Madagascar November 2015

[Hoy]

Also common along the road: Passiflora subpeltata, not native but naturalized.




Late afternoon in the central valley which was settled only 300 years ago. A haze covered the landscape.




Paddy fields cover every valley bottom!




The mountains!




Wide patches of Clematis grows in the burnt fields.

[Hoy]

Typically the valley bottoms were used for growing rice but also a lot of other cereals and vegetables.




Discussing the route and the waterfalls; king's fall and queen's fall. An ancient king and queen didn't get children - until they bathed here.




Unknown shrub but it can be a Helichrysum. More than 100 species are known here and a lot is still unknown!




Another Asteraceae (?) More than 100 genera with more than 500 species exist on the island.




And a Fabaceae.

[Hoy]

An endemic Geraniaceae - only two species are known. Geranium arabicum and G. andringitrense. I think this one is andringitrense.



It was locally common in the shade of other shrubs.


Salvia leucodermis. This species was very abundant. Most were plain white but some had a faint blue tinge.




The Clematis again - at 2000m.




Another Asteraceae.




Soon lunch -but this site proved to be botanically interesting.

[Hoy]

Two blue-flowered monocots - The first is Aristea probably and the second is Xerophyta.






Have we seen this before or is it another species. It is much bigger than the previous ones on the sandstone. Xerophyta sp.

[shelagh]

WOW Trond only just found this thread. What wonderful plants, my jaw dropped as I was watching.  Just one point I don't think we need drought tolerant plants just at the minute.

[Robert]

Trond,

I find myself surprised that I am familiar with a few plants you have shown. Salvia leucodermis is grown in the mild parts of California.

The report continues to be fascinating. Thank you for sharing.

[Maggi Young]

The rock formations are also of great interest. This is just a treat, Trond!!

[GordonT]

Trond, in the last pictures above, it looks like one of your plants is a species of Xerophyta. I tried growing Xerophyta viscosa, but without any clues on how to do it right, ended up with no seedlings.

[Hoy]

WOW Trond only just found this thread. What wonderful plants, my jaw dropped as I was watching.  Just one point I don't think we need drought tolerant plants just at the minute.

Thanks, Shelagh   It was an adventure to be there but in a month or two the flower power would have been even more overwhelming
 
No need for drought tolerant plants here either - I could have grown water lilies in my lawn

[Gabriela]

I am having a very enjoyable armchair journey Trond 
Aristea would make a nice rock garden plant for those gardening in a proper climate. Remainds me of a blue Sisyrinchium.

[Hoy]

Trond,

I find myself surprised that I am familiar with a few plants you have shown. Salvia leucodermis is grown in the mild parts of California.

The report continues to be fascinating. Thank you for sharing.

Robert,

I was also a bit surprised to find plants I was quite familiar with and plants actually native to Norway too! But most were unknown, at least at the species level.

[Hoy]

The rock formations are also of great interest. This is just a treat, Trond!!

Maggi, I was sorry I couldn't bring some rocks back! They had made the best rock garden ever

[Hoy]

Trond, in the last pictures above, it looks like one of your plants is a species of Xerophyta. I tried growing Xerophyta viscosa, but without any clues on how to do it right, ended up with no seedlings.

Thanks Gordon, you are right! I had neither heard of the genus Xerophyta nor the family Velloziaceae before! But the plants fit perfectly in that genus, although the species is a bit more difficult. About 10 species are described from the area but about 25 are still undescribed!

[Hoy]

I am having a very enjoyable armchair journey Trond 
Aristea would make a nice rock garden plant for those gardening in a proper climate. Remainds me of a blue Sisyrinchium.

Me too - but I am sitting in the sofa     2 species of Sisyrinchium are known from Madagascar!

[ashley]

Trond, your pictures reminded me of Brazilian Vellozia spp. which are reputed to be tricky to grow. 
Doubtless there is some expertise among forumists