Meconopsis May/June

[Magnar]

I got 2 plants of "Marit" from Tromsø last summer. It's the first time they flower for me. Both has been growing very well and seem to be good plants. I even know the lady in Tromsø who the plant is named after 

[Maggi Young]

I even know the lady in Tromsø who the plant is named after 

That makes the plant even more special when it has the name of a friend, doesn't it? 

[Lesley Cox]

I'm hoping my plants of M. quintuplinervia will flower later this year. If so, I'll cross pollinate them with M. punicea and vice versa, in the hope of some hybrids along the lines of M x Cookei. If I succeed, can I call them by that name or should they be called something else? What I mean is, is a particular cross when repeated later in a different time and place, still the same name as the original, seeing that the seedlings are a grex anyway. Obviously none could be called 'Old Rose' which I assume was a selection from the grex.

[Paul T]

Lesley,

Traditionally any cross which has been given a name holds that name no matter how many times/places it is made.  With Australian Dendrobium orchids there is a cross called 'Bardo Rose' (I think that's the right name anyway) which has such a wide scope for flowers that it is almost unbelievable that they are all the same "cross".  With them, the best named form of one species is crossed with the best named form of the other species (or some particularly desirable traits in each species anyway) and the results are all 'Bardo Rose' despite being so widely variable.

So.... if the x Cookei is the registered name of that species cross then it should apply to your seedlings.  My understanding is that it "should" apply both directions as well, not with a specific species as the pod parent etc.  Any of the older crosses in some genus are being re-tried nowadays as the older plants have been lost over time.  Also, newer and better versions of each species now exist that can be used to change teh quality of the results.  It certainly is making it harder to tell at times what something is without a label! 

Good luck!!

[Lesley Cox]

Hi Paul and thanks. I'll go with that, until someone tells me something different. However, I'm counting as yet unhatched chickens.

[Paul T]

Lesley,

Yeah, but if you can't visualise the chickens then you don't even bother trying to hatch them in the first place.  Always worthwhile giving it a go and seeing whether it works or not.  If it doesn't, no harm done, but if it does then you have fun watching the results.  All good!! 

[TC]

A few late flowering meconopsis from Logan Gardens yeserday
Mec. beamishii
Mec. paniculata
mec. nepaulensis

[art600]

I never realised there was a white Meconopsis - very attractive

[Paul T]

Tom,

Wow!  I've never seen big branching Mecs like that!  To be honest I have only ever seen one or two actual Meconopsis in person, as they're very uncommong here, but I wouldn't have realised that yellow one was that genus!!  I like it!!!!!!    Love the white, and the colour of the last one too. 

[Magnar]

Meconopsis delavaiy opening the two first flowers today 
Blue, dwarf, and true perennial

[Paul T]

A true perennial blue one?  Maybe it would actually grow more easily here then?  Wow!

[Lesley Cox]

Paul, unfortunately the tall branching mecs are monocarpic, mostly biennial I would say. Beautiful rosette the first year, tall floral stem the next followed by masses of seed (hopefully), followed by death. In the Dunedin Botanic Gardens they self seed down and have made permanent colonies flowering each year but the individuals die after flowering. Glorious while they last though.

[ranunculus]

Magnar,
Superb M. delavayi ... is that a good representation of the colour of the flowers as my plants are distinctly purple?  Pictures posted previously.


The link to pictures of my M. delavayi connects to the old forum...

http://www.srgc.org.uk/discus/messages/36/34.html?1163424365

[Magnar]

I have 4 plants and they all have blue flowers like in the photo. I have never seen a purple one like yours.

[Paul T]

Lovely Cliff.  I like your purple as well as Magnar's blue.  Beautiful!