Phodophiala bifida or Oxblood Lily

Leo A. Martin leo@possi.org
Sun, 12 Aug 2012 11:42:23 PDT
My Rhodophiala bifida are sprouting leaves now, but have not made flowers.
Sometimes in the past they have made flowers after the leaves so I can
still hope. I don't know why no flowers this year; they are in the bed
with the okra and I watered regularly.

My R. b. are self-sterile. Once I put R. b. pollen on a Calostemma
purpurea flower, which produced a fruit. A bird took it. They haven't
flowered together since that year. The rest of you should try it.

Can't recall whether I've written this before: A friend of mine born in
eastern Arkansas in the 1920s told me about a small hardy red amaryllis
that grew in his home town. He is a long-time farmer and gardener who has
no formal botany but is very observant. Their name in Arkansas is
Johnny-jump-up. His description matched Rhodophiala bifida. This is an
unusual common name; in English this name usually refers to small-flowered
Viola like V. tricolor.

No Amaryllis flowers, nor leaves yet.

Leo Martin
Phoenix Arizona USA




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