Neuquen and Mendoza, Argentina

[Kees Jan]

Here is another pretty plant: Ourisia microphylla

[Maggi Young]

Not only pretty, KJ... it looks like a perfect flower arrangement on the rock.

[Lesley Cox]

I received in my seed allotment, O. m. 'Hollowcliffe.' does anyone know how or even if, this differs from the "usual" O. microphylla?

[Dionysia]

Hello Lesley. I donated the seed although so might others of course. This form was originally introduced by Flores and Watson in 2001. They collected it from sheltered, cool volcanic rock faces between 1000m and 2000m in Nequen Province. They selected it because the flowers were slightly bigger at 1.5cm but especially because the flowers were a 'rich, intense colour. A sort of glowing pinky lilac, much finer than anything we have seen before'. When the original seed which I bought flowered, the seedlings were uniformly as described. Second and subsequent generations have retained these characteristics even though I was initially growing it alongside the original form. The seedlings are initially tiny so I find it best to sow fairly thinly to avoid the need to prick out to soon. Like all South American Ourisias it is a martyr to botrytis, much more so than Dionysias but paradoxically the compost must never dry out and during summer it needs to be kept very damp. I would recommend a gritty but moisture retentive acid mix. Also easily raised from cuttings and can be crossed with polyantha. Martin and Anna Sheader raised their stunning x bitternensis hybrids in this way and I have raised a few myself. Good luck.  Paul Ranson

[Jozef Lemmens]

Hi Paul,
Can you tell something about your way of handling Ourisias when they are in flower?
I am able to keep my plants going on and even getting in full bloom (with lots of flowers), but than the troubles start when flowers are wilting. I always loose a big part of my plants. What’s the secret.

[Maggi Young]

A reminder that as well as Kees Jan's "smugmug" link, to see more of his photos, there are also more from K-J and from Ger van den Beuken, in the flemish Forum: http://www.vrvforum.be/forum/index.php?topic=641.0
 

[Kees Jan]

And I'm going to upload 176 pics from the Dolmuyo Volcano area at
http://keesjan.smugmug.com/Botanical-trips/North-and-South-America/Neuquen-January-2012-Argentina/

It will take a few ours, but this will include some great plants including flowering Viola atropurpurea. I will probably upload some of them to this thread tomorrow...

[Maggi Young]

A treat in store for us, K-J 

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks for that information Paul. I still have a tiny seedling from last year's list and have grown O. microphylla maybe 3 times before, to the "lots of flowers" stage that Josef mentions, then, like his, sections of the plant die back for no reason that I can see. No obvious botrytis but that's not to say it isn't there. Maybe a plant to try with a dose of trichoderma in the compost? The compost is perpetually damp, humusy and gritty. I've also had polyantha to flowering but then lost that one as well. I'd dearly LOVE to have a try with the Sheader hybrids They look absolutely stunning. Are they or yours fertile?

[Kees Jan]

Two Asteraceae and a Viola for you to enjoy...

First one of the most beautiful alpines: Chaetanthera villosa

A RED Nassauvia of some sort. Possibly N. revoluta.

Viola atropurpurea

[Dionysia]

Lesley/Jef. Although I've had some success with Ourisias there are better growers, particularly Martin and Anna. I find that one of the most important requirements is to snip off each flower as soon as it is going over as they quickly go soggy. If they fall off then pick them up with tweezers and also snip off the stems from which they came as the embryonic capsule can also go soggy. Make sure you delve into the crown of the plant as they quickly rot and botrytis sets in. If you want seed it is only necessary to leave a couple of capsules near the edge (but monitor them) as they set copious, dust like seed. If there are no more buds forming on a shoot I trim back to a side shoot. In the autumn when flowering is finishing I cut back to perhaps 3cm from the crown. Also remove any limp shoots immediately. The plants quickly go woody in the centre, I guess it's just a sign of age, I think 4-5 years is as much as most people can hope for. I've had plants with a main stem approaching 1cm in diameter but even this is only after that period. Although they are clearly very hardy in the wild, I and others found they suffered particularly in the very cold period in early 2011. They come from very windy places so the key must be air circulation although my 24x7 fans clearly didn't compensate then. I have also had two seedlings in a totally unprotected trough for two years but they have remained tiny and have not flowered.
As regards hybrids, the original f1 hybrids were created by Martin and Anna by using microphylla as the seed parent and polyantha as the pollen parent, possibly the Cliftonville Scarlet clone which has bigger, brighter flowers. The seedlings were pretty uniformly deep pink with pale yellow guidelines and they named the most vigorous one Cliftonville Roset and used it to raise f2 seedlings in a range of colours in the yellow to red spectrum. I tried the same cross in 2007 but using microphylla alba but all three seedlings which germinated were indistinguishable from Cliftonville Roset. I know Martin and Anna have also now raised f3 hybrids although I'm not aware whether any have been distributed. They have also raised hybrids with Ourisia serpyllifolia but I believe these were disappointing, rather like that species itself. Although I spend most of my time with my Dionysias I do currently have two small f3 seedlings ex Cliftonville Ling, a reddish purple clone, so I await their flowering with interest.
PS Jef I hope you are enjoying your retirement.

[Kees Jan]

Chuquiraga straminea
Oxalis adenophylla

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks for that information Paul. It all sounds good and I'll print it I think, against a future opportunity for seed raising.

[Kees Jan]

Cistanthe picta, Leucheria aff. acaulis and Chaetanthera chilensis

[Jozef Lemmens]

Thanks for the information Paul. My retirement causes still a strange feeling. I am waiting for spring.
Kees Jan, thanks for the beautiful pictures.