Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

Plant Identification => Plant Identification Questions and Answers => Topic started by: nikinix on September 13, 2015, 03:39:21 PM

Title: Mystery corm
Post by: nikinix on September 13, 2015, 03:39:21 PM: Found a mysterious corm at the bottom of our garden in amongst the leaf litter and pine needles..either brought in by squirrels or our cat😁
Tentatively identified it as spiloxene canaliculata but not at all sure really😕
Quite fancy having a go at growing it so I need to know its soily preferences😊
Hope you clever people on here can help
Thanks xx
Title: Re: Mystery corm
Post by: johnralphcarpenter on September 13, 2015, 03:51:36 PM: Chasmanthe?
Title: Re: Mystery corm
Post by: Maggi Young on September 13, 2015, 04:12:45 PM: Hi nikinix, welcome! Not sure what that might be - not sure about Spiloxene. But whatever, I'd plant in in a gritty mix... say: two parts grit, 1 part sand 1 part loam give it a water and set it aside, in a greenhouse for preference, and wait! What a weird kind of thing to find - fun, eh?
Title: Re: Mystery corm
Post by: johnralphcarpenter on September 13, 2015, 05:30:25 PM: Well, it does look like the corms of Spiloxene canaliculata shown here: http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/Spiloxene (http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/Spiloxene)
Title: Re: Mystery corm
Post by: Maggi Young on September 13, 2015, 05:38:15 PM: Only inthe reticualated tunic, I think. Niki's corm seems to have a more smooth "bottle" shape whereas the Spiloxene corm in the PBS picture has a more exaggerated shape with a sort of "pagoda" shape, if you follow my meaning! (There must be "proper" names for these shapes but I cannot think of them!)
I'll draw what I mean - back in a minute....
Title: Re: Mystery corm
Post by: Maggi Young on September 13, 2015, 05:58:54 PM: No prizes for the drawing, but this shows what I mean. Spiloxene pagoda shaped corm on the right
[attachimg=1]
Title: Re: Mystery corm
Post by: fermi de Sousa on September 14, 2015, 07:08:02 AM: Quote from: johnralphcarpenter on September 13, 2015, 03:51:36 PM
Chasmanthe?
That's what it reminds me of.
The only way to be sure is to plant it!
Post pics of it as it grows, though it may wait till spring (I'm presuming that you're in the Northern Hemisphere, Nikinix?); can you give it protection if it is a winter grower?
cheers
fermi
Title: Re: Mystery corm
Post by: nikinix on September 14, 2015, 10:01:19 PM: Yep Fermi ...northern hemisphere. ..GB to be precise😊
I've planted in gritty compost and watered...it's now in the green house which is unheated...may move it into the consevatory if it gets very cold😊
Thanks...I will let you know what emerges...if anything at all!
Title: Re: Mystery corm
Post by: brianw on September 15, 2015, 08:50:34 PM: I seem to remember when I grew Chasmanthe some years ago they increased rather rapidly and get quite large tubers. Gave them away eventually as I could not cope with them. Maybe I was too kind to them ;-)
Title: Re: Mystery corm
Post by: Anthony Darby on September 16, 2015, 12:57:29 PM: Spiloxene? That's a well travelled cat!
Title: Re: Mystery corm
Post by: nikinix on September 16, 2015, 01:14:56 PM: Haha....not sure where she goes..she won't tell me 😕😅
Title: Re: Mystery corm
Post by: johnralphcarpenter on September 16, 2015, 01:44:25 PM: Quote from: Anthony Darby on September 16, 2015, 12:57:29 PM
Spiloxene? That's a well travelled cat!
???
Title: Re: Mystery corm
Post by: Anthony Darby on September 17, 2015, 01:00:01 PM: I would be wondering how a tender South African corm ended up in amongst leaves in my garden! It's not exactly a common garden plant, is it?