Hepatica 2010

[Diane Clement]

'Millstream Merlin' received an AM in 1989 & I read about it many years ago. The description I saw did not mention the fact that it lacked stamens. As far as I am concerned, & despite the striking colour, this makes it a no-no.  

It is, I believe, what the Japanese call a "maiden" - no male parts to sully the beauty  
although some H japonica maidens can set seed, I believe that Millstream Merlin, being a hybrid, is sterile and cannot set seed.
Here's a maiden H acutiloba, looking for all the world like Millstream Merlin except for more conspicuous acutiloba-shaped bracts (and the flower stems are a bit taller)

[Gerry Webster]

'Millstream Merlin' received an AM in 1989 & I read about it many years ago. The description I saw did not mention the fact that it lacked stamens. As far as I am concerned, & despite the striking colour, this makes it a no-no.

Can you explain 

It means I don't like it.

[Gerry Webster]

It is, I believe, what the Japanese call a "maiden" - no male parts to sully the beauty  

Oh dear. This rather reminds me  of Ruskin's supposed attitude to the anatomy of the human female.

[Maggi Young]

'Millstream Merlin' received an AM in 1989 & I read about it many years ago. The description I saw did not mention the fact that it lacked stamens. As far as I am concerned, & despite the striking colour, this makes it a no-no.

Can you explain 

It means I don't like it.

Now, Gerry, sex isn't everything, you know! 

[Maggi Young]

It is, I believe, what the Japanese call a "maiden" - no male parts to sully the beauty  

Oh dear. This rather reminds me  of Ruskin's supposed attitude to the anatomy of the human female.

 At the risk of contradicting my last post: Poor Mrs Ruskin

[Gail]

 At the risk of contradicting my last post: Poor Mrs Ruskin

Effie Ruskin was okay Maggi - she had the marriage annulled and went off with John Millais.

And speaking of such things...

I had some seed of Hepatica maxima from Ashwood nursery.  The mother was certainly H. maxima but I think she has been enjoying the attentions of other hepaticas at the nursery as the three children of hers that I've raised look of hybrid origin...

All three had lovely beetroot coloured leaves over winter but unfortunately the rabbits here think hepaticas look better without leaves... The first pink has very large flowers (unfortunately the same dear fluffy bunny rabbit thought this plant would look better without flower too and a couple of hours after I took the picture the plant was bare!), the deep violet is smaller and very velvety looking. The pink with just one flower (thanks Bunny) has a very small flower more typical of H. maxima which is maxima only in leaf.  The potted plant is true H. maxima from Edrom nursery, sadly didn't flower this year, not sure if to blame rabbit or not though. 

[Gerry Webster]

'Millstream Merlin' received an AM in 1989 & I read about it many years ago. The description I saw did not mention the fact that it lacked stamens. As far as I am concerned, & despite the striking colour, this makes it a no-no.

Can you explain 

It means I don't like it.

Now, Gerry, sex isn't everything, you know! 

Maggi - you mean I've been mistaken all my life?

[Maggi Young]

Gerry... all life is a mystery..... who knows which parts are the mistakes!??


Gail: I know that Effie went on to marry Millais and have eight children,(though all with Millais, as far as I know, unlike your Ashwood girl!)) but the Ruskins all were horrible to her and as she was a wee Scots lassie I have to sympathise with her  

[TheOnionMan]

Now, Gerry, sex isn't everything, you know! 

Maggi - you mean I've been mistaken all my life?

Gerry, perhaps consider growing Hepatica 'Millstream Merlin' underneath a Fringe Tree (Chionanthus virginicus), a dioecious tree and most often male, the flowers composed of bunches of long dangly male flowers   The tree's other common names, Grancy Gray-beard & Old-Man's Beard are manly names as well.  The male tree is said to have much larger showier flowers. Think of the possibilities with the female Hepatica below  

Actually, this tree can polygamodioecious (flowers predominantly one sex, with some flowers of the other sex present).  My male tree started to show some promiscuity the last couple years, exploring its feminine side, resulting in some large dark blackish-blue drupes in late summer

Can't tell sexes apart unless looking closely, but typically the female trees have flowers with shorter, curled petals, making rounded, softer looking flower puffs... the link below I'm guessing shows a female plant.  I need to go take a shower
http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/images/low/C120-0628057cs.jpg

[ranunculus]

Anyone got any info' about this new introduction from Scandinavia please?

Hepatica 'Dåre'

[Afloden]

Here are some Hepatica in the wild, taken yesterday in an area where I do a lot of field work. The first are some acutiloba which prefers calcareous sites on steep slopes, sometimes growing in cracks in rocks. Then H. americana - prefering acidic sites with sandy soil. Then where the two meet in this area, which is very rare to see them together, I have finally found some that seem to be hybrids. I have several sites where the two grow in close proximity (<30m), but only at one site did I see and possible hybridization.

 

[Afloden]

 And an older picture of an open H. americana to compare the petal shape. And the leaf of H. insularis.

 

[TheOnionMan]

Here are some Hepatica in the wild, taken yesterday in an area where I do a lot of field work. The first are some acutiloba which prefers calcareous sites on steep slopes, sometimes growing in cracks in rocks. Then H. americana - prefering acidic sites with sandy soil. Then where the two meet in this area, which is very rare to see them together, I have finally found some that seem to be hybrids. I have several sites where the two grow in close proximity (<30m), but only at one site did I see and possible hybridization.

Thanks Aaron for showing this series of American Hepatica in the wild. Are these all in Tennessee?  In the first photo, with the lovely white flowers, it is interesting to see plants in the wild where they aren't groomed, here clearly visible is the previous years growth.  Good to see and compare differences between acutiloba and americana... the LovelySpring americana has most attractive mottled leaves, and the hybrids look good too. Do I spy a Coptis in the acutiloba x americana pic?  I'm not familiar with H. insularis, glad to make its acquaintance...good leaves.

[Gerry Webster]

Wonderful to see these American plants in the wild. For my taste H. acutiloba is the loveliest of all hepaticas.

[Afloden]

 All of them are in Tennessee except the H. americana _AR_ from Arkansas. The H. americana in this area have extremely attractive leaves and some of them have red or reddish-brown immature pistils which is something undocumented so far. I've only seen them in two places along a SW-NE-trending line bordering the front edge of the Cumberland Mountains.

 I must agree Gerry. Hepatica acutiloba is a large plant with large and numerous flowers. Most in the photos were unfortunately that sickly honey scent, while those from Ivydale were sweet and sugar-candy-like. Acutiloba is not always white either (ca. 90% are though). I have pale pink picotee forms, dark purples, pinks, pink-eyed plants, and more. Hopefully hybridization will bring about some better color forms.

 Insularis is from Korea and a very tiny species. These had small pink flowers < 1cm across.
 
 Aaron