[Lesley Cox]

I love the bicoloured viola Gerd. I just have the "ordinary" plain coloured form. It's beautiful though. I have several plants but they still don't give me any seed.

[Susan Band]

Lesley, I find that these violas are amongst the strange types which in their first year they don't make visable flowers but set seed. They then flower the second year onwards but I have never again found seed. The first time I grew them from seed I threw them all out thinking they were the wrong thing, someone then told me what happened. I find they seeded around on the benches even becoming a pest. It might be worthwhile buying in some seed to get the cycle going, I don't know if I still have any 1 year old plants which will produce seed, I will have a look.

[Lesley Cox]

That's really interesting Susan, a new thought to me. but I don't think that happened here. Mine were from seed from Jim Waddick in the USA ("Iris of China") and they flowered in about 1 year from seed and do flower well each year but I've looked carefully for seed and found nothing. Some others, like V. koreana e.g. flower in spring but no seed, then in the autumn don't flower but make cleistogamic seed. I hoped pedata would do that too, but not so far. They're about 4 years old.

[ian mcenery]

Here are a couple of plants from my garden at present. I am still waiting for the crocus to start

The fascicularia flowered last year as well does anyone know whether these flowered rosettes are best removed?

The other plant is aconitum hemslyeanum a herbaceous climber which I raised from AGS seed. Used to be called volubile before those dammed botanists got a smell

[Gerdk]

Lesley, I find that these violas are amongst the strange types which in their first year they don't make visable flowers but set seed. They then flower the second year onwards but I have never again found seed. The first time I grew them from seed I threw them all out thinking they were the wrong thing, someone then told me what happened. I find they seeded around on the benches even becoming a pest. It might be worthwhile buying in some seed to get the cycle going, I don't know if I still have any 1 year old plants which will produce seed, I will have a look.

Susan,
Are you sure that you are talking about Viola pedata and not about V. pedatifida or one of the other numerous violets with diveded leaves? It is known that pedata is not able to produce seeds in a cleistogamous way (without open flowers).
It was not unusual to receive Viola pedatfida when I ordered pedata, even from US - seeddistribution.

Gerd

[Lesley Cox]

You're right there Gerd. I received V. pedatifida from several sources, as V. pedata and almost gave up in despair until a plea on Alpine-L brought a generous response from Jim Waddick in Kansas. V. pedatifida seeds about freely while pedata doesn't at all, at least, not with me.

Ian I'm dismayed at the name change for Aconitum volubile. I've just written out a new, permanent label for mine. Yours may have been my seeds as I've sent it to AGS a couple of times in the last few years. It's such an attractive plant, everyone should have it.

I don't think I'd be removing the flowered rosettes of the Fascicularia unless they died, as some do, Saxifraga for instance. What an interesting plant. I don't know that one at all. What family is it? A bromeliad maybe? The flowers look like a small version of Puya blooms. Did you get seed from it?

[ian mcenery]

Lesley nice to know the aconitum came from a good home. I have 2 or 3 nice plants now which give a good show at this time of the year.

I think you are right it is a bromeliad and like the puya comes from Chile but is hardier at least with me. I am not sure about the seeds as I did not try to save them last year because it does produce offsets, but I will look after it has finished flowering and if it does and you are interested let me know

[Susan Band]

Yes Gerd, it was pedatafida, I mistakenly thought this was the plain version of the bicoloured pidata, I just persumed the reason why I never got pedata seed was that my plants were origionally cuttings.
I have another species of viola that drives me mad seeding about everywhere without flowering, what a weed

[Gerdk]

Yes Gerd, it was pedatafida, I mistakenly thought this was the plain version of the bicoloured pidata, I just persumed the reason why I never got pedata seed was that my plants were origionally cuttings.
I have another species of viola that drives me mad seeding about everywhere without flowering, what a weed

Unfortunately seeding around and no open flowers is the behaviour of
most of the Japanese violets, especially of those from the Adnatae section, such as chaerophylloides, mandshurica, variegata etc., etc.
All of them most attractive according pictures but maybe only in Japan.

Gerd

[Anthony Darby]

Two seed pods of a tropical Crinum sp. from Mexico sitting on a book shelf. One has sprouted a shoot.

[Maggi Young]

Poor little things, Anthony, plant them for goodness' sake 

[Anthony Darby]

Already done. I was expecting them to produce seeds or just shrivel up. Here's a pic of the plant in flower. It's not a crinum but the Beach Spider Lily (Hymenocallis littoralis ).

[Maggi Young]

Pretty thing, looks like a Pancratium to me......have those taxonomists been at it again?

[Anthony Darby]

New World vs Old World? Both are amyrillids.