South African Bulbs2012

[Diane Whitehead]

I'm so pleased to see the curled leaves on the Gethyllis.

When I admired some leaves in South Africa, I was told that they wouldn't curl
if I tried growing them at home. 

There are a number of genera that coil their leaves and I can't remember the genus
involved in that discussion.

Have others found that leaves straighten in cultivation?  And if so, I wonder why.

[Lesley Cox]

Isn't there an Albuca species does that? I'm sure we've seen a few different plants with curling leaves on the Forum. Hope they never discover hair straighteners.

If they do straighten out in cultivation, perhaps it's because the conditions are generally softer than in their native habitats but the one pictured seems to be cultivated, in a pot so.....?

[daveyp1970]

Lesley i grow albuca spiralis grown from SRGC Seedex but so far no curls,might need to take my wifes curling tongues to it...i was told its down to the moisture in the pot.

[Ezeiza]

Dear Lesley and Davey, it is a desert plant. Increase the grit content in the mix and water sparingly and leaves will become curly.

[Darren]

I've little experience with Gethyllis but for what it's worth this is my experience with curly leaved South African bulbs under dull UK conditions:

Albuca osmynella and Moraea serpentina keep their curls reasonably well but Geissorhiza corrugata (which has tightly curled spring-like leaves in habitat) is hopelessly straightened here. Moraea pritzelliana is not as coiled as it is in habitat. My Moraea tortilis are too small to tell yet but I've seen pictures of it 'in character' in cultivation so I know it can be done, but maybe not under my permanent cloud cover

Alberto is no doubt correct about substrate and watering but here I find poor winter light is a strong influence too.

[Paul T]

Love those curled leaves.  I picked up two species of Albuca recently that have curly leaves, but they've been grown too happily so their leaves aren't curly.

[ArnoldT]

Here's the summer growing Eucomis unpotted ready for the winter nap.

[YT]

Oxalis luteola 'Splash' MV7689. This is the first bloom of this season

[Lesley Cox]

I guess this is a selection of what we grow as O. luteola var. maculata.

[YT]

I guess this is a selection of what we grow as O. luteola var. maculata.

Hello Lesley. I obtained a flowering plant as named under O. luteola 'Splash' MV7689 from a Japanese narsery last year. But I cannot distinguish 'Splash' and 'Maculata' Perhaps both were collected from same population in their habitat by different persons

[ArnoldT]

Kniphofia northiae under snow.

[zvone]

Romulea tetragona
Moraea polystachya
Lachenalia bulbifera

Oxalis versicolour, waiting for some sunshine.

Beautiful!

Thank's Michael!

Best Regards!  zvone

[ArnoldT]

A large Eucomis ready for winter rest with a familiar object for scale.

[johnw]

One can treat scale with a cell phone now?

[ArnoldT]

I thought about what to put in the image to convey scale and said " why not something most people either have in the pockets of have seen everyday."