Aristea ecklonii v Libertia caerulea

Paul Tyerman ptyerman@ozemail.com.au
Mon, 20 Oct 2003 03:50:37 PDT
>to add to Arnold's bit, there is a Libertia coerulescens: clump-forming,
>rhizomatous, linear, rigid and leathery leaves (30-45cm).  Spring flowering,
>one-two leaves on stem, flowers in umbels on short branched terminus.  Pale
>blue. Chile, takes -5°C
>
>From the descriptions of A. ecklonii, the flowers are carried up the stem in
>a spike-like (panicle) manner.  The flowers appear to be a much deeper blue
>and are born in Summer.  The plants seem to be similar in stature.  Only
>listed as frost hardy!  South Africa
>

Jamie,

Thanks for the correction in spelling, that may be the key ingredient I
need to find it <grin>.

Does anyone grow these plants and can verify what the flower arrangement
and stem are like?  The plant they had had very distinct flat stems, even
those stem pieces branching off the main stem.  The description we could
find in the book at the time listed Aristea as having the branching stem
with umbells, the same as you're describing the Libertia.... so it is still
a bit unclear.  Murphy's Law will dictate of course that both of them have
the flat stems too <grin>.

And flower colour is so subjective when we have an apparently single plant
under both names and trying to work out what it is.  I really feel that
what the nursery have may be the same thing under both names, but given how
close it is appearing that the plants resemble each other.... that may not
be the case?

I'll go and do some looking on google under that spelling and see if I can
come up with anything.  I am hoping that there may be people who grow each
of them and have observations about stems etc?

Thanks again to those who have rsponded.  It would be great to be able too
track down what the differences really are.

Cheers.

Paul Tyerman
Canberra, Australia.  USDA equivalent - Zone 8/9
mailto:ptyerman@ozemail.com.au

Growing.... Galanthus, Erythroniums, Fritillarias, Cyclamen, Crocus,
Cyrtanthus, Oxalis, Liliums, Hellebores, Aroids, Irises plus just about
anything else that doesn't move!!!!!


More information about the pbs mailing list