Fritillaria 2012

[Lesley Cox]

Good call Ashley. Now rare in cultivation I believe.

Oh really? I have quite a good patch of it in the garden, but difficult to do much with as Sorbus reducta is moving through it at a rate of knots. The frit seems OK with that though.

[Lesley Cox]

I'd be very hesitant to argue with Ian ( ) about the ID of a fritillaria and will only say that in my much more limited experience of F. rhodokanakis, the flowers invariably have a flaring shape, as the two below, 2 seedlings from the same batch, originally, as I remember, from John Richards' seed. The shape is similar whatever amount of reddish or brownish colouring the forms have - that I have grown anyway.

[ronm]

F. camschatcensis

This species also seems to prefer to be almost on the surface. All my plants are like this now, not having being potted on for years. This one we can see has had the top of last years bulb scorched somewhat in the sun. Along with the old flower stalks ( still very firmly attached ) are more flowering size plants. They gradually move about the large pots in this way.

[ronm]

Oh really? I have quite a good patch of it in the garden, but difficult to do much with as Sorbus reducta is moving through it at a rate of knots. The frit seems OK with that though.

They must look very good as a group Lesley?  How old are they?

[Maggi Young]

I'd be very hesitant to argue with Ian ( ) about the ID of a fritillaria and will only say that in my much more limited experience of F. rhodokanakis, the flowers invariably have a flaring shape, as the two below, 2 seedlings from the same batch, originally, as I remember, from John Richards' seed. The shape is similar whatever amount of reddish or brownish colouring the forms have - that I have grown anyway.

There is nothing to argue about, Lesley.

In this Bulb Log http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2012Mar211332339999BULB_LOG__1212.pdf
Ian writes :
"I have this little one labelled as Fritillaria rhodocanakis but suspect that either I have mixed the labels up or hybridisation has again occurred in our frit house. Not at all surprising when we grow so many in such a small space that compatible species will hybridise."

To elaborate... the little frit is from seed from rhodocanakis, but he thinks it is a hybrid. It is not typical of our  straight  rhodocanakis.

[Don B]

Fritillaria kotschyana in the garden...

[ronm]

Very nice Don. It seems to like your conditions in, is it Iowa?

[ronm]

F. affinis affinis

Flowering now in the Frit house, but at least two weeks away from flowering in the garden.

[Lesley Cox]

Ron, my patch of alfredae glaucoviridis is perhaps 10 or 11 years old. There are generally about a dozen flowers. All from an original single bulb thougth and I have never had seed on it. The sorbus, planted at the same time and at least a metre away, covers more than 2 sq metres now.

[Lesley Cox]

Yes Maggi, and thanks. I was tending to think Ian's own suggestion that he may have mixed the labels may be the correct one, but as I said, or rather didn't say, would happily accept Ian's diagnosis any old time.

[ronm]

Thanks Lesley. You really have the right touch for the Frits.

[Don B]

Ron, yes we're in Iowa... corn and fritillaries.

[Gerry Webster]

Fritillaria whittallii

From Frit Group seed [received as F. graeca].

[art600]

Gerry

What have you used as a background?

[Gerry Webster]

Gerry

What have you used as a background?

Arthur - it's a piece of hardboard painted with mid-grey emulsion (black on the reverse). The colour in photos depends a good deal on light levels.