Bulb Day

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From Platanthera on Thursday 24th of May 2018 05:01:19 PM PDT
Platanthera cristata (Michx.) Lindl. is a widespread species occurring primarily on the coastal plain through out the eastern United States in pine flatwoods, seepage areas, and wet prairies. Photos by Alani Davis.

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From Chasmanthe on Wednesday 23rd of May 2018 05:17:49 PM PDT
Chasmanthe bicolor (Gasp.) N.E.Br. is endemic to the Western Cape. It has an erect spike with orange scarlet flowers with lower lateral green tepals and a yellow tube. Flowers face to two sides. It grows to 28-36 inches (70-90 cm) and blooms midwinter to early spring. Photos 1-2 by Mary Sue Ittner. Photos 3-6 were taken Nhu Nguyen.

The photos below by Nhu Nguyen shows the pods and very pretty shiny orange seeds and the fleshy roots below the new corms during the growing season. Notice the seed capsules are straw colored on the inside.

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From Eucomis Two on Tuesday 22nd of May 2018 05:11:58 PM PDT
Eucomis autumnalis (Mill.) Chitt. from southeastern southern Africa is found on rocky, grassy slopes and has white to greenish flowers blooming summer into fall. It grows in a variety of habitats and has many forms. It is primarily found in summer rainfall grassland from altitude 1000 mm to 2500 mm and rainfall varying from 500 to 1200 mm per year. Some population are in shady forested areas, others in dry Karoo shrub land. There are three subspecies. The first photo was taken by David Fenwick and the second taken by Paul Tyerman of a dwarf white flowering plant David speculates is also this species. The third photo below was taken by Arnold Trachtenberg. The last three photos were taken at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden by Bob Rutemoeller and Mary Sue Ittner where there was a mass display of flowers in January 2010.

The first three photos are of pot grown plants from specific areas by including one that shows the detail of a flower. The first, the Kei Bolo form of Eucomis autumnalis is the latest to flower - flowering in late April to May. It occurs naturally at altitudes of 700 m in the transition between Valley Thicket and Grassland on the slopes above the Kei River Valley in the Stutterheim distict of the Eastern Cape. It is found between rocks and in rock crevices, protected from harsh sun and wind. The Triple Streams form of E. autumnalis pictured in the second two photos comes from glades within patches of Afromontane forest in the Stutterheim distict of the Eastern Cape where it grows in mottled shade. Photos from Cameron McMaster.

Photos below were taken at Gaika's Kop of the typical robust form of Eucomis autumnalis growing in open grassland in full sun at altitudes above 1000 m. Photos 1 and 2 were taken by Cameron McMaster. Photos 3-4 were taken by Christopher Whitehouse January 2012.

Photo 1 below was taken by Cameron McMaster at Quanti and photo 2 at Maclear. Photos 3-4 were taken by Mary Sue Ittner at Naude's Nek.

Eucomis autumnalis ssp. amaryllidifolia (Baker) Reyneke is a rarer subspecies that produces reasonably thick ovate prostrate leaves in a rosette fashion and has white flowers. Photo by Cameron McMaster taken at Waainek in the Eastern Cape.

Eucomis autumnalis ssp. autumnalis syn. Eucomis undulata forms a dense rosette of strap like leaves with undulating edges and white or green flowers on spikes around 60 cm. high. Tony Avent reports that this taxa has leaves with an unusual texture that feels like rubber.
Eucomis autumnalis ssp. clavata (Baker) Reyneke grows to 30 cm and is found in damp grassland, on slopes or at the foot of cliffs in covering quite a wide area of the Drakensberg, including KwaZulu-Natal and Lesotho and is also found in the Eastern Cape. Leaves of this species have margins that are crisped and wavy. The creamy green flowers are on a stout stem, club-shaped and tightly packed. Photos taken by Mary Sue Ittner at Gaika's Kop and Naude's Nek in the Eastern Cape.

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From Herbertia on Monday 21st of May 2018 05:18:27 PM PDT
Herbertia lahue (Molina) Goldblatt has three subspecies. Two of the subspecies are from dry areas in Chile and Argentina and bloom in the spring. It prefers full sun, neutral to alkaline well drained soils and is dormant in summer. This species is often offered in seed exchanges under the wrong name (as Alophia drummondii and Herbertia pulchella for example.) It blooms into summer so even though the flowers only are open for a day, new ones appear over a long time. Photos 1-2 by Mary Sue Ittner grown from seed that although they are slightly different are probably the same species. Photos 3-4 were taken by Justin Smith showing a hover fly visiting the flowers for nectar and tasting the pollen. It is most likely a pollinator for this species where he lives. Photos 5-6 were taken by Nhu Nguyen showing a pot of many bulbs and the copious seeds that this species produces.

Corms grown by Mary Sue Ittner below on a 1 cm grid were received in PBS BX 324 #8 and photographed by M. Gastil-Buhl.

Herbertia lahue ssp. caerulea (Herb.) Goldblatt occurs in the heavy soils of coastal prairies in Louisiana and Texas and has lavender-blue flowers with deeper violet blotches near the bases of the petals. The flowers, although quite beautiful, only last for a few hours before shriveling. Once it has set seed it goes dormant. Photo by Bill Dijk.

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From Legacy Bulbs Two on Sunday 20th of May 2018 05:35:07 PM PDT
Amaryllis belladonna, belladonna lily, is a vigorous bulb of warmer climates. It is native to the Southwestern Cape in Africa, with a large brown bulb and moderate growth rate. Bulbs may take a few years to establish, and then persist for many decades provided their needs for winter water and summer heat are met. When this species was discussed on the PBS list, on the topic of fall rather than late summer flowering, comments from many parts of North America confirmed that it is very widely grown despite being hardy only in WHZ 7-10 (11) and not blooming in areas where it is unhappy. In colder climates, popular planting locations include under south-facing house eaves, to ensure bulbs get their needed dose of summer warmth and are protected from the coldest winter temperatures. Amaryllis belladonna can persist for decades in favorable locations, though it produces ripe seeds only in suitable warm-fall climates. In one location on the Pacific Northwest Coast, it was first planted around 1900 at a military base, and was still flowering, though crowded, a century later, in 2010. There are many naturalized populations in coastal areas of California and it is naturalized in Louisiana as well.

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From Geissorhiza Species One on Saturday 19th of May 2018 05:19:15 PM PDT
Geissorhiza foliosa Klatt is found on clay slopes and flats in renosterveld in the southern Cape. A short plant to 20 cm tall with branching stems and short lanceolate leaves, this species blooms September to November. Flowers are lilac to purple. Photos from Andrew Harvie taken near the Tradouws Pass in the Overberg.

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From Thelymitra Two on Friday 18th of May 2018 05:29:56 PM PDT
Thelymitra nuda, the scented sun orchid, looks similar to T. pauciflora but is generally taller and has larger flowers that open more readily. It is widespread in forested parts of Australia. Photos by Ron Heberle.

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From Micranthus on Thursday 17th of May 2018 05:14:07 PM PDT
Micranthus tubulosus (Burm.f.) N.E.Br. grows on clay and granitic soils in renosterveld in the northwest and southwest Cape. Flowers in two ranked spikes are blue to mauve and fragrant. Leaves are tubular and hollow. Photos below were contributed by the UC Botanical Garden.

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From Maclear Four on Wednesday 16th of May 2018 05:05:01 PM PDT
Zantedeschia albomaculata is a summer rainfall species from eastern southern Africa found in marshy ground on rocky or grassy mountainsides. The first photo was taken January 2010 by Bob Rutemoeller. Other photos by Cameron McMaster.

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