Bulb recognition challenge

[Alex]

A challenge: these were sent by a fairly reputable nursery as Pleione hookeriana. Clearly, they are not, but what could they be? Any ideas? I'm really curious! I should of course let the nursery know the error, although i am almost sure they won't have any true P. hookeriana to replace them with, so I might learn to love these if they look interesting...

Ta,

Alex

[pontus]

They look like a small arisaema species to me

another possibility could be frittillaria sp or maybe even a bluebell bulb, but at this time of year, these 2 would not be dormant...so i would say arisaema..

[Paul T]

Pontus,

My first thoughts were Arisaema and Bluebell as well.  Actually, the first pic could have been a small sad potato at first look.  That inset point on the top of the tuber in the second pic does look very Araceae to me.

[Maggi Young]

Cross posted here : http://www.srgc.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=8923.0

Suggest we stick with this thread!

[angie]

The first one looks like a dried up potato that has been in my veg basket for to long. Sorry 

Angie 

[bulborum]

Looks most as an Arisaema for me
and more it looks if this nursery buys from Chen yi
a famous nursery with loads of wrong named plants 

just plant it and soon we can maybe recognize it from the leaves
if it is a small species maybe also from the flowers

Roland

[pontus]

yes, pot it up about 5-7 cm's deep in a very well drained humus rich gritty soil in half shade and then leave it to settle down and make roots. It will probably start shooting in early may

[bulborum]

I am not sure if I would buy there again
If they don't see the difference between a Pleione and an Arisaema
They probably send you next time potatoes when you order Shallots

Roland

[Alex]

Thanks all for the helpful replies. Arisaema does seem like a really good suggestion. I think we'll plant them and see what comes up, as I strongly doubt the nursery concerned is capable of rectifying the mistake.

Tthe establishment concerned is a very well known and (I thought) respected wholesaler; I ordered via my Dad who has a nursery (Tomorrow's Plants). I think the suggestion that they have played the Chen Yi lucky dip is probably very close to the mark.

Alex

[Paul T]

If they are a respected wholesaler of plants, one would really have thought that they would have noticed that that isn't even remotely similar to a Pleione.  I certainly wouldn't be respecting them if they can't even see something that obvious.  Fair enough species differences or things with similar looking bulbs not being picked up.... but that isn't even close!!

[arisaema]

This is presumably the wholesaler that changed their name a few years back?

It wasn't!

[Alex]

I guess it's OK to name them - it's Jacques Amand. Mods, please do delete if that's inappropriate for some reason, but seems fair enough to me. I should make clear, though, that the suggestion they may have bought these from Chen Yi is idle speculation only!

[pontus]

to follow on,

here is the REAL pleione hookeriana, growing in the wild...i did an image search on  the internet out of interest, and found this amazing picture :

http://www.google.ch/imgres?q=pleione+hookeriana&hl=fr&biw=974&bih=658&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=BFlPwJhrmZ1LbM:&imgrefurl=http://www.panoramio.com/photo/37273850&docid=S3dl2ZyqKgeZAM&imgurl=http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/37273850.jpg&w=2848&h=2136&ei=oEOET_zhIOXd4QS91sjrBw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=672&vpy=156&dur=232&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=168&ty=145&sig=107172661710600742714&page=1&tbnh=152&tbnw=197&start=0&ndsp=13&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:0,i:74

maybe i can save it and then upload it  on here for easier viewing...i love these pictures taken in the wild where you can see the plant in its natural habitat!

[bulborum]

I Just phone him

I PMed you the phone number
just contact him

He didn't receive Pleione hookeriana yet
so somebody made a stupid mistake by packing Arisaema's

Roland

[pontus]

did you eventually find out what this mysterby bulb was? did it ever flower?

Pontus