The Travel Giraffe

[ashley]

Over the years our family trips were regularly punctuated by a small voice from the back of the car: "More desolate wasteland!"

Perhaps if they'd let you sit in the front Ashley?

 
At least the poor mites had the sense never to ask "Are we there yet?" 
Credit where credit's due. 

[arisaema]

If those are the Corydalis seedpods on the two shown, what are the flowers like?

There's a picture of a flowering Oocapnos in the "Corydalis bible", plate 110 opposite page 137

[cohan]

The iris is my favourite too Tony, but then I would say that. I'd love to know what it is.

If those are the Corydalis seedpods on the two shown, what are the flowers like? On the Holubec species the foliage looks to be exceptionally fine (as in good, but also as in compact and deeply dessected).

Gerry has such good taste in flowers.

here's an image of one sp:
http://www.nargs.org/nargswiki/tiki-browse_image.php?imageId=2178

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks for that link Cohan. I'm afraid I don't have the Corydalis Bible. It came out at a time when I literally had no money at all except to pay the power bill and mortgage.

The foliage is incredibly good I think and I like the flowers too but I keep wondering what is there about its habitat or evolution that makes it produce such extreme seed pods.

[cohan]

Thanks for that link Cohan. I'm afraid I don't have the Corydalis Bible. It came out at a time when I literally had no money at all except to pay the power bill and mortgage.

The foliage is incredibly good I think and I like the flowers too but I keep wondering what is there about its habitat or evolution that makes it produce such extreme seed pods.

i'm afraid i don't have any plant bibles
i wonder if the bladders detach whole and then blow away to try to find another spot to grow? i've seen the seed of one of these listed--pavelka or holubec? but presumably you'd need to get it right after harvest?

[Lesley Cox]

The wind-blown bladder theory sounds very probably. There is a link to Jan Jilek on the "Blue Corydalis" thread that could be useful. The only thing is, the more people who know about it, the less likely I am to get there in time. He starts his seedlist in July apparently. I've had seed from him in the past and had just about 100% germination (though haven't tried Corydalis).

[cohan]

The wind-blown bladder theory sounds very probably. There is a link to Jan Jilek on the "Blue Corydalis" thread that could be useful. The only thing is, the more people who know about it, the less likely I am to get there in time. He starts his seedlist in July apparently. I've had seed from him in the past and had just about 100% germination (though haven't tried Corydalis).

i saw and tried that link--wasn't very successful for me--mostly got some kind of exe files that i couldn't open?? and one that i was able to open as a document was a 2005 seedlist..a bit confusing overall...

[arisaema]

Seed capsules being spread by the wind is correct, and Lidén and Zetterlund also say that the seeds do tolerate dry storage. The two species mentioned in the book grow in rough screes which aren't particularly easy to recreate in cultivation, but this species being a steppe plant should prove far more amenable...

Jileks site has always been a little weird, here's the direct links to his seedlist, his bulblist and the Corydalis-gallery

[cohan]

Seed capsules being spread by the wind is correct, and Lidén and Zetterlund also say that the seeds do tolerate dry storage. The two species mentioned in the book grow in rough screes which aren't particularly easy to recreate in cultivation, but this species being a steppe plant should prove far more amenable...

Jileks site has always been a little weird, here's the direct links to his seedlist, his bulblist and the Corydalis-gallery

thanks--dry storage tolerance is encouraging!
i did get that far at jilek's site-that's where i got the 2005 seedlist, and another file i couldn't open (the larger one)-it may be a windows 7 problem..

btw--great gallery--and sorry stellan for carrying on with this here!

[stellan]

Seed capsules being spread by the wind is correct, and Lidén and Zetterlund also say that the seeds do tolerate dry storage. The two species mentioned in the book grow in rough screes which aren't particularly easy to recreate in cultivation, but this species being a steppe plant should prove far more amenable...

I think they are hard to grow and that part of the steppe is not easy to recreate in cultivation. They grow in salt clay that dries in summer and are wet or frozen in winter. It's very hot in summer up tp 50 C and cold in winter down to - 30 C.

The capsules are spread by vind in June and after ants open them and bring the seeds to new places.

I'll send e-mail to Zetterlund and  see if he can give it a name

/Stellan

[stellan]

Here are two pictures from yesterday from North Kazakhstan about 50 km West of Aktobe. I travel now in farming area so not so many plants.

/Stellan

[stellan]

I got mail from Zetterlund and he told it's not Corydalis and if you want the plant you should order seeds of Leontice incerta. So when I thought it was a Berberidaceae it wasn't wrong...



/Stellan

[Lesley Cox]

So now we know!

That fumaria looks INCREDIBLY like the one currently smothering my vegetable garden. I doubt if I'll look on it more kindly because it comes from Kazakhstan though, even if it is the home of Marat Bisengaliev!

[cohan]

I got mail from Zetterlund and he told it's not Corydalis and if you want the plant you should order seeds of Leontice incerta. So when I thought it was a Berberidaceae it wasn't wrong...



/Stellan

i guess the bladders are not such a rare adaptation for this sort of environment.. i guess this would then have yellow flowers--very cool plant for sure!

[TheOnionMan]

Here are two pictures from yesterday from North Kazakhstan about 50 km West of Aktobe. I travel now in farming area so not so many plants.

/Stellan

What does the travel giraffe eat?