Dear Mary Sue, Thanks for forwarding the message on your recent success with Calochortus weedii ssp. weedii. I am sure you feel pleased, and with good reason - the Jepson Manual rates it as "DFCLT", which requires no further explanation. Since it occurs right here I thought I might make a few comments. The photos that you (or rather Bob) took are excellent. It seems that the form you have differs from what grows in this area. In particular, the reddish coloration of the petal edges is absent in the local form of species which instead, bears black to very dark brown markings. It is easier to view a shot than make an accurate description so, when shortly I'll send a file so you can see the differences. I am curious to know from which region the Telos bulbs originated. Locally the plants generally bloom in June and, with Clorogalums, are about the last of bulbs to show up. They rise to about three feet and generally are found appearing above bushes of the black sage (Salvia mellifera) or rising high above the native grasses (Nasella spp.) This year was the first one in several for much bloom to appear so it was a treat to see them last month. In very dry years they either do not show at all or the stems are eaten when they emerge. Andrew San Diego -----Original Message----- From: Mary Sue Ittner [mailto:msittner@mcn.org] Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2003 7:20 AM To: Pacific Bulb Society Cc: hometown@pacific.net; Dr. Andrew Wilson Subject: Calochortus pictures on the wiki Dear All, In the fall of 2000 Diana Chapman included a mystery bulb of Calochortus weedii var. weedii in my order (I spent hours looking at the catalog looking for the typo. so I could get the free bulb). It is a southern California species that comes from Riverside and San Diego counties which are much much drier than where I live. This bulb didn't bloom in 2001 or 2002, but didn't rot either. Last year I didn't get around to repotting it and this year it came up and never looked like it was going to do much, but stayed green and last week I noticed it was actually going to bloom. I've had Calochortus abort so I tried not to get too excited. I grow it in my area that I shelter somewhat from the rain (covered but open so the wind does blow the rain in) and it has been the only thing left there that is not dormant so every now and then I'd give it a drink. Today it opened. Although there can be six flowers (and Will Ashburner reported 10 one time long ago on the IBS forum causing some amazement), this one only had one flower. So I suspect it won't be in bloom long. It is very beautiful however and my husband has managed some amazing pictures of it. Thank you Diana. Bulbs of North America says this one is difficult and short-lived in cultivation. So fingers are crossed that this is not just a one year event. The ones I have grown from seed from my friend Bob Werra I have had very little success with after the initial germination which has been good. But now I am determined to try harder. He says he starts his inside under lights and doesn't move them outside until April. I started my Calochortus seed this year in late February and didn't lose as many as I have when I have started them in the fall. As long as I was putting those pictures on the Wiki I got around to adding the pictures of Calochortus argillosus which Bob photographed earlier when it was blooming in June and hadn't found time to add. It is a very pretty one and one of the species which multiplies by bulblets. See them both on the Calochortus wiki page. http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/… And I finally got around to adding another Moraea picture. This one bloomed in late May. It is one of the ones formerly known as Gynandriris and this one is a Mediterranean one that my friend Jana shared with me that she got from Fausto, Moraea sisyrinchium. Another one I grow (from seed) blooms much earlier in the year. Jana's note said it was from Marettimino (?) Island. Could that be spelled right? In John Bryan's Bulbs he says this species is not very showy and grown mostly for botanical interest, but I thought it quite handsome each day a new flower opened. And the other one I grow can be nice too depending on the weather when it is in bloom. If we are having a dry period with sunshine it is much happier than if it is blooming when it rains every day. So this later blooming one may turn out to work out much better for me. Since these flowers open later in the day, if it is cold and wet I miss them. http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/files/… Mary Sue Mary Sue Ittner California's North Coast Wet mild winters with occasional frost Dry mild summers
