Himantoglossum robertiana

[fredg]

Himantoglossum robertiana ( formerly Barlia robertiana).
This chunky fellow started to flower on the 6th. I think a little early even for this species. I appear to have the greenish white (pinkish) variety and I am hoping another variant still to flower.
Very nicely scented large flowers ( for this type of inflorescence ) and you have to admit he looks happy

Woo hoo, the new season has started 

[Cephalotus]

Hi Fred,
a beautiful plant you have there. Maybe it is flowering a bit later in the wild, but it mostly depends on the temperature you provide your plants. An early flowering are my Ophrys speculum which are flowering since three weeks now (at least some of them), but that does not disturb me at all. I will just have to let them go dry dormancy earlier too.

[fredg]

Maybe it is flowering a bit later in the wild, but it mostly depends on the temperature you provide your plants.

Cold greenhouse with vents full open all year 

Nice  Ophrys BTW 

[mark smyth]

No heat?

Mine is also in the greenhouse and louvres open all the time but the plunge is heated to 5C

[krisderaeymaeker]

Himantoglossum robertiana ( formerly Barlia robertiana).
This chunky fellow started to flower on the 6th. I think a little early even for this species. I appear to have the greenish white (pinkish) variety and I am hoping another variant still to flower.
Very nicely scented large flowers ( for this type of inflorescence ) and you have to admit he looks happy
Woo hoo, the new season has started 

Great Fred and very early !

[krisderaeymaeker]

Hi Fred,
a beautiful plant you have there. Maybe it is flowering a bit later in the wild, but it mostly depends on the temperature you provide your plants. An early flowering are my Ophrys speculum which are flowering since three weeks now (at least some of them), but that does not disturb me at all. I will just have to let them go dry dormancy earlier too.

Very nice !
Do you grow them outside Chris ?

[Neil]

Fred very nice and very early,  1 of mine is just showing a spike.

[Cephalotus]

Hi Kris,
answering your question. No I keep my Mediterranean orchids indoor in my basement. It is suitably cold but only when the temperatures outside are not around 4*C at night and 8*C during the day, which occurred not that long time ago. Normally I keep the temperature in range of 3-5*C. When there are no frosts outdoor I open a small window so that a fresh and cold air can come in. They are with my carnivorous plants on a shelve I made with an artificial light. I lighten them about 12 hours a day with light of strength 4 x 40W + 5 x 18W from a distance of about 20-25cm. Next year I intend to add another 2x40W and 2x18W lamps. Than all the plants should be given equal amount of light to grow perfectly. I was always lightening my carnivorous plants, I just improved it this year and add additional lamp for the orchids.

Unfortunately, a green house is yet impossible for me to have. I made one once, but I could never afford heating it up. Especially when there were three weeks of -20*C last year in my city. I made than experiment, before I have been given the orchids from my friends, to test if I am able to keep a proper temperature with cheap means. I failed severely. The elements I used to make the green house now serve as a skeleton for my basement shelve. In the future... I hope to have an outdoor rock garden for Mediterranean orchids, which will only be covered from rain and from frosts during the winter.

[Anthony Darby]

I didn't think robertiana could stand much below 0^oC? I kept mine frost free.

[krisderaeymaeker]

Hi Kris,
answering your question. No I keep my Mediterranean orchids indoor in my basement. It is suitably cold but only when the temperatures outside are not around 4*C at night and 8*C during the day, which occurred not that long time ago. Normally I keep the temperature in range of 3-5*C. When there are no frosts outdoor I open a small window so that a fresh and cold air can come in. They are with my carnivorous plants on a shelve I made with an artificial light. I lighten them about 12 hours a day with light of strength 4 x 40W + 5 x 18W from a distance of about 20-25cm. Next year I intend to add another 2x40W and 2x18W lamps. Than all the plants should be given equal amount of light to grow perfectly. I was always lightening my carnivorous plants, I just improved it this year and add additional lamp for the orchids.

Unfortunately, a green house is yet impossible for me to have. I made one once, but I could never afford heating it up. Especially when there were three weeks of -20*C last year in my city. I made than experiment, before I have been given the orchids from my friends, to test if I am able to keep a proper temperature with cheap means. I failed severely. The elements I used to make the green house now serve as a skeleton for my basement shelve. In the future... I hope to have an outdoor rock garden for Mediterranean orchids, which will only be covered from rain and from frosts during the winter.

Very interesting to read  how you mannage Chris . Thanks to share your experience !
And the results with the speculum are very good indeed. 

[fredg]

I didn't think robertiana could stand much below 0^oC? I kept mine frost free.

There's been a good spell below 0ºC before Xmas and that didn't appear to bother them as can be seen with the flowering. We are forecast -14C over the next fortnight or so so I'll be keeping a close eye on the thermometers.

[Cephalotus]

Kris,
I really didn't put there any useful information. Believe me that when I will gather enough information and gain a bit more experience with those plants I will share my results. The thing is I already describer quite some about some fully hardy European orchid species. Unfortunately, I didn't have much time to translate all of them. But I have much more Mediterranean orchids than just Ophrys speculum. The problem is my friends made me a "students mix". They gathered quite some bulbs of many species and gave them to be just like that. I have NO idea what I have and where it is. I have an idea about the species, but which one are which I don't know. Until they flower I can just suspect. What is troublesome, there is still about 70 more waiting for me. I just didn't not know where I will put those... But I will have to think of something. Not often I am made such offers it would be unwise to refuse.

About Barlia robertiana (which name I prefer). Depending on where it comes from it can withstand frosts down to -7*C. At least it what I heard it has in one place in Portugal. I know that some plants can withstand more than we suspect, but because they are rare, beautiful and expensive, it is unwise to experiment with them like that. Especially when we have other means of growing them than outdoor. Beside, there are quite many interesting species, that can withstand -20*C, so why to force those that cannot?

If my knowledge could help anyone, I will be glad to share it.

[fredg]

About Barlia robertiana (which name I prefer). Depending on where it comes from it can withstand frosts down to -7*C. At least it what I heard it has in one place in Portugal.

I checked the temperature records for here. So far this autumn/winter we have had 16 nights at 0°C or below with a minimum of -6°C. I think my experience is backing up what Cephalotus has heard 

Just to throw another hat in the ring, no matter what our opinions are of taxonomists, should we use names we prefer or ones that are correct? ( Steps back behind the lead screen)

[Tony Willis]

Fred

what is correct,it is only an opinion. This is an endless discussion that never gets anywhere. I just leave my labels alone and wait for the name to come around again hopefully before I or the plant passes on.

[Cephalotus]

Fred,
I subconsciously forced this topic about naming plants, or lets narrow it just to orchids. It is like Tony wrote, it is never ending story and discussion, that rarely leads to anything helpful. I wrote a long answer with some examples, but there was so much of it that I do not want to overwhelm the topic with this off-topic. I have wrote you a PM with my previous writing and a few examples.