Ungernia post script and question.

James Waddick jwaddick@kc.rr.com
Sat, 06 Sep 2003 06:36:07 PDT
Dear all;
	I know a number of you are very interested in the genus 
Ungernia supposedly the closest relative to Lycoris. Last fall (after 
years of pleading) I was able to get 5 bulbs of 3, possibly 4, 
species. All looked small and pitiful (compared to Lycoris). However, 
all emerged in spring with some foliage and this lasted a couple of 
months before yellowing and appearing to go dormant (not just dying).
	I really did not anticipate bloom this fall-and none have, 
but this summer's heat and drought should have suited them just fine. 
Fingers remain crossed that come spring they will pop up stronger 
then this year.

	When I got the bulbs I was rather surprised to see what I 
later learned is a characteristic of the bulb. I'll try to describe 
it to make sense. The basal plate (at the bottom of the bulb) is 
fairly thick and very dense. Each year as more bulb scales are added 
and old ones rot away, the basal plate does not deteriorate. This 
means that as the bulb ages these basal plates form an under-bulb 
'stem' the diameter of the plate and up to a couple of inches in 
length sort of like a pencil stub coming out of the bottom of the 
bulb, but consisting of 'woody' basal plates stacked on top of one 
another.
	If a bulb has divided these under 'bulb stems' show that 
branching until eventually they too rot away in time. Very odd 
looking. I assume that old vigorous bulbs could have an extensive set 
of underground branches each culminating in a growing bulb, like an 
underground 'bulb tree'.
	Hope this makes sense. Has anyone see this in any other bulbs?

	Always curious		Jim W.
-- 
Dr. James W. Waddick
8871 NW Brostrom Rd.
Kansas City Missouri 64152-2711
USA
Ph.    816-746-1949
E-fax  419-781-8594

Zone 5 Record low -23F
	Summer 100F +


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