no longer unknown bulb

Ernie O'Byrne nargsbs@efn.org
Sat, 28 Sep 2002 11:44:19 PDT
Thank you Alberto, Ken, John and everyone else who has responded. I am cross
posting this reply to Paul Chapman on Alpine-L to the PBS list. Sorry for
any duplication. The opinion is solidly that it is Habranthus tubispathus.
How the confusion occurred is a mystery. (See below--Paul's message is at the
bottom.)

Ernie O'Byrne
Northwest Garden Nursery
86813 Central Road
Eugene OR 97402-9284
USA
Phone: 541 935-3915
FAX: 541 935-0863



-----Original Message-----
From: Ernie O'Byrne [mailto:nargsbs@efn.org]
Sent: Friday, September 27, 2002 2:24 PM
To: Alpine-L, the Electronic Rock Garden Society; postings copyright by
authors.
Subject: RE: [AlpenPix] Unknown bulb


Well, personally, I believe that ignorance is not such a bad thing. It, at
least, in contrast to stupidity, can be corrected! I had another private
e-mail that gave the same ID, Habranthus tubispathus. I don't know how the
confusion occurred and I have no idea where the Habranthus might have come
from. I certainly don't remember either growing any from seed, or ordering
any. I guess that the S. African bulb that I had so lovingly tended in its
pot for 3 years and planted out in the trough (where the tag was) decided it
didn't like life here after all, but to have something totally unknown come
up in the same spot is a real mystery. Has the Habranthus perhaps
naturalized in parts of South Africa?

Ernie O'Byrne
Northwest Garden Nursery
86813 Central Road
Eugene OR 97402-9284
USA
Phone: 541 935-3915
FAX: 541 935-0863
Eugene, Oregon is USDA Zone 8a on the map, but we can only grow Zone 7
plants reliably. Member of NARGS, SRGC, RHS, American Primula Society,
Meconopsis Group, Alpine-L, Arisaema-L, Hellebore Group


-----Original Message-----
From: Alpine-L, the Electronic Rock Garden Society; postings copyright
by authors. [mailto:ALPINE-L@NIC.SURFNET.NL]On Behalf Of Dr Paul Chapman
Sent: Friday, September 27, 2002 7:55 PM
To: ALPINE-L@NIC.SURFNET.NL
Subject: Re: [AlpenPix] Unknown bulb

Ernie,

I would not dream of calling you ignorant, but I believe your unknown bulb:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AlpenPix/…

is a member of the Amaryllidaceae, and not actually a native of South Africa
at all.

I believe you have a form of the very variable Habranthus tubispathus which,
when my edition of Rix and Phillips was published in 1981, was known as
Habranthus andersonii, and appeared on page 175.  It may be another species
of Habranthus, but I think H. tubispathus is most likely.  The most easily
observed difference between Iridaceae and Amaryllidaceae is that
Amaryllidaceae have 6 stamens (shown clearly in your open flower picture),
whereas Iridaceae have only 3.

Hope this is some help.

Paul

Dr Paul Chapman, Wallington, Surrey, England.
South London commuter belt suburbia - zone 9a, where we have had hardly any
rain for the last 4 weeks.


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