South African Bulbs 2013

[angie]

Really lovely Darren 

Angie 

[fermi de Sousa]

Darren,
that's a real beauty! I hope it sets seeds for you
I've had one for more than 10 years that is yet to flower - maybe this year!
Here's a tiny flowered ixia flowering from the first time - from SRGC Seedex 2009, Ixia scillaris,
cheers
fermi

[Ezeiza]

Fermi, another mislabelled packet. Ixia scillaris is very distinct among the rest. It happens to me many times.

[fermi de Sousa]

Alberto,
this pic is probably not the best as the flower opens up a bit more in the sun and looks more like the pics on the PBS site - though the colour seems very pale in comparison - perhaps another hybrid?
Here is Babiana cedarbengensis,
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

Another babiana and probably the strangest because of the "sun-bird perch" above the flowers to aid in their pollination!
Babiana ringens in  the garden this morning,
cheers
fermi

[Ezeiza]

Fermi, Babiana cedarbergensis is very rare in cultivation. As is of course, the difficult B. ringens.

Your Ixia is most probably a species. It happens all the time that one species seeds are collected for another, so rich is the variety of the South African flora.

[Darren]

Congrats on that Babiana ringens Fermi. I've given up trying it after failing to ever get it to flower. This is not a unique experience as I know other forumists have struggled with it!

[Diane Clement]

Congrats on that Babiana ringens Fermi. I've given up trying it after failing to ever get it to flower. This is not a unique experience as I know other forumists have struggled with it!

Yes, well done, Fermi, it's a wonderful species I've also been trying to grow for years.  I germinated a potful of seedlings, then a couple of years ago, a flower spike started (Yippee!) but it was a yellow flowered species, so presumably a mix up had occurred.  The seed came from a reputable South African source  so proves that errors can occur anywhere with seed 

[fermi de Sousa]

Yes, well done, Fermi, it's a wonderful species I've also been trying to grow for years.  I germinated a potful of seedlings, then a couple of years ago, a flower spike started (Yippee!) but it was a yellow flowered species, so presumably a mix up had occurred.  The seed came from a reputable South African source  so proves that errors can occur anywhere with seed 

I'm not sure if it'll set seed as it's just the one clone, but I'll put you at the head of the list if it does, Diane!
cheers
fermi

[Diane Clement]

I'm not sure if it'll set seed as it's just the one clone, but I'll put you at the head of the list if it does, Diane!
cheers  Fermi   

Oh thanks, Fermi, didn't mean you to take it as a hint!

[fermi de Sousa]

I can promise the seeds, Diane, but it's up to the plant to produce them! (then I have to remember to collect them!)

Some more South African bulbs in our garden:
Lachenalia pustulata
Geissorhiza monanthos - showing a bit of variability!
2 types in close up
Geissorhiza radians

cheers
fermi

[Rogan]

I've often wondered about self-incompatibility in Babiana species, as a few years ago one of my single-clone Babiana pygmaea's produced a good grop of seed, so to say "out of the blue". This year one of the resultant seedlings also set a few seeds with no other clone or species in flower at the same time - so there is definitely some self-fertility, in this species at least.

My "Cape" bulbs have long given up the fight against our hot spring weather and all have gone dormant by now, many without flowering at all this year. My "European" collection didn't even try! Some Central / South American's did rather well and enjoyed the hot conditions, especially Leucocoryne which produced multiple flower stems in some cases.

[fermi de Sousa]

Last year I posted pics of Geissorhiza tulbaghensis with white and greenish forms - this year one even has purplish colouration!
cheers
fermi

[David Nicholson]

You're having a very good season all round Fermi

[Pauli]

Any suggestions for flowering Nerine sarniensis?

I have more than ten flowering size bulbs of two different types but only one flower stem

I keep them frost free over winter, water them regularily and feed them only a little - they are dry but not baked from June to September.
 What should I change?