South African Bulbs 2013

[Diane Whitehead]

I have many plants from Silverhill seeds, all properly labelled.  I await their flowering
with great anticipation.

I also have an area where I put bulbs that have lost their labels and seedpots that
haven't produced any bulbs.

Guess where most flowering takes place - yes.  The unknowns.  Here is the latest:

[Rogan]

The shape and orientation of the florets seem to resemble a form of Watsonia laccata; to my eyes anyway - any other suggestions?

 It is very variable in flower shape and colour and readily hybridizes with W. aletroides in nature; here it is pictured in a small roadside population in the Western Cape:

[Diane Whitehead]

Thank you!  I hadn't thought about it being a Watsonia, as I haven't bought seed of many, just
Watsonia laccata in 2002 and W. amatolae in 2007.  Both are unaccounted for.

[Rogan]

I also have an unidentified bulb-mystery to solve; can anyone put a name to this little thing, seen flowering in throngs beside a road in the Western Cape. I can only hazzard a guess at Moraea (ex. Homeria) species?

[Darren]

Pretty sure that is a Moraea (probably Homeria group as you say) Rogan, but beyond this I am mystified as it does not seem to match anything I know.

The bulbs here are mostly dormant now but my favourite geophytic Pelargoniums are starting to flower. First up is P.oblongatum (the picture was actually taken a year or two back but It shows the plant in all it's splendour). Then the first flowering for me of P.auritum. I am surprised at how small and dainty this is as you can see by the picture of my thumb for scale and then the inflorescence dwarfed by a single flower of oblongatum.

[Rogan]

I enjoy your Pelargoniums, Darren, something I do not grow myself. I nevertheless enjoy them tremendously when I encounter them in their multitudes in the wild.

The aff Moraea species has puzzled me a great deal as I can find no reference to it at all in any of the books at my disposal; perhaps it is an alba version of a more common species that has established a foothold in that area? I will be spending a lot more time there next year (building a cottage) and should be able to look at this plant in greater detail   

[arillady]

Darren what lovely Pelargoniums - I must seek out seed when the next seed list arrives.

[Mark Griffiths]

something a bit more common but I could do with some help with. I have a number of rhodohypoxis and the labelling seems to have got mixed up. Problem is I can't quite recall which ones I had in the first place.

Can someone have a look please?

The first one is Fred Broome which I think is right. The next one I have as Perle, is it? The third is definately wrong as it has "shell pink" as the label - maybe it is Pictus?

[David Nicholson]

Mark, some pictures here that might help from the Tale Valley Nursery catalogue. Excellent nursery by the way

http://www.talevalleynursery.co.uk/rhodohypoxiscatalogue.shtml

[Mark Griffiths]

thanks David, I do think the white one might be Pictus which I think I had bought at one time. But lots seem very similar.

Looks a good nursery for plants both in variety and reliability of naming.

[ArnoldT]

Here's a total surprise.  Foliage died back about a month ago and this morning at 6:15 AM I noticed a pure white flower.  Poor light at that hour.

Gethyllis linearis

[bulborum]

Lovely surprise

Roland

[Michael J Campbell]

Gladiolus flanaganii

[Mark Griffiths]

Picked this up a couple of weeks ago at Blenheim Flower show, x Rhodoxis Summer Stars "Pinky"

[SJW]

Last year I was given three young Albuca, sown March 2010, and they are just coming into flower for the first time. Could anyone offer an I.D, or perhaps recognise the collection number? Albuca sp. HSH 018.  Plants are 40-60 cm tall. Thanks.