Pancratium maritimum

[Cris]

Hi
I've some seedlings that germinated ver well in sand.

A few weeks ago I went to a beach were grow p.maritimum and I saw little seedlings germinating, it was amazing. I've some photos that I'll show you, I must discharge them from the phone.

[Chrisx]

Many thanks - I only wish I had had the nerve to collect a few seed heads while in Halki!  Am currently working on some drawings of Zaforás - so you may get those as well. 

One question:  I noticed that the wild ones that I saw had yellow anthers - whilst the variety as sold by the firm in Cornwall (from the photo) had white anthers?  Is this a bad pic or different variety?

[Renate Brinkers]

Here are some pictures of Pancratium maritimum we saw in Andalusia. There have been some restaurants at the strand and we saw that some of the owners have been very carefully with them. They builded small fences to protect them, well knowing that they will dissapear when the next hotel is "growing" in the sand.

[Renate Brinkers]

another one

[Paddy Tobin]

Renate,

Lovely photographs. I have a nice pot of foliage at home but have never had a flower.

Paddy

[Renate Brinkers]

Hi Paddy,

me too but next year I hope it will change because this P.canariense flowered the first time and this species like P.maritimum and one unknown species are growing for the first year like they should.
It is really remarkably that all three species (8 plants all together) started to grow good nearly at the same time and one of them flowered). That can not be a coincidence - I just have to find out what happend to give so much better conditions than the last years.
Maybe we both have the luck that P.maritumum flowers next year.

[Folypeelarks]

I also have some of these plants in my home.First, The bulbs formed leaves and after that they dissapeared.I thought that they'll flower but another group of leaves appeared.Now, They are still growing and I don't know what will happen..

Renate, the plants which You show are very nice.But the hotels are continuing to ''grow'' everywhere for said and the fate of such lovely flowers may not be good..   

[Renate Brinkers]

Hi,
I think you are right, there will be not a lot space for them left and I think the plants I made pictures from don´t exist now - the hotel "grow" faster.

[TC]

One of the " joys" of scanning old slides is that you find pictures that you have not seen for years.  Here is one taken in October 1994 on the beach at Stavros in Western Crete, where Zorba the Greek was filmed.  I can remember that I was amazed that this beautiful scented flower was growing in pure sand about 20 yards from the sea.  In Cyprus, they called it the Famagusta Lily.  I brought back some seeds but they refused to germinate.  The West of Scotland can never generate high enough temperatures for this beauty.

[Maggi Young]

Nice scan, Tom !

[Gerdk]

What a good quality, can we hope for more interesting plants?

Gerd

[TC]

Gerd,
It depends on what you call interesting!  I have a large collection of slides taken in Crete, Lesvos, Rhodes, Cyprus when I had a fascination for bee orchids.  However, I would photograph lizards, insects, butterflies and almost anything that took my fancy.  My main interest was in birds and military aircraft.  I also have a large collection of plant pictures from the SRGC shows over the past 15 years.  My problem is that over the years my filing system has broken down  - except for aircraft  - and I have the plants scattered around under holidays, family and other obscure headings.  I have about 60,000 slides and about the same in B/W and colour negatives.  On a good day, I can scan and adjust 100 slides.
So, if I work at it everyday, I will finish in 2012.  The rarest plant I have photographed was Wright's Gardenia on the small island of Aride, on the Seychelles. This is its only location and flowers exactly 14 days after rain.  We just happened to be there at the correct moment.  I will put together some scans that I think may be interesting to some people.  I have some rather good ones of Anchusa Caespitosa taken high up in the Lefka Ori in West Crete.

[Joakim B]

Tom
I for one would like to see bee orchids so if You happen to come over these when working I bet a lot of the other orchid enthusiast here would also appreciate to see them.
So thanks in advance and happy to get what you can provide
Kind regards
Joakim

[Gerdk]

Tom,
It seems there are good chances for a lot of interesting pics for the different fields of interests which are united in this Forum.
For me personally nearly the whole range of subjects mentioned by you is indeed interesting. The military aircraft maybe an exception but a bird photographed with a plane will be o.k. 
So, I hope we will be able to look forward to some lovely pics from your collection.

Gerd

[Anthony Darby]

Many thanks - I only wish I had had the nerve to collect a few seed heads while in Halki! 

I don't understand. The seeds are plentiful and there is no problem collecting a few. I only wish my purchased bulbs would flower in the alpine house.

My main interest was ........ military aircraft. 

A bit risky photographing them in Greece, Tom.