November 2011 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks you Gerd, I'm happy with that. I take it you confirm it is not V. albanica?

It could well be a hybrid as it doesn't set seed or at least not freely. I have had a single pod about 5 years ago but nothing germinated.

[Lesley Cox]

Interestingly, there is a thread called 'Seeking Viola 'Jackanapes' and a link is given to a viola nursery in the UK which lists it. They also list many others with pictures and the picture of V. cornuta 'Alba' has the exact same shape as mine even though the colour is different. There are several named forms of cornuta, not really like the one I have. Maddeningly, for V. cornuta minor, they say "Image not available." If I can, I'll send my picture to them and ask for their thoughts.

[Anthony Darby]

Anyone know the name of this plant that looks like an agave growing in the grounds of my daughter's school? The flower is about 20' tall.

[Paul T]

Anthony,

With that sort of flowerhead, I think it is likely to be a Furcraea but no idea which species.  I think they tend to be taller than any of the Agave.  That gives you a starter to look for at least.  Some of them have a much "thicker" head of flowers, which is how yours looks?

[Anthony Darby]

Thanks Paul. There seem to be quite a number with very similar flowers, but that's certainly the genus.

[Lesley Cox]

I was going to post a picture of Clematis fusca dwarf form for Helen in Canada but can't find it on my computer. It came to me from Susan More so if you're there Susan and reading this, could you post the pic you sent to me please? I know it's somewhere but.....

[Lesley Cox]

Right, I've done two bad pics of the last remaining flower in the garden (on a small nursery plant actually, the better ones went at the Trillium weekend) and also taken a photo of Susan's photo which gives a better idea. I had a look at 3 I have planted out. One has had a cat scratch it half out of the ground, two has probably been sat on as it's bent right over and broken but will be OK because new shoots come each year and 3 has some seed just starting so hopefully all will be well in due course.

Here are the pics. Under the lovely brown fur, the flower surface is deep purple. It has never grown higher then 30cms for me and only about 20cms in small pots. It is herbaceous and dies right down with new shoots coming in the spring, like on a C. integrifolia but as well, it does make tendrils so probably would like to cling to something, which I don't think integrifolia does, does it?

[fleurbleue]

  A so lovely Clematis Lesley !

[Brian Ellis]

Drat, went for the C.Fusca rather than the dwarf form!

[Paul T]

Beautiful, Lesley.  I don't think I've ever seen a fuzzy Clematis flower like that before. 

[maggiepie]

Lesley, thanks so much for the pics.
It is absolutely beautiful.

I have several fusca/ianthinas but they all get much taller than 30cms.

None of mine are white inside though.

Just looked at pics of the Barry Fretwell dwarf and it does look pretty much the same as yours.
Lucky you.

[Lesley Cox]

Several people are now asking for seed and I have none left now but there may be a very little from the garden plant that is undamaged. Now that Teddy is gone the b....y cats from across the road are taking over the place. However I should have about 6 flowering plants next summer and they should give plenty seed. I'll post a new pic then and anyone interested can contact me. Mine is the one (I'm sure) pictured in Barry Fretwell's book "Clematis." I can't remember where it came from but it has been grown here for maybe 20 years or so.

Brian, even if you applied for the dwarf, you may not have got it. Helen told me that a friend of hers had been receiving the dwarf form for ages but it always had been the climber. Prof. Pawley , when I sent my seed in, refused to accept that it was a dwarf form until he apparently got more seed from another person. Maybe THAT is not dwarf? or maybe somone else altogether is mis-applying the name. Who knows. All I know is that I have sown and grown on perhps 6-8 generations now from my original plant and they are all the same and none has ever grown to more than 30cms.

[Brian Ellis]

The reason I didn't ask for the dwarf seed Leslie is that I have a 'clematis fusca (dwarf form)' - that is how it was described when I received it from the Plant Heritage (NCCPG in old money) plant exchange, but it is about 3 feet tall.  I shall certainly await your posting next summer with eager anticipation

[Lesley Cox]

I shall probably need reminding Brian but when I see it in flower again something may jog the brain into action.

[Anthony Darby]

The car park at the local football park (Greenmount Reserve) has two forms of Dietes. The taller one (in front of the birch tree) is D. grandiflora, but I'm not sure if the smaller one is a dwarf form or D. iridioides? Is the lawn weed a Romulea sp.?