Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Bulbs => Bulbs General => Topic started by: chris on February 08, 2007, 08:05:42 PM
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Hi, I dont now if we need a new topic for Fritillarias but I started one with my F.raddeana, only 8cm high and already flowering, just like last year,
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This is what happens when a bulb didn't really do much last year and the pot was semi-forgotten in the corner. What is likely to happen to these babies and at what time in the season should I do something with them?
Chloë
Frit novice ...
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Not a lot you can do with them Chloe, except build them up to flowering size again by some feeding, not necessarily high potash yet but later when they're bigger, and look after them nicely with plenty water while they're growing. I've done the same, forgotten about a bulb somewhere and its pot has got dehydrated so the bulb has broken down into little bits. They will grow on but will take a couple of years to flower.
It constantly amazes me how so many plants, whether bulbs, herbaceous or even trees, will fight like the very devil to stay alive when we, their guardians seem determined to kill them.
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I'm having my first go at Frits and have started with uva vulpis and michaelovskyi. They are in the greenhouse in pots in a mix of John Innes No.2 with added gritty sand and grit. Uva vulpis is showing well above the top dressing and looks healthy (about 2.5 inches) but nothing to be seen of michaelovski. So, I knocked the pot out today and apart from one bulb with a healthy shoot all the others had rotted-I re-potted the healthy one. The question is did I get a bad batch of bulbs or have I done something wrong-does michaelovskyi need another type of compost mix-or yet again was my watering regime wrong (they will have been on the dry side rather than the wet side????
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David you may have been unlucky. If they were garden centre stock they are kept out of the ground far too long for their health this greatly weakens the bulb and even if it does grow then it is much more likely to succumb to rots.
My F. michailovskyis are not showing yet they are not one of the very early risers but I hope to see a green shoot in the next week or two.
The normal well drained compost will suit them, a good soak by early October in your part of the country and then just keep the compost moist enough to sustain the new roots that are emerging. I suspect that the ones that rotted on you had not produced any roots at all.
Plenty water when they start into full growth mode and are making their stems and leaves.
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Thanks for that Ian, they were Garden Centre stock, that's one I shall get from a specialist in future. Ian I have just noted that you say start watering in October in my part of the country,does that go for Crocus as well please, I started watering in September last year.
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September is fine, it is just that some of the frits start off a bit later.
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A little beauty to share, sorry about the quality of the photo, still getting to grips with new camera
Fritillaria koidzumiana - I believe a Japanese botanist has recently raised this to specific status, it used to be Fritillaria japonica koidzumiana
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Now that's a little sweetie! Look at those fringes to the petals. Can't believe how much you have in flower, Diane.
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Frit japonica is the earliest of my frits to flower. The flowers and buds can get damaged if frost occurs in February (which it usually does). I'm not completely sure how hardy it is? Do you and the BD grow it in the frozen north, Maggie? I've got a couple of other Japanese frits, I don't find any of them easy.
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Thanks so much for that piccie Diane. It's not in NZ and not likely to be with the present MAF policy regime. A real treat to see a species we may never otherwise see.
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Diane, that's a lovely little Frit.
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Diane, no we don't grow your nice furry litte frit up here. Never got the chance of seed, hint! Hint!
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It's never set seed. Flowering typically in February, there's not much around to pollinate it. I think it must need some specialised Japanese slug, which I'll keep trying to impersonate
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Good luck, Diane, tough job, but someone's gotta do it!
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hi Diane, nice F.koidzumiana, here outside F.thunbergii starts flowering and in the greenhouse F.minuta steels the show
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Frits waking up here too. Just a taster from the alpine house today....
Fritillaria aurea (one of my favourites)
Fritillaria davisii - this one grows like a weed for me, but I don't find it easy to flower. This year just 3 flowers in a 20cm pan full of bulbs. Any ideas for getting this to flower more profusely?
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F? aurea is a real stunner Dave - a great potful !!
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Fritillaria hermonis yellow form "Goksun Gold"
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Diane, you have goksuM rather than GoksuN in your file names. GoksuN is correct I believe
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I bow to your vastly greater wisdom in the realm of Frits. Potterton's catalogue has the M
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Well, it's a place, isn't it? Goksun? Jim and Jenny A and such-like speak about Goksun Gold etc! ::)
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I have not yet persuaded Jean Wyllie of the ease of posting pix to this Forum, so in the meantime, I will post them for her!
This is a super little frit, raised by Jean from SRGC seed sown 1992. Jean comments that 1992 seems a long time ago... can't argue with her there, at least!
this is Fritillaria crassifolia hakkariensis only about three inches high, and not extending much further in fruit.
Thanks, Jean....but this IS really easy, you know!
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What a great little plant that Fritillaria crassifolia hakkariense is...and only 15 years to get it there! I especially like the beautiful presentation of the flowers. Do they stay up-facing or droop as they age?
Carlo
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Carlo
F. crassifolia is a very variable species with a growing number of sub species being described.
Fritillaria crassifolia ssp hakkariensis, note the correct spelling Maggi has edited her post now, is a subspecies described by Martin Rix, I forget the actual taxanomic reasons but will endevour to find my notes. The flowers do turn down a bit to face sideways before turning upwards again once they have been fertilised.
Jean it is high time you learnt how to make you own posts, stop lurking, come out and join us- its fun and not difficult. :-* :-* :-*
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Well, it's a place, isn't it? Goksun? Jim and Jenny A and such-like speak about Goksun Gold etc! ::)
Hi ,
Goksun is a city in South east Turkey , north of Kahramanmaras .
Greetings
Hans
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I wonder if I am the only one not able to see the picture Maggi posted of Fit crassifolia hakkariensis-on my computer all I get is a little red cross? Normally when this happens all I need to do is right click the red cross and then click "Show Picture" but that doesn't work this time. Oddly I am also not able to see two pictures Maggi posted in the "Last Snowdrop of the Season" thread and the same circumstances as above apply. I don't seem to have this problem with any other Forum pictures????? ???
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Hans, thank you for this information about Goksun.
David, I am getting the red cross too, on the frit: I left click it and the picture expands to full size. perhaps a refresh of your page may help.
I find this happens occasionally with all sorts of posts, whether in the text or added at the end. I think it must just be a minor hitch that happens randomly.
David, if you mean this post :Re: Last snowdrops of the season?
« Reply #19 on: Today at 04:59:20 PM
AAaaaarrrgghh!! Are you mad?
I must do everything I can to help you to love rhodos !
Then don't worry, it is only a couple of animated figures!
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Maggi thanks for your reply. I'm just nosey, hate to miss anything ;D
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Well, me too, David, why else do you think I'm here?
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F. caucasica in my garden. Unfortunatly, no vegetative multiplication...
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No picture coming through, just the little red cross and the cross isn't clickable. Judging from responses on other threads do we have a problem??
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I would say "Huston we do"!
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We are looking into a possible problem with some of the pictures not appearing on the site, replaced by a box and a red cross.
I can view the primulas and most of the others but I cannot see the latest fritillaria picture.
We will find out what is happening and report back.
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Me too - no pictures to see.
I bought this on Saturday from (senior moment here as I've forgotten the chaps name!) Joe Sharman who gave a talk on Plant Varigation - and very interesting it was too!
Frit raddeana and close up, then Frit sewerzowii which I've had now for a couple of years - is it self fertile? I've tried with my paint brush but got no seeds.
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It looks like the picture problem occured last night as it appears that new posts with pictures are appearing ok. I have asked Mr Admin to look into it for us.
Just to test here is a Fritillaria crassifolia in flower just now.
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Fred has reported a server change at the host, last night so this was hopefully just a one-time glitsch. Bio's frit pic hasn't come up however, unlike some of the other missing pix, so I have emailed to ask if he/she will repost it.
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Seems OK tonight all pictures so far are "seeable"
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I've not had any seed either, on my single bulb of F. sewerzovii, though I hand pollinate religiously every year (5 now).
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If I can get the pics to work I have two mystery Frits. The yellow/brown one I got back in 93..still only one bulb! I got it as F.carica and was told when I asked.."oh, that's the brown form". I think as that came from a well known expert I took that on trust and have even submitted seed to the AGS I think. However, I haven't seen a pic of F.carica that looks like this. Also I saw somewhere in an Archibald seedlist that F.carica and F.pinardii are distinguished by colour only..so maybe it's F. pinardii? The green and brown one..well, I have it labelled F.aurea..I was going to get an id here and then ask him for a replacement. However, I just noticed that I had an unlabelled pot which seems to be showing a fat yellow chequered bud..so it looks like a mix up at this end. Even so, I'd be interested in an id, I think it might be F.amana?
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Mark,
I am no expert, but I have an almost identical frit. which I grew from AGS seed labelled F. pinardii.
It has about gone over so it's not worth a photo.
David
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Hi David, thanks for that, I guess you mean the first one? Any ideas on the second? btw, I suspect being an expert on frits is a hard thing..they are still evolving themselves!
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Thought I had better photogaph this brave hero before it gets flattened by the snow on Sunday :(
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Your F. raddeana is just beautiful David, and a good height too. Mine are seedlings, not flowered yet, but several posted on this and the old Forum have seemed very short at bloom time and not therefore, very impressive, though very nice. But these are super. And I really like all that excited "hair" standing on end.
Yes to F. pinardii, paler than mine but still typical I think. Could the lower one be graeca perhaps? or something close? The BD will know for sure.
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And in your lower pic Mark, what's that yellow to the right of the frit flower?
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Hi, it might be gracea. I think it was supposed to be F.amana yellow that I got many years ago and I never was ble to id it properly. The yellow is F.conica, I'm attaching a pic from last year.
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I think the first is pinardii and the second likely to be a form of hermonis.... pick a form, any form !?!
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Yes, I sort of had it down as F. amana which I think is what we now call F.hermonis amana. well whatever, it's a nice plant to have around! One of the things I love about frits is their capacity to baffle spouses..."yes, it's another one..yes, another green and brown one..but the thing about it is that...etc etc..."
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Mark
F pinardii and F hermonis amana would be my answers.
Attached is the form of pinardii that I have grown for the last 10 years of so. Just coming into flower now (second pic). First pic from the Edinburgh show, a couple of years ago. My hermonis still in tight bud.
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Hi, thanks for the IDs. For some reason I was really slow in getting F.pinardii but I now have a almost black on and another I'm waiting to flower. Really sory I passed seed on now, but the guy that sold it to me is an expert and he told me it was F.carica brown form. Oh well.
Glad to get an ID on the other one..that came to me as the yellow form of F. hermonis amana. I have another one which I think is the EK Balls form..it is in bud and I'll post that when it flowers to get an opinion on that.
Whatever the name..they are still beautiful!
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Here are some Frits from the AGS Kent Show
Fritillaria crassifolia kurdica x2
Fritillaria chlorantha
Fritillaria crassifolia crassifolia
Fritillaria forbesii
Fritillaria gibbosa
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Fritillaria caucasica all one 'bulb'.
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Mark G.
Do not worry to much about the possible mis-identification.
I also think that your plant is pinardi from the picture but I find it almost impossible to seperate some forms of carica and pinardi.
At one end true pinardi is distinct as is true carica at the other end of the scale but to me they meet in the middle where it becomes almost impossible to seperate them in cultivation.
Polymorphic species comes to mind.
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Fritillaria hermonis hermonis
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here a photo of F.sibthorpiana,in my greenhouse last year 1 flower now 2 stems with 2 flowers
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Beautiful Chris - the way it's increasing, it must be happy !
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Thanks for the pics of F. sibthorpiana Chris. I thought mine was wrong. Now I KNOW it is. Oh well.....
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in the garden the Frit.imperialis start flowering, I lost the label of the third plant
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The third one , which you have lost the name of, is an unusual colour combination, Chris. Will you show us the flowers as they open, please?
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yes I will show it, I hope the flowers open in a few days, if they open can I pollinate the flowers with his own pollen?
F.elwesi is one of my favorites
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Chris I have found most frits can be self pollinated. To stand the best chance of success pollinate with a paint brush from the time the pollen starts to flow up until the flower fades. The reason for this is many flowers have an stigma that is not receptive to its own pollen but this often breaks down with time and as the flower starts to fade is often the time to get a successful self pollination.
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thanks Ian I will try it and if I get seeds than I will send them to seed donation,
here F.hermonis amana
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My very first Frit. OK totally unremarkable, but cheap to buy in case I managed to kill the bulbs. A question though should the flowers open further than those shown in the picture-they have been at this stage for the last two weeks? On dry days! I take them out of the greenhouse and give them some air and sun without the intervention of glass but they don't seem interested in opening further.
Having got this far, there will be others next year.
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That's about it David.
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should the flowers open further than those shown in the picture
Lesley's right, David, that's as good as it gets!
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Then its all downhill to becoming a Frit Freak and BD!
Our frit collection started about six years ago at the Inverness Discussion Weekend. The bulb exchange was swamped with frit rice and in the end we could not even give it all away. I made sure that I collected as many different varieties as possible and over the last couple of years have started to get them flowering.
We now have a good basic collection for the garden and for pots.
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Thanks all-looks as though I'm embarking on yet another obsession? ??? I may as well keep to pots anything as high as my uva vulpis would get blown down pretty quickly in my garden.
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A nice obsession though David (and David). One thing I especially like about a collection of different frits is that every one has great "character." They're not just pretty or colourful but rely on their individual personalities in order to grab us. And do always lift their heads to look inside. Some are exquisiely marked. Here are a couple I prepared earlier (6 months ago).
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These two are top, F. mutabilis and bottom, F crassifolia, maybe v. gracilis.
One thing about F. uva-vulpis. I find it is best grown very hard as the foliage and stems are quite soft and flop about with any hint of good living, or being under glass or even sheltered. Grow 'em tough.
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My friend's nameless Fritillaria. Does anybody know it (from China?)
Hans
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Hans, From your picture I think it is F. pingwuensis, which is listed under F.sichuanica in Flora of China, but it differs sufficiently to be accepted as seperate species.
Follow this link to see it on the bulb log.
http://www.srgc.org.uk/bulblog/100403/log.html
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here my F.imperialis opens his flowers, first I thought it was F.i.'Aurora' but in 'The Gardeners Gide to Growing Fritillarias' is written that the nectaries are deep red
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Hans, that is a beautiful fritillaria!
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Hi, back with some more id requests for frits that may not be quite what I ordered! The first one is I think a Frit amana..I remember ordering many years ago a yellow amana and one of the EK Balls var (EKB1034 I think). I don't have a yellow amana but i did get what seemed to be an ordinary amana (see a previous post) and this one that seems to have the long flowers of EKB.
The next one is supposed to be F. gracea gracea..is it?
At least the final one I'm sure of..(I hope) F.ehartii from Archibald seed. I did have lots of flowers in the past, none last year, one this.
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A few frits getting going here
Fritillaria meleagroides
Fritillaria kotschyana side view and inside
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Comments welcome on this pot of "Fritillaria latakiensis" (please, BD) . It's either 2 clones, or two different species. And what is the difference between F latakiensis and elwesii?? :-\
1. tall dark slender flower with flared petals
1a. inside of dark flower
2. stripey flower
2a. inside of stripey flower
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Diane
Frit latakiensis will vary in the degree of markings on the petals, some striped others not.
The main difference between elwesii is that latakiensis has a style which splits into three obvious branches at the end while elwesii has more of a club shaped style also elwesii produces heaps of rice grains.
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Diane
also elwesii produces heaps of rice grains.
That means mine must be elwesii then. Its colouring is solid brown and it came from a Polunin collection. But many rice grains. Dammit!
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Diane
Frit latakiensis will vary in the degree of markings on the petals, some striped others not. The main difference between elwesii is that latakiensis has a style which splits into three obvious branches at the end while elwesii has more of a club shaped style also elwesii produces heaps of rice grains.
thanks for the information, Ian, it jolted my memory that I had read this somewhere before, maybe on the bulb log ???
So useful to be able to sort out these confusions.
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Hi, any chance of an id on the pics I posted on page 5?
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Sorry, Mark, the BD has just appeared beside me, I'll set him on the case!
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Right, Mark, we've both had a look again at your frits. Hadn't said anything before because basically, you have the names okay . Your F. hermonis amana is that, and may be from EKB1034 seed. Your plant may be EX EKB 1034, since the plant doesn't come entirely true from seed. The form "accepted" as 1034 can be seen on this Bulb Log for a photo of EKB1034 : http://www.srgc.org.uk/bulblog/100403/log.html
Cheers. M
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Thanks!
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Here are some Frits from the frame. Two are correctly named but minuta is definitely not. It is about 12 inches tall and there are either three or four flowers per stem. Any ideas?
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David I cannot see any reason to doubt that it is frit minuta from the picture -size leaves and flowers look ok.
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But Ian, my Frit book (Gardeners Guide by Pratt & Jefferson-Brown) states that minuta has stems 4-6", occasionally to 1' and solitary flowers. I don't doubt your guidance but it does seem to differ from this book.
By the way, is there a dfferent Frit book that Publications should stock.
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David,how can I put this? ::) It may be, on occasion, that something may be written about a plant that may be repeated from elsewhere, or without wide experience of a plant in cultivation.
With frits, which can be very variable species, ( witness the numerous different forms of F. hermonis etc) it may be that someone has not encountered a particular variety, or seen that variety grown to a particular stage....for example, the other year I saw F. affinis tristulis on the show bench which were short, fairly skinny little plants, with only one or two flowers.....some folks clearly thought that these diminutive plants were attractive and "true" representatives.... I, on the other hand, am familiar with mature bulbs of this variety which can make sturdy, leafy stems of up to 45cms with around a dozen or so flowers. With so many of the plants we grow as "rock gardeners" being small it is easy to be seduced by the lure of the "littlees" but sometimes it is the case that "our" type of plants can grow to fair old sizes with us, and some even acheive larger status in the wild in favourable conditions.
Similarly, one often hears a criticism made of Corydalis on the show bench as looking drawn or too tall as opposed to how they look in the garden... what everyone seems to forget is that in the garden, one is generally looking DOWN on the plants, whereas on a show bench, the plant is lifted nearer eye level... of course it will look taller in these circumstances, it may not actually BE any taller!
I have digressed again ( nothing new there then) but my point is, we know the plants haven't read the book, has the book met all the plants?
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OK, Maggie, I accept everything you say. Thank goodness the plants don't read the books :).
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some of our plants went to night school, David, but we still fool them... we turn the lights out so they can't see!
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And with respect to the aforementioned book and its no doubt expert writers, there are some glaring inaccuracies. In one part Frit. pallidiflora is said to require a hot, dry summer baking while elsewhere it is said to need cool conditions which never dry out completely!!!
We really do need a new frit book, especially one which covers all the more recently described or discovered species, including those from China. Maybe the BD would like to take it on? because the fact is, that failing such a book, the best source we have is the Bulb Log.
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Maybe the BD would like to take it on?
I think the BD has a long task ahead of him struggling with the "new" chinese frits himself, Lesley!! :P ??? ;) There is often much muttering to be heard coming from the frit house!
It has long been said that Martyn Rix was writing a frit book, but we're still waiting :-\
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Thanks for the IDs..the F.gracea has now opened a little more so I can see quite clearly that it is brown with a green stripe..distinct from the amana which is green with a brown edge..
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here the next flower in our greenhouse: Frit.gussichiae
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I need the help of experts again.
I grow these two fritillaries in my garden. Can you help me with their names please?
By the way it is not F. meleagris.
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The upper one is rather like F. cirrhosa again but I'm only going from the markings which tend to be patchy and unevern. I haven't considered shoulders, nectaries etc.
The lower seems to be close to F. ruthenica. As always, I await the BD's opinion.
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Can't help with the unknowns Franz, but they look really super.
You mention Frit meleagris, Franz, which is also a good garden plant - taken in my garden today.
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Those F. meleagris are early down there, Dave, ours still thinking about it!
I think Franz' first Fritillaria looks like F. burnattii but Ian is still pondering... I think he'd like a photo ofthe inside of the flower, perhaps, and the whole of the stem.... but I'm going with F. burnattii!
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Sorry for the delayed reply Franz but there is so much to see and do just now that there are not enough hours in a day.
Identifying a Fritillaria from a picture is a bit like trying to identify some one from the back of their head.
The second one is almost certainly one of the F. montanum group and F.ruthenica or F.tenella could both be applied.
The first one after much deliberation I think is the rare, in cultivation, F. burnattii considered by some to be just a subspecies of meleagris .
I have posted a picture of my plant of F. burnattii below for comparison.
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Ian, thanks for taking the time to help to me. I know, it is very difficult identify a plant from a picture. I think you are right and I am happy to have the ID for this Fritillaria.
I think too, that the second frit. is one of the F. montanum group.
Thanks, all, for the comments.
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Fritillaria kotschyana (not ...us)
Hans
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F. collina
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You can just see the second shoot in the top picture but the bulb never splits, I'm going to have to help it this year ;).
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I grow very few frittilarias but from looking at your photographs I think I may grow some more. Here are a few which I do grow.
Frittilaria imperalis
F. meleagris
F. uva-vulpis
F. elwesii
F. bithynica
Paddy
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Nice yellow imperialis, Paddy, as is the meleagris. I used to grow uva-vulpis, but I find it doesn't stand up too well in the garden, usually flattened by the wind even before the flowers opened :'(
The last is not bithynica, I think. looks more like acmopetala to me. No doubt someone will correct this if I'm wrong.
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I would favour F. acmopetala, too, Dave, for Paddy's bithynica.
F. bithynica has bell-shaped flowers with no curly bottoms, simple triangular bells, if you will! Why can I never remember the proper terms for these things when I need to? Funnel shaped, that's better!
And bithynica tends to be a plain green, yellow or greeny/yellow colour, and is a short plant. Paddy's plant looks like it is taller, more like acmopetala, I'd guess 12 inches plus (30cms). Acmopetala can reach more than this growing strongly, of course.
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Dave & Maggi,
Many thanks for your comments on the frittilarias. I grow only a very few but find I am attracted to them and can see myself growing more in the future. I had always been very cautious of growing them, fearing their reputation as being difficult in cultivation, especially as I am just terrible at giving the correct watering to anything in a pot indoors. I have always preferred plants which could do their thing in the open garden as it freed them from my clutches and gave them a chance of survival.
F. imperalis has been in the garden for 20 years or so and is now a fine clump. F. meleagris is a seedling from another clump in the garden. F. uva-vulpis is, as you say, Dave, very prone to falling over. This year it held on until it had flowered for a few days and then collapsed.
I must check the label on the mis-named one and duly curse the supplier. Of course, I will then change the label.
Paddy
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Paddy, the answer is to grow them outside in the garden, so far I haven't found any who don't prefer growing outside. Mind you, any that didn't like it would have died so I wouldn't know if they would have prefered a life in the greenhouse ::)
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Susan,
Certainly they will do better in the open garden here than in the glasshouse, a place where I put plants to mind them but in fact it is where I kill them oh so regularly. Open garden growing is a far better proposition for me.
Many thanks for the id on the erythronium, White Beauty is shall be labelled.
If you have a moment, please look at the trillium thread and give me a name for the first trillium which I posted there.
Paddy
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Paddy,
You've recently posted some of the most awesome photos. These Frits are just another example. Superior pics!!!! Thanks so much for taking the time to post them, particularly as I think I read you are unwell. Your efforts are definitely being appreciated down here in Australia where the spring things are such a long way off!! ;D
Thanks again!!
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I went to go and have a look at F. meleagris growing "wild" here in Oxford. There are several localities around here including Christchurch meadows (just next to the college). I don't know whether anyone has finally decided if these are truly wild or introduced, and if introduced, by whom. Anyway for this location which is on the map in the centre bit of Oxford but in actuality part of the big marsh that runs through the city there are now about 65,000. Sorry, for some reason the whites and interesting pale ones are blurred. The pics were from last year and it was raining..but anyway, they are lovely.
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Just lovely , Mark. Because it's so common (in gardens), I think people don't appreciate that F. meleagris is one of the most beautiful of the Frits. If it were rare we'd be clamouring for it.
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I agree Anne, meleagris is such an under-rated species. It's wonderful to see these plants Mark. Some of us were only talking of meleagris today at the Edinburgh show where some fine pot fulls were exhibited: so many pix we'd seen from this locality have never showed the range of colours, particularly the whites, that we know come from a packet of seed of this species. Thanks for sharing these pix.
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I understand that the English sites for Frit. meleagris are dampish places, water meadows and such; they have no absolute requirement for that sort of situation, as can bee seen from these ones flowering from seed scattered in our drive way. The ground is as hard as concrete and gets very hot and sunny. Later in the season the main display is of dwarf Geranium species, but the bulbs are holding sway at the moment, especially the Fritillaria melagris and some erythroniums! Amazing what will grow in a fairly ghastly position, isn't it! I wonder what would happen if we tried seed of real sun-lovers?!! ;D
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Truly dedicated, I drove off the ferry yesterday and went straight to Plant World, where I took this photo of fritillaries against an interesting background of fallen camellia blossom and more distant rhododendrons. In my excitement at driving out of Plymouth ;D, I managed to forget to stop at a cash machine, but the people at Plant World were kind enough to accept my euros! No wonderful view I'm afraid as it was very hazy and trying to rain.
Chloë, in Kew
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Hello, Chloë, glad you are safely across. Plant World looks a nice place! ::)
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A few more images of Fritillaria meleagris, etc.......I love this time of year!
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Maggi, I am not sure if this is the right place for this question but I will ask you as you seem to know everything that has been said and I think I am getting senile as I can not remember if Ian has ever said what he feeds Frit seedlings on and if he keeps them growing as long as poss: I have never grown Frit from seed before so all the experts will have to excuse me for asking a silly question, one person said high nitrogen then when they die back the leaf feeds the bulb another says even NPK. Help Please. ???
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http://www.srgc.org.uk/bulblog/log2005/160205/log.html is the link you need to read about Ian's feeding regime, Derek. He mentions his "way" with seedlings there, too, of course.
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This Bulb Log gives an up to date review of Ian's bulb feeding, taking account of his move to plastic pots:
http://www.srgc.org.uk/bulblog/log2007/040407/log.html
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Thank you Maggi, I was sure inbetween the Dusting you would have time to find it for me
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"Dusting"... don't you use that kind of language to me, I'll take offence!
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Thanks Mark for posting photos of the Fritillaria meleagris in Oxford. I've been fascinated by its story (and the long history of connections between humans and the local flora) ever since I read about it in Richard Mabey's book "The Florwering of Britain".
Here in Eugene, Oregon we have our own "Fritillaria meadow" of sorts, with our native species, Fritillaria affinis. There is a population in a meadow (or "prairie") in Alton Baker Park, which is located along the Willamette River in the center of Eugene. Though not really endangered, F. affinis is somewhat of a rarity locally because some 99% of its original prairie and savanna habitat has been destroyed or altered for farming, livestock grazing, development, etc. So it really is fascinating to see this native population still surviving in the center of the city. Camassia leichtlinii ssp. suksdorfii also grows in this meadow (but is not yet flowering), and various forest and savanna remnants elsewehre in the park support a nice diversity of native wildflowers.
Another interesting thing about this population is how healthy and robust the plants are. Most plants have 3 or 4 flowers, some have five. Unlike the Oxford F. meleagris, there is little variation in the flower coloring, just the typical mottling of green and purplish chocolate brown. Actually the plants are pretty inconspicous amongst the grass, so I visited the site just before sunset to have better light to take these photos.
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Wow, Ed, these affinis ARE sturdy souls, aren't they? How pleasing to see plants so obviously full of health, multiple flowers and strong stems... shows they are not bothered by the competition from the grasses, doesn't it?
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Actually, that is a good question, as to why these plants are so healthy. They are growing among thick grasses, nearly all are introduced European pasture grasses, which typically a significant problem for our native bulbs and other wildflowers. The meadow does get mowed, once a year after the native plants set seed, and that definitely helps.
Our native meadows or prairies were actually greatly enhanced by the burning that the Native American people did before the arrival of "Euroamerican" settlers, and burning very clearly helps native wildflowers, especially members of the lily family. But this site is not burned these days. I have no doubt, however, that 200 years ago there were Native Americans digging the Fritillaria and Camassia bulbs for food, at this very site. The ironic thing is that digging bulbs, but only gathering the mature bulbs and leaving the rest, also enhanced the wildflower populations, again by reducing the growth of competing grasses. Especially with Fritillaria, this would help disperse the "rice" grains, and give them a better chance to grow and mature.
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I discovered this unusual Fritillaria acmopetala today in my garden
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Thanks to your excellent photo, Franz, we can see that the Fritillaria has two of every piece, inside too.
I thought that it was a "twin" flower from the first picture... one can see the hint of two stems in fasciation near the top of the flower. I wonder if others will show this feature this year.... Ian has mentioned on the Bulb Log the number of Erythroniums that are making real two and three headed stems this year..... perhaps the frits are doing the same, but getting a little confused!
It is lovely to see the Gentians you have posted in another thread, Franz... very beautiful and good to see that Spring is doing well in Vienna!
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Maggi,
Thank you for your comment. I agree with you. There are two blooms into one another. I noticed only one plant all other plants were normal.
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Some wild pics of Fritillaria lusitanica
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Rafa,
I am surprised over the colours variety of Fritillaria lusitanica. Thank you for your all fantastic photographs.
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Many thanks Franz,
Yes it is, is a very variable Frit, in size, colour and form. The green one has surprised me too. I have tried to put in the same picture the 3 forms of this little population (about 80 plants) which I discovered last week.
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Wonderful, Rafa!!! I am pink, green and purple with envy!
What sort of soil do they grow on?
Chloë
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Hola Chloë,
These fritillarias don´t grow in the spots were they usually do. This place is a public meadow used for cattle called Dehesa ,it is an oak wood (Querqus pyrenaica) soaked in water most of the year. Because of an ancient stone pit (middle ages,probably), the remains of the rocks have created a small gravel slope were species that need a very drained soil grow very well.
The funny thing is that ,together with the fritillarias you also have the proper flora of this marsh such a N. pallidulus... they take any opportunity!
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Congratulations to all of your nice Fritillaria! I love them all!
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Great to see them growing in the wild Rafa, Thank you very much :D