Polygonatum, A pictorial guide

[Regelian]

Hmm,  that sounds like Trillium.  I've gotten used to this!, although some Trillium will produce a leaf in the first year after sowing, if they are sown fresh in the Summer.  Another patience genus.

[Afloden]

 There has been a fair amount of work done on seed germination of Polygonatum due to its use as medicine and food. I have followed the protocols and found that 30-60 days cold, followed by 60-90 days warm when the seed germinates and makes a root, followed by 30-60 days cold, and then a warm period again will get the first leaf produced within the first year rather than in two years. Some species may need longer cold cycles depending on their origin, but so far this has worked on many from differing sections. Surprisingly several species have bloomed within three years for me.

 I could recommend many species! I currently have 153 accessions representing 40+ correctly identified species and numerous plants that I have not yet put a name on. I also have several clones of many of the more common species. There is one that is in flower now from Desirable Plants in the UK that they and others call P. roseum, but it is not. The fragrance on it is very sweet and the pink flowers are even better. I'll get pictures tomorrow.

 Aaron

[Regelian]

Aaron,

that is what I do with Trillium, except that when sown fresh right from the berry, they often germinate warm, then need a rest at cold, followed by warm, when the leaf appears.  Sounds like the same procedure in general.

If you are able to offer any seed, please let me know.  I'ld rather work with seed than plants, simply for the diversity.

Any thanks for having done this thread!

[Lvandelft]

I was given this plant at least 25 years ago by an old Dutch bulb trader who traded very much with Japanese growers. He told me then that he had taken it from there on one of his travels and had it many years in his garden. He said that the name is Polygonatum japonicum Variegatum.
I am not sure if this name is right and when I google under this name I only see different plants.
Would love to know what plant I grow? It is more a rather slow growing and not much spreading plant, unlike most Polygonatum.

[bulborum]

Hello Luit

Polygonatum odoratum pluriflorum variegatum
for so long as there is discussion about this species
the name Polygonatum falcatum variegatum is absolutely wrong
the leaves are not falcate I wil post a picture from P. falcatum tomorrow
The European Polygonatum odoratum var odoratum is in my opinion
an other species or subspecies because the flowers and berries are much
bigger the plant develops much later and is much more perfumed

Roland

[Afloden]

Roland,
 
 I agree. The European and the Asian "odoratum" are distinct plants, but similar overall. The current name would be P. odoratum var. pluriflorum "Variegatum." I think, if I have checked all the names, that this will become P. japonicum when the genetics and morphology are all worked out. I do have a single fragrant Chinese plant now, but it is the papillose leaved form with lightly, gardenia scented flowers - very distinct from the baby powder European P. odoratum.

 Here is a photo of what Desirable Plants sells as P. roseum collected from the Kanchenjunga in Nepal/Tibet(?). It is a small plant and NOT P. roseum. I do not know what it is and have not seen an herbarium specimen that looks like this plant. The small flowers, 8-10mm, are highly fragrant, but short lived. Ron McBeath lists a lot of plants with SBQE collection numbers which this little roseum (310) has attached to it. So, it would seem that this was collected in Qinghai, China, unless the collection trip covered a lot of ground.

 Aaron Floden


 

[bulborum]

Hello Aaron

Still a nice plant specially if it is perfumed
I will post later some pictures of the Dutch P.odoratum
If you want I send you this winter some plants witch I collected in
the dunes near IJmuiden

Roland

[Lvandelft]

Roland, great to have at last a name for this plant, but after reading Aaron’s reply I probably better wait with renaming.
After all P. japonicum Var. is much easier to remember, isn’t it… 

Toch bedankt!

[bulborum]

Hallo Luit

This can take an other 25 years
Everybody is selling this one as Polygonatum falcatum Variegatum
Even the jury in Paris last weekend came to me to ask the true name
of this Polygonatum falcatum Variegatum
One of the exhibitors brought it in for a merite
again after looking for it it was  Polygonatum odoratum pluriflorum Variegatum
so till it is in the plant finder under another name I keep this name

Roland

[Lvandelft]

Roland, I will keep both names for the time being.
Never had P. falcatum Var.
Forty years ago I bought P falcatum, which later became P. humile.
I know it is P humile, but getting older, often the wrong (falcatum)  name comes first when I see the plant.

[TheOnionMan]

From nurseryman Leo Blanchette, who has made a focus of growing a number of rare Polygonatum species and cultivars, I received Polygonatum acuminatifolium a couple years ago.  While dwarf growing to about 8-10" (20-25 cm), it has unusually large and plump white, green speckled flowers.  I have photographed this thing so many times, and the photos always come out terrible; but today on a cool overcast day, I finally got some good images.

Polygonatum acuminatifolium in Flora of China:
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200027841

[bulborum]

Beauty's mark

would love to swap with some real P odoratum var odoratum
I don't have this one in the collection

Roland

[Lesley Cox]

I once had a variegated form of P. humile too, but lost it in a garden move, not getting it replanted soon enough. P. humile is only about one third the height of P. falcatum, for me anyway.

[Lvandelft]

From nurseryman Leo Blanchette, who has made a focus of growing a number of rare Polygonatum species and cultivars, I received Polygonatum acuminatifolium a couple years ago.  While dwarf growing to about 8-10" (20-25 cm), it has unusually large and plump white, green speckled flowers.  I have photographed this thing so many times, and the photos always come out terrible; but today on a cool overcast day, I finally got some good images.

What coincidence. When I was taking pictures of Hosta (many bred in USA) this Monday (see Weekly Flowershow Lisse) I was thinking about Leo Blanchette.
He once visited our nursery and we had nice conversation about many different plants I grew here and he told me that he had a great collection of Hosta and was searching more plants for shade.
Whenever you meet him Mark, give him my regards.
( I hope he still remembers me  , because its rather many years ago....

[Afloden]

 Here is another form of P. prattii from a forum member that is far taller and more floriferous than the CBE collection. Unfortunately this one lacks the stronger violet fragrance of the CBE form. The filaments of both are nearly identical -- photo of the non-CBE form.

 The next three are P. orientale (polyanthemum). The first two are the FS364 collection, and the last is a form from the Caucasus.