Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Bulbs => Bulbs Wanted => Topic started by: pontus on January 06, 2013, 05:21:05 PM
-
I am trying to find allium
sikhimensesikkimense (also knows as allium beesianum) (with pendulous deep blue flowers) and also arisaema wilsonii.
I saw both of these this summer in Gothenburg botanical garden, but they did not have any for sale unfortunately in their rare plant nursery...
Pontus
-
Just a note... Allium sikkimense and A. beesianum are actually different species; here's some info on distinguishing them from Mark McDonough, an allium expert who corresponds here:
http://www.plantbuzz.com/Allium/Gallery/blue/blue_gallery1.htm (http://www.plantbuzz.com/Allium/Gallery/blue/blue_gallery1.htm)
I have A. sikkimense... I'll take a look to see if I still have seeds for it.
-
ok..yes i must have confused them somehow as i read somewhere that they where the same species...which must have been wrong...
in gothenburg it seemed that they had put a white sticker over the original label beesianum, and renamed it in felt tip as sikhimensesikkimense...perhaps they thought they had beesianum and when it flowered, saw that it was sikhimensesikkimense?
I have attatched the picture i took of it in gothenburg
Pontus
-
I often find these blue flowering Alliums difficult to identify. And when you get seeds from the exchanges they are also often misnamed. I have two froms what I believe is A. sikkimense, one quite low form (about 25 cm) which I got from a friend in Finland, and a taller form which comes from a Chadwell collecting some years ago, and which grows to least 50 cm. Both these forms flower in July here in North Norway, and I normally harvest seeds of them every year.
Then I also have what I believe to be A. beesianum. It is about 20-25 cm tall and flowers much later, some time during September here, and often also into October. I think it's called "Septemberlök" (Septemberonion) in Swedish. It never manages to set seeds in my garden.
-
yes, i have definitely heard or seen the name septemberlök before.
the one in Gothenburg was in full bloom in mid july, and seemed to have been in bloom for at least 2 weeks, it was about 25 cm's tall I would say...
-
In the photo shown, this is surely Allium sikkimense. Note the spelling, it is sikkimense, not sikhimense nor sikkhimense. I always take the time to correct such spellings, because misspellings have the ability to get replicated in this digital age, and the misnomer or misspelling carries on with a life of its own.
The plant pictured is a very fine form of Allium sikkimense. Allium beesianum is closely related, basically separated by virtue of having larger flowers:
Allium sikkimense:
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200027533 (http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200027533)
Allium beesinaum:
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200027451 (http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200027451)
Don't pay too much attention to the drawings in Flora of China, they are so stylized that they don't accurately represent the species in question. Both species flower late in the season, although A. beesianum seems to bloom a bit later.
-
Dear Pontus,
Where do you live? There is a nursery in Berkshire, UK, that sold pots of this plant last year. He may have some again this year. I'll visit and look.
I also bought a plant and would be happy to send some bulbs later this year. It seems to be an "evergreen" with me except the leaves look healthier and greener now compared with Winter.
Best regards
Jack Meatcher