YES!!! The "I'm so happy" thread. 2009

[Rodger Whitlock]

Can we see your mandrake fruits, Roger, my imagination is running wild with all the descriptions of seed production  

Nothing could be simpler. It's an overcast day with a little rain coming down, so ideal for taking good pictures.

The coin envelope at the back of the green plant saucer is 2" × 3.5", to give you a sense of scale. The black tray in the front contains such seeds as I've already harvested. Of the four fruit I've dealt with, two were dried out husks — perhaps a homeless slug hollowed them out to make a cozy nest. The other two had over 53 sound seeds between them, as shown.

You can see how some of the fruits were scalded by the brilliant sun last week.

The second photo is of my supposed Mandragora autumnalis in flower. You will note the purplish tinge to the cluster of flowers in the center of the rosette of leaves. This may, or may not, be diagnostic.

[Ragged Robin]

Very good pictures, thanks Roger for the scale set-ups, it will be intriguing to see future developments....

Great looking pine/leaf litter for your Mandragora autumnalis

[maggiepie]

Rodger, they look like tomatillos without their husks 

[Rodger Whitlock]

Rodger, they look like tomatillos without their husks 

Well, Mandragora is in the Solanaceae! Akin to tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, tomatilloes, potatoes, deadly nightshade, hensbane, bittersweet.

The fruit might even be edible (in some sense) when fully ripened, but the flesh is probably loaded with a witch's brew of alkaloids: hyoscamine, scopolamine, etc. Dangerous stuff.

When I separate the seed from the flesh, I'm always careful to wash my fingers thoroughly afterwards.

[Diane Clement]

It's interesting to see these successes and problems with Mandagora.  Thanks for showing the pictures of the fruits from your plants, Rodger.  I've never been sure whether it's OK to harvest them green and you will see from the following picture that the mice/squirrels/birds can move in before I do.  I've also been wary of harvesting it due to the poisonous nature of its relatives.

My plant was sown in 2001 from AGS seed.  So the seed was obviously not fresh seed but it germinated fine.  I planted it out in a couple of years into a gravel topped bed in an open situation but where it is shaded in winter and spring by the house.  It has always flowered well and fruited well. 
The pictures show the plant in March this year and how it looks now.  The seed will go to the exchanges as I don't need another plant .... 

[Lesley Cox]

I'm so happy!
 You didn't realize, did you, that when you freely use technical vocabulary (or, in the case of Lesley, give a recipe for Neenish tarts), you were causing my study to reek of ripening mandrakes. Yes, I'm so happy. And it's all your fault. 

We're happy that you're happy Rodger.

[Lesley Cox]

Sounds as if there will be plenty seed for everyone then which will make ME happy as I'm intrigued by this plant with so much history and legend attached to it. It IS on our Bio Index.

[Ragged Robin]

Overnight I see I've been upgraded to Hero Member - how cool is that 

[Lvandelft]

Overnight I see I've been upgraded to Hero Member - how cool is that 

Robin, that is not just cool. It's rather speedy too, within 4 months 
I used years to make it 

[Ragged Robin]

Not sure what I did to deserve it Luit    However this Forum has got my brain so charged in all directions and opened up a whole new world of exploration, in good company, that I'm enjoying immensely 

in other words I'm a:

Happy Enthusiast Replying Obsessively 

[Paul T]

Pretty accurate for most of us here I think. 

I realised that I have spent more than 57 days on this forum..... that is more than 8 weeks of my life here (and that is complete 24 hour days too!  ).  Quite scary really.  And that is with a few months break at various times when I have been too busy to get here very often.  Addicted is probably about the best term for it.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Robin,
I think it takes 750 posts to become a 'Hero'...
I wonder what that makes Paul wit 4600 odd posts  

[Paul T]

Luc,

A rather sad and sorry individual who has no life in the outside world!  

Or the simpler version..... it makes Paul with 4600 odd posts ==> a person who talks too much!

And I'm sure that many here would agree with the "odd" description being applied to my posts.

[Ragged Robin]

Paul and Luc, thanks for you amusing comments below is a selection of how you could be defined - me, I'm sticking to Hero Sandwich:  at sea -sandwiched between the professionals!  

[Maggi Young]

I'm so happy you are pleased with your hero status, Robin.... as Luc says, that is awarded for 750 posts..... have you seen that you have also been awarded your own Forum title, too..........