Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Specific Families and Genera => Amaryllidaceae => Topic started by: Alberto on August 05, 2008, 05:26:03 PM
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Hi All,
here is my Lapiedra martinezii, in the Amaryllidaceae family, blooming for the first time. Two floral scapes arose from the leafless bulb. The flowers last only one day closing definitely in the evening. They are lemon-scented at midday. It comes from south of Spain.
Alberto
Italy
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Beautiful macro!
More info here:
http://www.regmurcia.com/servlet/s.Sl?sit=c,365,m,1050&r=ReP-6700-DETALLE_REPORTAJES
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Enchanting, Alberto! I know nothing about it! Thanks for that link, Rafa.
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You can SEE that it is scented. And yes, that's a silly statement but that thick, waxy look cries out that it would be deliciously perfumed. I'd have expected something more lush than lemon though.
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Alberto,
That is stunning. Never heard of the genus before, but definitely will keep an eye out in the future. I love "pure" flowers like that. Is it something that is in collections, or is it one of these obscure genus that we only ever see in places like this? ???
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That is stunning. Never heard of the genus before, but definitely will keep an eye out in the future. I love "pure" flowers like that. Is it something that is in collections, or is it one of these obscure genus that we only ever see in places like this? ???
And what's even better is that this species is on ICON so is allowed into Australia! Now we just need someone to send us some seed! Something else to out out for on the Seedex lists!
Thanks, Alberto and Rafa, for showing it to us.
cheers
fermi
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Fermi,
That means someone here at least is likely to be growing it.... it's obscure enough I'd imagine that it wouldn't have been added without someone requesting it? Yes, need seed!! ;) ;D
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And what's even better is that this species is on ICON so is allowed into Australia! Now we just need someone to send us some seed! Something else to out out for on the Seedex lists!
It is a little beauty. The good news is, I do have it,
The bad news is, it only flowers after a hot summer ... that's twice in however many years that I've been growing it. And the flowers last a few hours, which cuts the chance of seed to about zero. So little chance of seed from me getting into the exchanges, however it has been listed on the AGS seed exchange several times in the last few years, so someone somewhere is succeeding with it.
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Diane,
Should flower well for us here then. ;D Once we have it we should be able to get good flowering (and hopefully therefore lots of seed) from it and be able to spread it around. ;) At least if someone can get it to Fermi there is a good chance of it being grown to it's best potential anyway!!
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I will collet this species but I'm affraid it will be too late to send SRGC seedslist, so I will offer through the forum.
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Rafa
Could I be put on what I expect will be a very long list of forumists who would like seed.
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Rafa,
as I mentioned before it is allowed into Australia! So if you have some spare I'd love to try it.
Still no sign of the other seeds so I presume they are sitting on a customs desk somewhere!
cheers
fermi
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Fermi,
It just took seed from Hans 11 and a bit days to get to me here in Canberra, which is rather longer than it usually takes from the Northern Hemisphere to get to me here, so there is likely some backlog in the system somewhere. It was opened by quarantine on the way. Maybe yours will get through soon.
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What a beautiful species. I've heard that it exists also in Portugal, but I've never seen it.
Rafa, don't forget me when you get some seeds, ok? :-*
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Lovely flower, Alberto. One of my favourite wild bulbs here in Spain. Please let me add some pics:
A) buds and flower
B) flowers
C) fruiting capsules
D) Leaves from my recently re-potted plants ( so not at their best at that moment...)
E) Though leaves seem from two Lapiedras, the one at the left is from Pancratium (=Vagaria) parviflorum, and the one at the right from Lapiedra. See how strikingly similar they are! Even flowers are very similar, and P. parviflorum comes from the other side of the Mediterranean sea. Hope to take pictures this summer if lucky enough to have this Pancratium in flower (I have just got them this year
Cris, I don´t think you could find it in Portugal: literature says it is spread from Castellón province (very rare here already), south to Málaga and then in North Africa. Anyway, fortunately plants don´t understand of political artificial boundaries, so maybe it could be found in south Portugal (maybe in the impressive cabo de San Vicente?)
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I've seen it several times in the wild (Alicante and Almería area) and took some bulbs as they were growing everywhere. The easiest thing is to keep it alive. Watering in summer (which I did before I knew that it should be kept dry) will make the bulb rot but delivers many small bulbils!!! Now I have some 10 small bulbs of one clone ;D
However, to get it growing well to large bulbs is another thing. I water them in autumn/winter, but have not been able to make the bulbs grow...despite different soil mixes and different temperature regimes...
Does anyone have some tips on cultivation? ??? ???
I would gladly share some bulbs with forumists once I have enough bulbs from this clone. It is a very handsome plant!
Hans
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Hans, you are right: Lapiedra is quite anundant here is Spain. They grow in different soils: they love "terra rossa" coming from descomposition of calcareous rocks but also is abundant in sandstone soils. But they prefer the stony side, growing happily inside crevices. So one of the most important things is that they should never get too wet as they enviroment, even with heaviest storms, gets dried very quickly. An almost totally dry dormant season during summer is crucial, with only some ocasional watering to avoid bulbs getting too dessicated. Begin watering in autumm, but keep it always on the dry side. Mine do well, and as they are grown in a pot outside, the best thing I can do is almost leaving them alone and let nature work with only some occasional watering because of their "potted way of life". Good luck!
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Juan, I do keep them on the dry side and they do not rot anymore, as I already changed the soil to a sandy/stony one with good drainage.
What would be the best temperature to grow it now? I can grow them in my greenhouse at 6-7C (constant temperature day and night), or in my living room at 20C (day); 15C (night). Both under and close to fluorescent lamps.
Hans
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Hi, I am just back from Kew Gardens. They grow Lapiedra outside, with the pots in sand and just a cover from rain. The soil was frozen and they told me they are fine every year. The plants lookd very fine!
Alberto
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Hans: I agree with Alberto. I´m sure Lapiedra will appreciate differences between night and day rather than those constant 6ºC of your greenhouse and surely much better thant kept indoors. Although mine will never suffer temperatures below -1ºC, I´ve seen them growing in places that get surely -5ºC or less in coldest nights. It is nor strange these days having difference of more than 15ºC between day and night temperatures. Pots standing in sand will get an extra protection for bulbs from cold. Just take an extra care the first days until they get used to outdoor winter position: free air, daily differences of temperatures and some sun rays (even as shy as they can be up there now) I think will be the best therapy... Let us know about their development!
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Thanks for your very useful tips!!! I'll move them to my colder place. I can not differentiate between day and night temperatures at the moment, but will try to arrange that in the future.
Hans
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Hello
This weekend I saw very much Lapiedra martinezii in Valencia (Spain). Is a very beautiful plant.