PBS Forum

I ordered seed of what was named Moraea Iridioides, and what was pictured (attached) that appears to be M. Villosa. Wondering if anyone can speak to this name, origin, etc., or is it a complete farce. I'm including a picture of the seed in case anyone wants to speak to what the seed might appear to be, the seed group is a touch bigger than a quarter. I did find on the web a few people posting Dietes Iridioides as Moraea Iridioides, so I hope I didn't waste time and $ bothering with that...

Another unknown gift bulb reveal...Watsonia of course, and I'm guessing it's Aletroides?

I thought I had this species already, but what I have is much bigger longer leaved plants. So maybe they're some other species. I know I have Meriana bulbifera as that is unmistakable.

My Ferraria ssp. Nortieri just going off! And my B. Angustifolia looking nice with lots of color on it...

Quote from: Robert_Parks on April 10, 2024, 11:10:32 PMA few recents:

Ixia dubia better than any of the commercial yellow Ixias, foliage fairly broad.

Hesperantha bachmannii, delicate and perfect.

Bulbine mesembryanthemoides, tiny flowers, but insanely complicated.

Babiana odorata or similar.

Ixia viridiflora, I'm sorry if it shows up as a vivid sea blue (maybe just this monitor)...it is a delicate greenish blue in person.

Coelogyne cristata, OK, not a geophyte, but it hangs out with them and requires chilling to bloom well.

Elsewhere in the garden, Bomarea are blooming variously, and there are still a few Arums pushing up flowers.

Robert
Actual springlike conditions in San Francisco at the moment

Fantastic Robert! I have B Odorata about to bloom, and I once upon a time had Ixia Viridiflora, but unlike most Ixia I have planted it did not stick around!

Quote from: Robin Jangle on April 09, 2024, 10:30:40 PM@Too Many Plants! it looks to be an Ixia. Could you please take some pics of the foliage and of the bracts. I should be able to narrow it down then .

Pics from today...

Here's one that popped up around a plant I dug from an old timer collectors garden that had many SA bulbs.

Speculating this could be a Geissorhiza...

Any thoughts out there?

Robin Jangle..?

1- I got this as Babiana Angustifolia.

2- Albuca Acuminata

3- Babiana ... ?

Quote from: Martin Bohnet on April 07, 2024, 09:58:11 AMLast but not least: the Irids - this time in the form of Moraea vegeta

 

Very nice Martin! Love to see this species...I just got seed from Silver Hill and this is one of the species I got.

Quote from: Robin Jangle on April 06, 2024, 10:34:16 PM@Too Many Plants! - that is also a hybrid. Obviously tricolor as one parent; the other is pillansii
The tepals are identical to pillansii - they are lanceolate and subacute whereas in tricolor the tepals are broadly lanceolate-ovate. Also the markings are a mish mash of the two species - tricolor has minimal black markings on the yellow cup whereas pillansii has very bold markings

Robin, you make it sound like most of my S. Tricolor are hybrids. I'm wondering if you've seen the Sparaxis Tricolor bulbs that are available commercially, that come in many mixed colors? I guess I assumed those were colors Tricolor naturally comes in, but now I am wondering if they could be hybrids from the growing farms that produce them commercially. However, I've never seen any other Sparaxis species bulbs commercially available. Is there a certain set of colors that are true S. Tricolor?

Here's a better pic of my Moraea I previously posted. I believe this is one of the genera that was lumped into Moraea, and to me it doesn't look Moraea. An interesting story to go with...I had a patch of this yellow and peach planted together and had a gopher come through the patch during dormancy. When the next season came around only yellow was left, and it looked like he had not eaten any of the yellow, certainly very little if he did at all. So...my conclusion is the peach must taste good, and yellow must taste bad. 😂

Quote from: Robin Jangle on April 06, 2024, 10:34:16 PM@Too Many Plants! - that is also a hybrid. Obviously tricolor as one parent; the other is pillansii
The tepals are identical to pillansii - they are lanceolate and subacute whereas in tricolor the tepals are broadly lanceolate-ovate. Also the markings are a mish mash of the two species - tricolor has minimal black markings on the yellow cup whereas pillansii has very bold markings

Thank you Robin! I enjoy and appreciate your experience and info about these SA bulbs.

Here's another gifted mystery bulb first flowering...

obvious Sparaxis Tricolor

I have many Sparaxis Tricolor that came from a long established SoCal garden. So I believe I have some different color combos than you wouldn't typically see in S. Tricolor. This one is a VERY nice rich red that has what appears in person as a blue haze on top of the red. Really quite stunning in person.

Quote from: Robin Jangle on April 02, 2024, 10:22:05 PM@Too Many Plants! The red and blue Babiana is B. rubrocyanea.

Hi Robin, I previously addressed this to you, but you didn't respond. I looked you up because I was not familiar with who you were, and now that I see you're a local SA that lives near the habitats, and is a long time afficianado, I'm very interested in (and would appreciate) your thoughts on this! I'll attach pics of both for your response.

Pics 3836 & 3833 are what's all over in Cali as B. Rubrocyanea! To me 4072 & 73 are quite different...

Updated pics of the ? Babiana from 4/7

Thank you so much for any insight you can offer

A quick stroll through my garden from the other morning. I really enjoy this time of year!

Another one of my mystery bulbs first flowering (sort of anyway).

I'm fairly confident this is...

Sparaxis Metelerkampiae.

It does seem shy to fully open in my full sun position. It is a recently planted bulb, so IDK if that is part of the issue. I haven't grown this species before, but all my Sparaxis seem fine with full sun, except I grow Villosa in a spot somewhat protected from late afternoon sun.