South African Bulbs2012

[arillady]

Stunning photo of G. orchidiformis - I echo the oohing and aahing.

[Darren]

Super photos, Darren- you always treat us with your bulb pix.

Does the Moraea ciliata scent resemble that of Iris cycloglossa? It looks like it should! 

I wish I could answer that Maggi - I've never flowered I cycloglossa! I have a number of seedlings I'm about to plant out in the garden but will have to wait a few years. The scent is hard to describe - a bit like a cross between a sweet shop and an oriental supermarket. I can detect hints of coconut and cardamon. But the scent is remarkably strong.

Now I sound like a wine taster...  not far wrong except I'm not spitting any out!

Thanks to all of you for your kind remarks. I've had to take more (and better) pics of my Cape Bulbs this year as I'm putting a talk together. A forumist has asked me to take it to their local group already.

The G. orchidiflorus is actually a self-sown weed in the plunge. There is a reddish form of the same species at the other end!

[Darren]

Oh and by the way - I managed to damage the flower stem on the gladdy whilst taking the picture so there may be no seed this year..

[Maggi Young]

I wish I could answer that Maggi - I've never flowered I cycloglossa! I have a number of seedlings I'm about to plant out in the garden but will have to wait a few years. The scent is hard to describe - a bit like a cross between a sweet shop and an oriental supermarket. I can detect hints of coconut and cardamon. But the scent is remarkably strong.

Now I sound like a wine taster...  not far wrong except I'm not spitting any out!

Thanks to all of you for your kind remarks. I've had to take more (and better) pics of my Cape Bulbs this year as I'm putting a talk together. A forumist has asked me to take it to their local group already.

The G. orchidiflorus is actually a self-sown weed in the plunge. There is a reddish form of the same species at the other end!

Do you know... it sounds like the Moraea scent might indeed be quite similar to the Iris cycloglossa - which is one of my favourite fragrances, after orange blossom.

You've got to love... and appreciate..... those self-sown plunge weeds... they generally turn out to be crackers! 

[BULBISSIME]

One Ooooooooooohhhhhh !!!! More darren 
I've missed your G. orchidiflorus : superb form !!!

[Diane Clement]

I'm very pleased to have flowered this for the first time, whatever it is - seed from Silverhill sown October 2008.  But I got it as Babiana framesii and it doesn't look much like the pictures on PBS
http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/BabianaTwo
Can anyone confirm or identify otherwise?

[ArnoldT]

Two views.

Note pollen located below.

[ArnoldT]

Addendum:



Ferraria divaricata and F. variabilis have dull-colored, darkly speckled or streaked perianths and produce ample, highly dilute nectar pooled at the base of the floral cup and are pollinated by eumenid and masarine wasps (Vespidae).

From:

Adaptive radiation of the putrid perianth: Ferraria (Iridaceae: Irideae) and its unusual pollinators
Peter Goldblatt, P. Bernhardt and J. C. Manning

[Michael J Campbell]

Freesia alba.
Watsonia laccata
Veltheimia bracteata
Moraea aristata
Gladiolus cunonius

[Maggi Young]

Freesia alba.
Watsonia laccata
Veltheimia bracteata
Moraea aristata
Gladiolus cunonius

Merciful heavens..... I would so like to visit you, Michael.  One of these years, I tell you! 

[angie]

Freesia alba.
Watsonia laccata
Veltheimia bracteata
Moraea aristata
Gladiolus cunonius

Merciful heavens..... I would so like to visit you, Michael.  One of these years, I tell you! 

So would I. If you go can you take me 

Angie

[Michael J Campbell]

. I would so like to visit you, Michael

 No problem , I live at the end of the Airport runway.

[Maggi Young]

Angela, that sounds a great idea.... and Michael is handy for the airport...so  all we  need is around £800 each for the flights     
How good a swimmer are you, Angela? 

[Michael J Campbell]

€1 Ryan Air

[angie]

Angela, that sounds a great idea.... and Michael is handy for the airport...so  all we  need is around £800 each for the flights      
How good a swimmer are you, Angela?  

Why don't I drive and we could take Derek's trailer and just put Michael's greenhouse into the trailer, it is a big trailer and then that would leave the back of the car to fill with all the other plants that he has lying about. Keep this quiet Maggi as we don't want him to get word of this as we might not get invited over.

Angie