Hypseocharis pimpinellifolia

[Bern]

Hypseocharis pimpinellifolia of the Geraniaceae family is a geophyte from Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru.  It has nice flowers, interesting foliage, and forms a large tuber.  It appears to be in cultivation, but this is not done widely. It may be more commonly grown in the UK and the EU.  A search of the PBS list yielded no results and an internet search yielded no sources for seeds or plants.  Searches of recent NARGS and AGS SXs were negative.
 
Has anyone grown this plant that can provide some advice on its cultivation?  Does anyone have any information about possible sources for plants or seeds?  If so, you can contact me at 867ykcor@cox.net or by responding to the List.
 
Here's the link about is on the PBS Wiki.
 
https://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/Hypseocharis
 
Here's another link about it from the UK.
 
https://www.cotswoldgardenflowers.co.uk/encyclopedia/hypseocharis-pimpinellifolia-rcb-ra-m-2/
 
Thank you for your help.  I appreciate it.
 
Best regards,
 
Bern in Williamsburg

[CG100]

I would suggest droping Nhu Nguyen an email as the photo's are his.

I have not searched in this case, but in the past I have successfully searched for local seed suppliers in S America, who may not have a list online that Google can search, if any online list at all.

I have no idea how helpful he may be, but you could try a mail to Dr P Christian at Rare Plants UK as he seems to have a near endless knowledge of anything with bulbs, corms, rhizomes or tubers.

There is mention online, which I cannot find now, that the genus has synonyms, so trying to find those and searching may be useful.

[David Pilling]

I would suggest droping Nhu Nguyen an email as the photo's are his.

Nhu has put his email address on the page about himself on the PBS wiki, it is linked from his name in the plant's description.

Synonym is Hypseocharis corydalifolia - but neither name offers up any seed for sale. RHS plant finder can't find it either.

[Bern]

I would suggest droping Nhu Nguyen an emai

Thanks. I sent him an email a few days ago and I'm hoping for a response.  I found another reference about the plant on the Central Coast Geranium Society in California and I sent the author an email; so far no response.  It's a good idea about Dr. Christian at Rare Plants in the UK.  I'll email him also.

It's an odd plant, but a nice one. It's a summer grower and if kept in a very gritty potting mix or even pure pumice, it might grow well here. 

I'm surprised as to its apparent lack of availability. It might have been a passing fad a few years back.  Perhaps it is just too difficult to keep going.

I'll post if I hear anything positive.

Thanks again!

[CG100]

I'm surprised as to its apparent lack of availability. It might have been a passing fad a few years back.  Perhaps it is just too difficult to keep going.

If the few comments that exist online are correct, it would only ever survive long term in the UK as a greenhouse plant and what appears to be a huge tuber would demand a very large pot, which would make it a plant only for a specialist that fell in love with it, probably as an oddity, or as something challenging to grow.

[Bern]

If the few comments that exist online are correct, it would only ever survive long term in the UK as a greenhouse plant and what appears to be a huge tuber would demand a very large pot, which would make it a plant only for a specialist that fell in love with it, probably as an oddity, or as something challenging to grow.

Spot on again. And If you need plants from different clones to set seeds, as Nhu suggested, then it's even more difficult to propagate, unless the large tubers offset readily. 

Darn!