Fw: Gethyum atropurpureum

Lee Poulsen wpoulsen@pacbell.net
Fri, 26 Aug 2005 11:01:57 PDT
On Aug 26, 2005, at 9:30 AM, Pacific Rim wrote:
> What I most crave, though, is
> reliable information. How tall is the plant? The Chilean information I
> picked up says this blooms in August-September, but yours bloom in 
> May-June.
> You say it's easy to grow. Must one watch the watering regime? How 
> much cold
> can it take?
>
> In addition, Arnold has sent me a paper from the American Journal of 
> Botany
> that I am reading right now. Something about only 3 stamens ... as far 
> as I
> got when the telephone began ringing ... More when I can! Thank you 
> for your
> help!
>
>

Some of this information is on that Chilean webpage you mentioned.
It says the leaves are 30-60 cm long by 6-12 mm wide. The scape is 
20-60 cm in length.
It also mentions that the stamens have filaments that are united at the 
base in a ring and that generally 3 of them have fertile anthers.

Since it's found in the region in and around Santiago, which is very 
similar to the climate in California (i.e. mediterranean) this to me 
says it should be treated like other wet-winter, dry-summer bulbs such 
as the South African Cape bulbs or California native bulbs: fairly cool 
winters where it is watered or rained upon and kept dry and warm during 
the summer. The temperature rarely gets down to freezing, but it has on 
rare occasions gotten as low as the mid-20s °F. However, in-the-ground 
temperatures most likely never go below freezing but the foliage ought 
to be able to take the mid-20s.

Since it is naturally found between 33°S and 35°S that would correspond 
to the region centered around Los Angeles in this hemisphere. So the 
Aug-Sept flowering time should correspond to Feb-Mar flowering time in 
southern California. It does say that the flower has a somewhat 
disagreeable odor.

Of course plants in cultivation sometimes are able to thrive in 
climates quite different than their native one.

Don't know if that helps any,
--Lee Poulsen
Pasadena area, California, USDA Zone 10a


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