Sternbergia 2009

[Ragged Robin]

Sternbergia sicula flowers over five weeks long

They must be quite a sight in your meadow Hans, have you taken a wide shot showing more?

[Anthony Darby]

this is Sternbergia greuteriana from Melvyn for comparison flowering last month

Look at the difference in anther size Tony.

[Maggi Young]

this is Sternbergia greuteriana from Melvyn for comparison flowering last month

Look at the difference in anther size Tony.

Yes, that is one difference... the BD is working on showing other evidence of the difference that is S. greuteriana.... watch the Bulb Log for details!

[Gerry Webster]

this is Sternbergia greuteriana from Melvyn for comparison flowering last month

Look at the difference in anther size Tony.

Yes, that is one difference... the BD is working on showing other evidence of the difference that is S. greuteriana.... watch the Bulb Log for details!

Yes, the anthers are relatively large on Tony's (Melvyn's) plant but this does not seem to be a consistent feature - they are not so on my own plant, for example (posted somewhere above). Moreover, relative anther size does not seem to have been used previously as a basis for distinguishing species. I await with interest the BD's discussion - but I will take a lot of convincing that these plants should be distinguished botanically.

[Maggi Young]

Perhaps not so much a question of "larger" anthers  but longer, and held differently at full maturity- which is a diagnostic feature in, for instance, narcissus.
The BD's other point is also a recognised diagnostic, which seems to have been overlooked thus far!

[Tony Willis]

this is Sternbergia greuteriana from Melvyn for comparison flowering last month

Look at the difference in anther size Tony.

to me thats like asking has a person got blue or green eyes,does that make them a seperate species? I have looked at the leaves today and they are completly different colours.

[Anthony Darby]

this is Sternbergia greuteriana from Melvyn for comparison flowering last month

Look at the difference in anther size Tony.

to me thats like asking has a person got blue or green eyes,does that make them a seperate species? I have looked at the leaves today and they are completly different colours.

.................but if the eyes were a different size................the truth is out there!?

[Paul T]

And all we're talking about here is the visible differences for us to visually discern the species.  They may be all kinds of different underneath, hence the differentiation into species by botanists.  Going to the alien analogy etc.... if someone looked liked us but had a completely different internal structure, it would be classified as a different species, even though visually it appeared the same on the outside.

[pehe]

Hi Poul,
Looks like you have some super floriferous clumps there, are the clones near the wall ( south facing wall? ) flowering better than those elsewhere?
Tony, super specimens, are you going to give the last one back to Melvyn??
5 weeks for sicula seems great, in the UK flowering seemed to be a one shot affair, here we have had rain since my last post and this has bought on another set of flowers!

Hristo, my best garden site for Sternbergia is this south facing wall. Close to this wall lutea, sicula and greuteriana flowering is reliable even after a cold and wet summer, but as little as 1 m from the wall you only get rich flowering after a warm summer. Another experience is that flowering is not so rich the first couple of years after planting. It seems they like to be undisturbed and get congested before real good flowering occurs.

But I have a problem with this site. A big oak (which I would like to keep) take more and more of the sun in this bed, so in near future I will have to find a new home for my Sternbergias. I have planed to make a new rock bed in the open garden, but unfortunately there is no wall. Instead I will make a warm place at the base of some big stones facing south.

To all Sternbergia friends: If you have some photos or description of such a bed, I will be very glad if you could post them as an inspiration. Thanks!

Poul

[Maggi Young]

The BD's other point is also a recognised diagnostic, which seems to have been overlooked thus far!

New Bulb Log is loaded online ......http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2009Oct071254912563BULB_LOG__4009.pdf

[Gerry Webster]

The BD's other point is also a recognised diagnostic, which seems to have been overlooked thus far!

New Bulb Log is loaded online ......http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2009Oct071254912563BULB_LOG__4009.pdf

If anyone is interested, I have posted a couple of comments on the Bulb Log.

[Ragged Robin]

On my way to the Bulb Log this afternoon to find out what i should be doing!

[Pauli]

Hi,

my Sternbergias in front of a south facing wall!
A little past their best - sorry!

All the best from Austria!

Herbert

[Tony Willis]

Herbert great that you can grow them outside.

Here is a Sternbergia sicula in flower today.

Having read Ian's comments I can say that they have now closed up for the night. Another pot from the same area has remained open.

The S. lutea remain open.

[Gerry Webster]

Here is a Sternbergia sicula in flower today.
Having read Ian's comments I can say that they have now closed up for the night. Another pot from the same area has remained open.
The S. lutea remain open.

More variability within a single species?