Gymnospermium 2009

[Sinchets]

Hi Diane. I checked my Flora Bulgarica and Leontice leontopetalum grows from sealevel to around 200m from the Thracian plains across to the sea, and again at the other side of the country in the Struma river valley. Both of these lowland areas border onto Greece, so maybe this species has moved north into an area where it is also able to grow. The Struma area is generally warmer than most parts of Bulgaria and it seems to have a very 'Greek' flora,  but the Plains can be quite cold in winter, as cold air sinks down from the mountains. The Leontice is certainly on our list of plants to find, and it woud be great to have a form that is more resilient in gardens. Bongardia isn't native here, but has seemed happy so far.

[olegKon]

Bongardia survives winters in Moscow happily provided it is planted deep enough. But it resents summer wet so should be kept dry during dormancy.

[Janis Ruksans]

Gymnospermiums here just started blooming in my polytunnels. Pict G. darwasicum and altaicum is from my collection, G. albertii I hasn't digital picture, only as TIF file not usable in forum. G. odessanum got only last summer from my Ukraine friend and it now comes up. Plant under that name in Gothenburg BG really is altaicum.
The largest tuber what I have is 16 cm in diameter and it didn't fit in my largest size (15 x 15 cm pot) and it is more than 20 years old. They grew well but can be multiplied only by seeds. Most difficult are just first years when tubers are small. They are very susceptible to dry out. Even tubers of size an inch in diameter must be kept in box covered by sand. In my first garden on sandy soil they multiplied by selfssowing in open garden.
Janis

[ashley]

Those are fine plants Janis.  Thanks for the comments on culture conditions. 
We look forward to seeing the others you mention later

[Janis Ruksans]

Gymnospermium albertii after a night with minus 5 C inside greenhouse and minus 12 outside. Still night full of cold ahead. Fortunately killed only leaves of few Biarums.
Gymnospermium odessanum slowly comes up but from it I have small tubers got only last autumn, so spikes would not be so large.
Janis

[Tony Willis]

Janis lovely plants amd good to see. Are they self fertile,I have had mine many years and never a seed.

[ashley]

Another beauty Janis; thanks.  Do they take long from seed?

[Janis Ruksans]

I never handpollinated my Gymnospermiums and allways had at least few seeds but I don't remember - had I sometimes only one plant?
They develops quite fast, usually first flowers are on 4th seson when tuber is more than 1 cm in diameter. Most dificult to keep them alive just in first 2-3 years as they easy can overdry. Sometimes I lost all seedlings and there were periods with very few plants left. Now stocks are going up and I hope to offer in few years them again in my catalogue. Of course it looks that they didn't hybridise, I never got intermediates regardless of growing side by side.
Janis

[Diane Clement]

Janis lovely plants amd good to see. Are they self fertile,I have had mine many years and never a seed. 

I've also had mine for years, and last year was the first time I got seed, don't know why, it wasn't as though it was a good summer.  I sent some to the seed exchange, I sowed some and amazingly, it has germinated.  Now the difficult bit ahead to get them to flowering size

[Tony Willis]

Diane following your post I have just popped out through the gale to look at mine. I am pleased to say it seems to be covered in seed pods, so I will report later if it has actually set seed.I am not sure why I want any more but just cannot resist prodding about with a paintbrush and then sowing anything that results

[Janis Ruksans]

Today started blooming old Gymnospermium albertii tuber. All those stems are coming from single tuber.
Janis

[Tony Willis]

I thought I would put this one here as they are related to gymnospermium. I grow it in exactly the same way

Bongardia chrysogonum

[Sinchets]

You may have already seen the pic on our travelogue- here is Leontice leontopetalum ssp eversmannii in a field in Greece (alt. 530m, soil= solid terra rossa with signs of digging by wild boar!)

[bkghi]

I need some information about Gymnospermium microrrhynchum: its general description, ad some sort of phyllogeny. If any of you have some information please give me. Is Leontice microrrhynchum and Gymnospermium microrrhynchum same?

[Maggi Young]

Greetings, " bkghi", welcome to the Forum.
The RHS database only lists three Gymnospermium ........ G.  albertii  ( and Leontice albertii as a synonym),
 G. altaicum  and G. sylvaticum.......so I'm at a loss to help you, sorry.