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Messages - Robin Jangle

#1
Those look almost identical to the plants I saw in the Western Karoo.

A bit of a travel story - go onto Google Maps preferably with aerial photo (landscape features) view to get the full picture!
If one drives from Matjiesfontein to Sutherland there's a electricity substation named "Komsbetg Substation" on the right side of the road - directly opposite is a gravel road. There's a huge power line crossing the road -765kV. I was the botanical specialist on that project and had access to places where who knows when anyone else had been there.
Taking the gravel road one goes through at least three large farms (probably more) before reaching the northern-most limit of the eastern side of the Tanqua Karoo.
On the first farm there's a watercourse. At one point this "road" is parallel but about 15m or so above it on a ridge.
In the reedbeds I saw what looked like amaryllid iumbels - but huge! So I went and had a look - there were gigantic B. josephinae bulbs growing in clusters - whether offsets or multiple seeds had germinated in a spot I couldn't say. But they were huge - each bulb at 60cm across. I could only fit three umbels in the back of my Toyota Hilux load box!

I'll dig out my external drive and post some pics - maybe tomorrow.
#2
If you lift a bulb in full leaf and cut through the neck you will see that the leaves are opposed in two ranks - think a closed book but with a clearly visible plane down the center. (I saw this last week when cable installers cut through several large Brunsvigia orientalis whilst trenching)
#3
It's whatever you want it to be.

If you had a look at the pic of B. josephinae from Matjiesfontein and concluded that it displays distichous foliage..... well then it is what ever you want it to be
#4
@CG100 as I said - the leaves in the neck are distichous however they radiate when above ground. So yes the leaves are distichous for a small portion and the majority is not distichously orientated.
When I hear or read distichous I see oppositely opposed leaves like the pages of a book.
Having seen almost all Brunsvigia in habitat I can vouch that just like Crossyne the foliage is distichous in the neck and thereafter radiates outwards at various angles to the neck and are no longer oppositely opposed.
#5
@CG100 I do not have Graham's book at hand for reference, however I can't imagine that he would say Brunsvigia have distichous leaves. Boophane has distichous leaves. Clivia has distichous leaves. Maybe you read that a synapomorphy of Amaryllidaceae is that the leaves are distichous in the neck of the bulb? Brunsvigia leaves are distichous in the neck - in fact they have amongst the more laterally compressed necks of any of the Amaryllidaceae (along with Crossyne) but once they emerge the leaf pattern is most certainly not distichous. Refer to especially pictures of B. josephinae foliage in the PBS wiki.

@Too Many Plants! I think you are correct: B. josephinae is the best fit.
#6
To the best of my knowledge no Brunsvigia has distichous foliage. And the pics don't show distichous foliage.

It's most likely a Brunsvigia - I'm not sure which species as I've not observed foliage like that.
#7
And I forgot to add: the leaves were broad 7cm+. That's the other thing about your plant - the foliage is very narrow. But as mentioned above I've only seen plants from one part of their distribution range so there could very well be geographic variation.
#8
You are most likely correct.

I have never seen B. josephinae foliage like that though I'm sure there are some regional variations. All the plants I've seen in habitat (only in the Western Karoo mind you) all had broad green leaves - a few with a slight glaucous bloom.

The bulb and inflorescence look spot on for B. josephinae.
#9
Some Tulbaghia have a short rhizome. But that's not the point.
Trachyandra does not have a bulb. That's the point.
#10
Tulbaghia also have a bulb - just not as bulbous as others!
Trachyandra have a somewhat woody base with thick mostly yellow roots that emerge from around the lowermost portion. They dessicate very easily. 
The most similar would be Bulbinella with Bulbine and Kniphofia also similar.
By the sounds of your description it is most likely not a Trachyandra but a juvenile Albuca.
#11
Trachyandra do not have bulbs. They have a cluster of succulent roots similar to Bulbine or even Kniphofia.
If it has a bulb then it is something else - most likely an Albuca. Flowers will confirm.
#12
Mystery Bulbs / Re: Tiny Bulb and smaller flowers
August 23, 2024, 09:25:48 PM
It looks like Ledebouria socialis. It's happy crowded in small containers.
#13
Sorry Carlos - it's N. krigei subsp falcata not the other way around!
All of these Nerine from arid areas grow in seasonally quite wet places - especially small valley bottom, seasonal washes and around massive dolerite dykes. The thing is that they are never in stagnant water. Even when there is water on the surface it is constantly percolating and draining.
I have seen N. laticoma and Ammocharis coranica around dolerite dykes where they are growing in glutinous fine-grained clay - with surface water and in winter there's no sign of life in the concrete-hard barren surface.
Water them at least twice a week and include some fine-grained material such as crushed clay brick in the growing medium
#14
You need to grow them hard! Full sun. They do however like to be well-watered.
European growers tend to think everything must be grown like N. bowdenii - a cool area grower that likes gentle summers.
Nerine falcata subsp krigei likes full sun in order to get the best foliage.
#15
Current Photographs / Re: August 2024
August 07, 2024, 12:44:54 AM
Quote from: Too Many Plants! on August 06, 2024, 09:26:06 AMWell, I definitely need to get better at marking, and/or tags that don't break or go MIA...in my garden!

Lachenalia? sp...????

Just spied this little guy this morning (not sure how I missed it thus far) that's been doing his thing in full sun in the 100°F+'s we've been having! Yesterday's high was 107°F...you GO little bulb!

I LOVE those spotted leaves.

That's a Ledebouria - as to a species - there's many with those leaves.
Check out pza.sanbi.org - do a search for Ledebouria - select the species that appear as recommendations - don't search "Ledebouria" otherwise every entry that has the word Ledebouria will load (100's)!