Flowers and Foliage August 2008

[Brian Ellis]

They should grow well for you David, and are a lot hardier than most people think.  The bicolours seed themselves round the garden - with a bit of help from the birds no doubt

[Paul T]

Brian,

I wasn't going to give up on it.... it is just that my plant that I have now had for maybe 4 or 5 years doesn't have a rosette.... it has one, count it, ONE leaf each year of about an inch long.  That's it, never bigger.  I'm going to repot it soon if I think of it when I'm repotting, and put it into a sandier mix with some extra food and see what it does.  It'll either make it or kill it I think, but at the rate it is going now I'll be dead before it does anything, and I'm only 39. 

[Paul T]

Brian,

I've been trying to satisfy a hunch by checking the internet, but the results have been inconclusive.  My recollection of what E. schjiffii (I originally received it under this name, with the j in it) was supposed to look like was pinky flowers and darker foliage.  I was very surprised to see your plant looking so much like bicolor.  Unfortunately on google I can find pics that look similar to yours and some that show the pink flowers and purplish leaves, so I am no closer to working out what schiffii (also on google both spellings appeared, i.e schiffii and shjiffii) is actually supposed to look like.  I have had it in mind for years as having dark leaves (while googling I found a discussion I took part in back in 2001, which was sort of amusing and a little creepy... seeing a discussion from 7 years ago), and definitely having pink flowers.... one of the pics I found matched that while others look more like yours.  Is there any Eucomis expert out there who can confirm whether schiffii/schjiffii is that variable?  That's pretty widely differing, so I am wondering whether some are going around out there under incorrect names?  I got my little bulb years ago as something unusual, and the person I got it from I would doubt would have told me that if it looked that close to bicolor, so I am more than a little confused?  Can anyone clarify what it should definitely look like and how it is correctly spelled?

[Brian Ellis]

Paul, I too had thought it would have darker leaves.  I think it's a bit like snowdrops etc (had to get that one in for Maggi ) in that they really probably need to be vegatively propagated.  There are, as you say, some much nicer ones around and some disappointing ones too.  I was expecting the scape to be much shorter, but we have had heavy rain recently which may account for it's elongation.  I will look for seeds and start some more off, watch this space in another 7 years!
Just found this Eucomis schijffii from
B and T World Seeds' reference number: 432808
USDA average, annual, minimum temperature Zone:10
Type of plant - Perennial
Flower: dark dull RED or PURPLE
Foliage: 3-4 prostrate lvs,PURPLISH under
Height, in meters: 0.1 X

Not available at the moment but much more like your thoughts.

[Brian Ellis]

Paul, I've just been told that there is only one person in England growing the true Schijffii and that is Cecilia Coller.  Apparently she only gets about three seeds a year and there is a waiting list for them.  The one I had been sold is not the real thing

[Paul T]

Brian,

Sorry to have been the one to start you finding out it wasn't correctly named.  I do apologise. 

Did you get a proper description of the species?  So that we know what the actual true species is supposed to look like?  Maybe I can take the description out to my tiny plant and tell it to get it's act together. 

[Brian Ellis]

No need for apologies Paul, I am pleased to have found out, I think it will have to be a Eucomis not schijffii!  And now the search starts for the real thing.  I have put it on the wants list at B & T World seeds, and will try writing to Cecilia, unless I see her at the Bulb Sale.  This was the nearest I could find

http://www.aluka.org/action/showCompilationPage?doi=10.5555/AL.AP.COMPILATION.PLANT-NAME-SPECIES.EUCOMIS.SCHIJFFII&tab=species.info

Unfortunately cannot get full access to the site
Richard did say last evening that it was only 10cms high so a 'dear little thing'.  I suspect you may well have the real thing...can I ask where your source was?

[Brian Ellis]

Look what I found Paul

http://www.srgc.org.uk/discus/messages/283/41752.html

[Maggi Young]

Oh, yes, there is often a clue, eh? Some very useful stuff on the archived forum, isn't there?

Might be a good idea for newcomers to bookmark this link for future use.......

http://www.srgc.org.uk/cgi-bin/discus/discus.cgi
Following the first link you give, Brian, I see that the type specimen cited there was collected by Burtt and Hilliard, of Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, so presumably the herbarium there has material/details, also?

[Brian Ellis]

There is indeed Maggi, I am kicking myself for not having tapped this knowledgebase before.

Still I am happy with my dark stemmed E.bicolour x ? but I would have been will be happier with E.Schijffi (when I find it)

[Maggi Young]

I agree, Brian, your plant is very nice.... it would just be even nicer to lay hands on the real thing, which indeed is  a real little cutie.... wouldn't you know those guys in Gothenberg would be growing it?? What an amazing place that is! one day I WILL visit!

[art600]

I started this thread with pictures of my Hibiscus.  The following are the same plants one week on - too busy to post earlier.  Subsequent rain has meant that the display is now nearly over.

[Maggi Young]

Ooh, Arthur, what a show they are...... such a shame about the rain....in a really good year for the hibiscus, how long would you expect the display to last?

[art600]

Ooh, Arthur, what a show they are...... such a shame about the rain....in a really good year for the hibiscus, how long would you expect the display to last?

Difficult to remember, but I believe they have generally opened more slowly and the whole display has lasted weeks.

I will probably remove approx 40% of structure next Spring and then be amazed to see them recover to this size again.

[Maggi Young]

I thought that might be the case, Arthur.... the family Malvaceae are quite obliging in that habit aren't they....also in their capacity to be cut well back and regrow ...very handy.