[solved] strange and prolific

[Martin Bohnet]

Hi all,

A case of complete loss of origin and ideas (though the basic look says Asparagaceae to me). I guess I've found my personal Tribble-Plant: born pregnant. There are bulbils in the grove of the one, rather succulent leaf of the mother bulb which wasn't much bigger than these bulbils - any idea what I'm growing here, before this grows into a "mortal enemy of the Klingon Empire"?

[David Pilling]

Interesting photos, Martin. Would be good for the wiki, once identified. The trouble with tribbles, was an excess of fecundity, and that would make me wary of your plants. I would be following the teachings of KIRK, and isolating them in the forward baggage hold.

[Leo]

"Does anybody know who put the tribbles in the Quadrotriticale?"

[Judy Glattstein]

Martin, could it be Lachenalia bulbifera? To quote from PlantZAfrica -  " The specific name bulbifera is derived from the Latin words bulbi, meaning bulbs, and fero, meaning bearing or carrying, and refers to the bulbils that often develop along the leaf base margins in certain forms of this species"

[Judy Glattstein]

P.S. And before tribbles ever appeared on the Enterprise there was Robert Heinlein's juvenile novel, the Rolling Stones which featured https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_cat

[Arnold]

Harry Mudd!

[Martin Bohnet]

@Judy Glattstein :Not sure where I should have obtained Lachenalia bulbifera

from, but the basic Idea wasn't bad - checking my fall exchange doku I found that I've taken over the leftovers from Lachenalia paucifolia

donated by @Uli - the leaf shape fits better than bulbifera, but does that species the hen&chicken thing?

@Arnold : no! Cyrano Jones - the one that's just shady and not a killer like Mudd - at least that's what Rainn Wilsons modern take on Mudd is in Discovery/Short Treks.

[Martin Bohnet]

@Judy Glattstein, you were right on point - what now flowers seem to be a pale form of Lachenalia bulbifera

, with only slightly hinted spots on the leaves - I usually have troubles with Lachenalias, so this flower seems to tell me I need to keep them warmer - I'm also happy that they feel comfortable staying wet-ish all summer as they share their pot with some Huernia zebrina I got from Uli.

Sidenote: Strange how completely they change once they approach flowering age - seems an interesting strategy: throwing around Bulbils until one has a good place to develop - that's when they abandon ace life and go for the sexual part...