Biarum marmariense, and mystery Scilla on the wiki

Brian Whyer brian.whyer@which.net
Mon, 11 Oct 2004 02:07:57 PDT
> That Scilla looks like a wonderful clump of Scilla natalensis.
> Liz W

Liz

That was my first thought, but as I have only seen S. natalensis in
South Africa as a very tall, ~3', weedy leggy plant with small leaves as
a basal rosette, flowering in around Christmas, I dismissed it.
Consulting my limited library, it seems to be a much more variable plant
than I thought, and maybe the cooler duller summers in the UK and
greenhouse treatment induces leafing up sooner, and flowering much later
in the season, than in its native habitat. In my experience plants like
crinum and eucomis flower much later in the season here, compared with
the Cape.

Brian

> >I have also loaded a rather attractive Scilla to the mystery page in
the
> >hope someone can identify it. I hope to acquire a bulb or two next
year
> >if I can get back to the nursery in the spring. There is slight
spotting
> >near the tips of the leaves, not obvious in the web photo, but
otherwise
> >the leaves are a fresh green with a very slight farina.
> >http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/…
> >
> >Brian Whyer, zone 8'ish, Buckinghamshire, England



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