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Here's a first for me...hopefully, I don't get a spanking for breaking the rules. As I said...I was looking around to add more Holiday cheer to the Christmas-time end of our December thread. As most of my bulbs are emerging right now, I don't yet have many in flower. But looking around our Garden for flowers, I thought I'll bet some folks might get a kick out of this.

Not a geophyte, this is a "new world" drought-tolerant genus that spans areas in and around Mexico. Many know the commonly named plant in the genus native to northern Mexico, the Desert areas of California including the Palm Springs Valley, and Arizona. Ocotillo. The correct name is Fouquieria Splendens. Our plant pictured below is in the Fouquieria genus, F. Macdougalii, one common name for it is the "Mexican Ocotillo". It's said to eventually make a small tree. You'll see that I have it staked and tethered attempting to "train" its shape/habit. Flowering right now, and as it has gotten larger more branches flower together.

Oh, and how did I forget to mention...Hummingbirds LOVE these flowers! And I haven't noticed bees going to them.

I was looking to add more Holiday cheer here to the Christmas time end of the December thread. So here goes...

Update pics of my Veltheimia Capensis in flower. Pictured properly planted with a SA cousin Aloe Peglerae in the background, with flower buds emerging.

Here's another SA bulb that I really enjoy, making its Winter stage entrance....

Tritonia Deusta https://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/Tritonia

And a few shots showing how Moraea PolyStachya is naturalizing in many areas all over our Garden. In one pic you see they are engulfing a rare baby E. Ghellinckii cycad. Talk about a SLOW plant!😣 These M. Polystachya can be around bringing nice purple flowers (that the bees 🐝 Love) throughout our Garden from July through February.

@Too Many Plants! The discussion between myself and an other became somewhat heated and derailed your OP.

@Martin Bohnet & others that read it, my apologies.

@Too Many Plants! Yes for our Spring flowering Iridaceae I've noticed that on occasions the flowers have bleached streaks on the tepals. In habitat that happens when it is hot and dry (both air and soil).
It is worth remembering that in the hot dry areas plants flower early. In the Tanqua Karoo most flowering is over by mid winter before it starts to warm up.
Some shade - from distant trees or even directly overhead (no more than 40%) is beneficial. Even here I have planted trees on the western side of the growing area to provide some coolness in the afternoon.

You're doing a great job growing what are considered difficult plants.

Hi @Robin Jangle , @CG100 , @Carlos ,

Here are some follow-up close-up different angle shots, and with a US penny for scale for the G. Linearis ? bulb in question.

Needless to say, I believe this is a baby bulb.

Quote from: Arnold on December 20, 2024, 10:34:13 AMOthonna gymnodiscus

Ferraria densepunctulata

LOVE that Densepunctulata! I got that sp. in one of our recent BX's, but it has yet to pop out of the ground for me...fingers crossed.

Quote from: Robin Jangle on December 20, 2024, 01:18:17 AM@CG100 Two things:

The plant in the OP is growing in the full sun. It looks to be even sunnier than the habitat of most winter rainfall geophytes here in RSA.
So safe to say that foliage is not etiolated.

Hi Robin, could you be indicating my conditions are too sunny for some/many/most of my SA geophytes???

I appreciate your input. Thank you!

Quote from: Martin Bohnet on December 20, 2024, 09:11:23 AMAs you might notice, here are a few posts missing. We as Moderators /admins rarely intervene in discussions, but this was quickly escalating to a point where we don't want to go. Please keep discussions factual.

Hi Martin, I'm not exactly sure what you're getting at. If I did something inappropriate, my apologies. Please let me know specifically what it was (should I have not posted the BX info?), and I will do my best to refrain from that. 

I'm not aware of "missing posts", maybe I didn't see them? I thought this was just a good discussion about a SA bulb that was acquired through our PBS BX...and possible re-identification.

Merry Christmas to all!