Fritillaria 2012

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Ron,

Below is a picture of the plant next to it and all the rest are the same. I cannot claim any credit it has just "popped up". I am glad it flowered because it would have been sold in the next catalogue!

It is dark olive green inside but almost uniformly purplish outside. Its a good find because its a bulbil producer and I don't have to worry about whether it breeds true or not. You are right about the wonderful world of raising seed.

Lesley, I have a lovely form from Bob and Rannweg Wallis that is labelled dark form but it really has a bicoloured flower with alternative petals in green and solid brown. If it sets seed I'll send you some.

Cheers, Marcus

[Hillview croconut]

Sorry forgot to add the pic!

M

[ronm]

Thank you Marcus. It is a nice looking thing, and as you say, you should have no trouble bulking it up.

[ronm]

A page that I haven't seen before has appeared on the PBS site. It deals with the first stages of an experiment regarding seed germination. May develop to be interesting, ?

http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/FritillariaGermination

[Hillview croconut]

Hi again,

I have posted this picture of Fritillaria bithynica collected by the R&R Wallis, which has an unwinged seed capsule. I thought I'd put in here as well because this form has created some interest and deal of discussion. Davis doesn't cite it. Rix does. But now in a recent revison of Mediterranean fritillaria, 'The revision of the genus Fritillaria L. (Liliaceae) in the Mediterranean region (Turkey)' by Mehtap TEKŞEN and Zeki AYTAÇ, of 2011, it rates a footnote under the description of Fritillaria milasense.

Confused? I am .

Cheers, Marcus

[ronm]

I'm really hoping that this will be mentioned in one of the talks, at the Fritillaria Group meeting on this coming Sunday, 
If not I know at least one SRGC member who will be asking questions 

( Such as....... "Can I have one please?"  )

[Otto Fauser]

I grew thisFRit from seed labelled F. messanensis which it is not : could it be a hybrid with pyrenaica or more likely an atypical F. pyrenaica . Could someone more knowlegdable please confirm it please

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Otto,

I can't see the rest of the plant but here are a few general diagnostic characteristics that you can apply.

While messanensis is polymorphic over its range it does have narrow, linear alternative glaucous-green leaves and broadly ovate egg-shaped nectaries. It is said in its classic form to have a terminal whorl of three leaves but I don't find that to be the general case. It also is characterised by a pinched-in waist to the flower and up-turned tips to the tepals and I find that as a general rule but flower shape can range from campanulate to straight sided.

Fritillaria pyrenaicea has broader, alternative leaves (maybe slightly grayer and maybe fewer) and in my experience has 1 or 2 bracts. The nectaries are lanceolate and the flower tepals not as upturned.

F. messanensis is closely related to F. montana and easily confused with it but the distinct difference is that the nectaries in F. montana are much more linear and not ovate, as in F. messanensis.

I hope that helps? Maybe Rafa or someone who has observed these plants first hand in the wild can add more.

I would look first at the shape of the leaves - this is the easiest difference to spot.

Cheers, Marcus

PS I found this is a good article for aiding ID in fritillaria http://www.fritillaria.org.uk/Articles/fritillaria_by_bob_and_ranveigh.htm
As is the Fritillaria Icones pages http://www.fritillariaicones.com/index.html

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Fritillaria Folk,

I have another knotty one here. Came to me from the Wallis' collection as Fritillaria aff. pontica. Did anyone else buy this plant from them? Does anyone know what it might be? I haven't a location nearby but will look it up when I have a moment.
Cheers, Marcus

[Otto Fauser]

Thanks Marcus for the detailed information on my "mistery" frit and the links - but I'm still none the wiser.

  just in from taking 3 photos in my garden ,sorry such bad qualitybut the forcast is for snow down to 400 meters ,which means here .
 one pic of my straight F. pyrenaica and the other F.messanensis ssp. messanensis which came from you .Can you shed any more light on the mistery F. ?

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Otto,

It looks like F. montana. Have a look at this link and compare http://www.treknature.com/gallery/photo205501.htm

To be really sure upturn the flower and look at the base. If the nectary is more linear than oval or ovate then that will confirm it.

If it is ovate then it is more likely to be F. messanensis - this specie(s) has a wide range of colouration but shares a similar narrow leaf structure with F. montana.

I hope that helps?

I am experiencing the same weather pattern. Temperatures have plummetted and the rain is smashing through, the mountain has disappeared in a veil of snow squalls. bad its come right on que for the big game today!!

Cheers, Marcus

[Hillview croconut]

BTW I will have this species listed in my up and coming seedlist

M

[ronm]

Hi again,

I have posted this picture of Fritillaria bithynica collected by the R&R Wallis, which has an unwinged seed capsule. I thought I'd put in here as well because this form has created some interest and deal of discussion. Davis doesn't cite it. Rix does. But now in a recent revison of Mediterranean fritillaria, 'The revision of the genus Fritillaria L. (Liliaceae) in the Mediterranean region (Turkey)' by Mehtap TEKŞEN and Zeki AYTAÇ, of 2011, it rates a footnote under the description of Fritillaria milasense.

Confused? I am .

Cheers, Marcus

At the Fritillaria Group meeting meeting yesterday Bob Wallis gave a short talk titled "New mysteries and New Discoveries". The aim was to update the group on plants that the Wallis' had observed / collected, that still had not had their species firmly pinned down. First to be addressed was the plant often shown and distributed by them as aff. bithynica. Bob showed this is the one with the differing bracts, the smooth seed capsule etc. Bob confirmed through a very detailed set of pictures and explanations that this plant is in fact F.milasense.
Mystery solved.

[Hillview croconut]

Hi Ron,

Looks like Lesley and I must change our labels. Mine are still flowering away happily here - blissfully unaware of their identity change .

Cheers, Marcus

PS Have they published anything on this species?

[ronm]

PS Have they published anything on this species?

It certainly came across as the first time that this news had been rolled out for public consumption. I'll ask, and if there is anything to tell, I'll post back here.

051012 - Just heard back that this ( the difference between F.bithynica and F.milasense ) will be written up and published shortly,  by the Wallis'.