Cryptostephanus

James Waddick jwaddick@kc.rr.com
Wed, 12 Sep 2007 11:59:29 PDT
Dear Pieter,
	Your note made me go back and re-read Harold Koopowitz' 
account of the genus in his excellent book 'Clivia' (Timber 
Press,2002). This book is a must for Clivia fans and sure to induce 
clivia-envy.

	He mentions that hybrids between Crypt. and Clivia have been 
tried, but no success reported. Apparently the '3rd' species C. 
densiflorus has never been in cultivation. Oddly both C. densiflorus 
and C. haemanthoides are deciduous unlike C. vansonii or Clivia sp.

	Harold also mentions Cyrtanthus herrei (seen at 
http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/…) 
. This was originally described as a Cryptostephanus and looks 
remarkably like Clivia caulescens. !

	I grow a 'so called' pink C. vansonii, but the color only 
shows up if the bloom is during a cool period. IN warmer weather the 
flowers are essentially white like the 'typical' form.

	Intriguong plants. Thanks for the info.		Jim W.


>To answer your questions, there are 3 species of Cryptostephanus, C.
>vansonii from Zimbabwe, C. haemanthoides from Tanzania and C. densiflorus
>from Angola, the later has also been reported to occur in Northern Namibia.

.....

>As for hybrids between the different Cryptostephanus species, the other two
>species are still so rare in cultivation that I doubt anyone has attempted
>this. I suspect that such hybrids would produce some very interesting
>results.
>
>I have no idea how variable C. haemanthoides or C. densiflorus are, but I
>know that there are certain forms of C. vansonii with much darker pink
>flowers than usual.
>
>Pieter van der Walt
>

-- 
Dr. James W. Waddick
8871 NW Brostrom Rd.
Kansas City Missouri 64152-2711
USA
Ph.    816-746-1949
Zone 5 Record low -23F
	Summer 100F +


More information about the pbs mailing list