Bulb Log 34 - 26/08/09

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Thanks for another quite interesting log Ian !

Could you tell us how tall Albuca shawii grows plse ??


From the Pitlochry garden, I remember seeing pictures here from Peter Korn building a crevice bed a couple of years ago.

Would there be any pictures available from someone to show us how it looks and looked this season ??

Thanks again.

[Anthony Darby]

I have Albuca shawii. I'd say about 30cm tall?

[David Nicholson]

I have it too and would agree with Anthony on size. Mine were grown from seed from the SRGC Seed Ex. sown 28 February 2008, flowered for the first time this year, and survived last winter in the greenhouse covered by a layer of fleece. Not a lot of flowers but should look good next year. There was a very nice pot full exhibited at the Pershore Show in July.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Thanks fellas !

[Anthony Darby]

I have seed spare.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Thanks for the offer !
I will send you a pm Anthony !

[Lesley Cox]

Albuca shawii (pronounced shavii, according to a South African botanist/taxonomist who lives locally) grows to about 60cms here, in the open.

[David Shaw]

I had Albuca shawii (I prefer my own pronunciation, Lesley ) from Discussion W/E a few years ago. For me it is an easy South African and grows to about the same height as Anthony's in a pot in the greenhouse. The bulbs multiply readily but, as it is still nicely in flower, I won't have any ready for this years W/E. The foliage is very sticky and this weeks wind has been blowing Rosebay Willow Herb seeds across the garden and through the greenhouse - we now have 'furry' Albuca

[Lesley Cox]

I'll let you away with your pronunciation under the circumstances David, but no excuse for Anthony though.

[Anthony Darby]

What? BTW If it is pronounced shavii, then it must be named after a bloke called Shav (Shaw)? Methinks it was named after the famous 19^th century Sheffield-born Missouri botanist Henry Shaw? Prove me wrong!

[Lesley Cox]

No idea who it was named for but my South African botonist chum (Fanie Venter) says it's pronounced shavii and it is a SA plant. How does Rogan pronounce the word?

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Watch out everyone ! 
We're heading straight for another discussion on the pronounciation of Latin... 
Any Romans around ?? 

[Maggi Young]

Watch out everyone ! 
We're heading straight for another discussion on the pronounciation of Latin... 
Any Romans around ?? 

NO! Cease and desist, Folks!  This will get us nowhere.... quite apart from the Latin pronounciation argument, there are also the countries where a "W" is spoken "V" etc etc...... as it is written, and as we are all reading this.... we can see quite well what the name is and know the plant to which we refer...... let's leave it at that!

[Rogan]

Eish! (a uniquely SA expression) Lesley, now you've dropped me into the thick of it  - incidentally it is Fanie Venter. I would always pronounce "shawii" as in Shaw - I wonder if he's not confusing the Afrikaans pronunciation of "w" as "vi-a", i.e. sha-vi-a - if that makes any sense at all?

[Rogan]

Oops! Sorry Maggi, we must have posted simultaneously!