Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

Specific Families and Genera => Iris => Topic started by: Maggi Young on August 09, 2014, 07:06:39 PM

Title: Mexican Irid
Post by: Maggi Young on August 09, 2014, 07:06:39 PM

Orthrosanthus chimboracensis ex Chiapas, Mexico, Iridaceae  "delicate blue flowers appear and disappear daily" writes Jacob  Uluwehi Knecht on twitter

http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/Orthrosanthus (http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/Orthrosanthus)

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Title: Re: Mexican Irid
Post by: Lesley Cox on August 12, 2014, 12:26:35 AM

I've grown this one and another called O. laxus. They are lovely plants and flower for ages in a warm, sunny place. Seed is usually on the seedlists. Why did I think they were Australian? ???

Title: Re: Mexican Irid
Post by: fermi de Sousa on August 12, 2014, 03:05:47 AM

Hi Lesley,
Orthrosanthus laxus is Australian but I think the genus is spread from South Africa to South America (and Mexico?) Australia to Central America (I was thinking of Aristea which is in South Africa)
cheers
fermi

Title: Re: Mexican Irid
Post by: Lesley Cox on August 12, 2014, 07:27:55 AM

Thanks for that Fermi. I wonder if some of mine were incorrectly named? I had one called multiflorus too, as well as laxus and chimboracensis but all looked just the same, except one, can't remember which, was a little paler blue.

Title: Re: Mexican Irid
Post by: Brian Ellis on August 12, 2014, 09:17:24 AM

Well it is delightful, delicate flowers contrasting with the dark red stem.  Will look out for it next year.

Title: Re: Mexican Irid
Post by: Robert on August 13, 2014, 01:19:13 AM

Orthrosanthus chimboracensis grows for us in the Sacramento Valley but, so far, seems a bit tender up at the farm.

Seed is available from Ginny Hunt = Seedhunt.