PBS Forum

Last of the year for Lachenalias. Lachenalia nervosa.  Wonderfully spice scented

Martin,

I got it.

Another mystery.

Arnold

There are only 50 states.

Washing DC is defined as a Federal District and  Puerto Rico is a Commonwealth.

As for native we are all mostly non-native to where we live.  I've this conversation with many gardeners.

I grow native and non-native plants

Martin:  Here's comments from a FB fellow who thinks it is Merwilla plumbea.

1.  Arnold Trach If you look up Manning 2019 (South African Journal of Botany 125: 411-426), it's not at all contradictory. And what else should it be? Surely neither Autonoe, Spetaea, Pseudoprospero, nor Schizocarphus.

2. Sorry, but I'm convinced he's wrong. I've looked up all the original descriptions of the species. Where ever the colour of filaments and ovaries is mentioned, it's white (M. dracomontana: Hilliard & Burtt 1982, Speta 1998; M. natalensis: Planchon 1855 - his colour plate looks exactly like your photo...). Wild 1964 also describes the anthers of M. lazulina to be yellow. Just Lindley 1830 describes a plant he only knows from a drawing (1813) on which the whole inflorescence seems to be of one bluish colour, but with only 15 to 20 flowers on the scape. Even Wetschnig & Pfosser 2003 (Separation of Spetaea from other Massonieae) write in their generic key "ovary white or bluish" for Merwilla.

I use mobile phone for the easy stuff that doesn't require much searching around.    I use my desktop when I want better image quality.

don't access this forum on my phone.

Arnold

Lee

sounds delightful.


Arnold

Resnova magaphylla

Two Leucocoryne

Tulipa ferganica

I would laugh when I would see a old print of American Indians with bees.  They weren't here until the Europeans brought them.  We had native bees but not the honey been.

I have the same issue here.

I tell all the non native haters  that we are all non-native here.  I grow a Korean tree (Tetradium daniellii) which is an amazing source of nectar for bees in August which is a time of the year when there are few flowering natives.

Bee keepers grow this tree for the nectar that helps the bees over winter.

Hmm.

What do you think it really is?

Merwilla plumbea

Tulipa bifloriformis

Leucocoryne purpurea