NOVEMBER 2024

[Too Many Plants!]

Love those V. Deasii! They do strike me as V. Deasii, and definitely look different than my Capensis anyway. (Capensis Pics from previous years)

This Veltheimia was purchased as a single bulb from the succulent nursery in Vanrhynsdorp in South Africa in the year 2000. I am not sure if it is Veltheimia deasii but compared to the picture and description at Telos it could well be. I do not know if it is an acknowledged name so I prefer to put a question mark. It does increase by splitting but slowly so. With careful hand pollination it sets very few seeds, the seedlings are very slow to build up, none has got to flowering size so far. It is the first Veltheimia to flower with me.

I wonder if @Robin Jangle might have something to add on this subject?

[Anonymized User]

I heard my name!
Veltheimia capensis is a widespread taxon occurring in winter rain and borderline winter/summer rain. Always somewhat xeric though.

I have seen it near Hutchinson (close to Victoria West) where it grew on dolerite tors with various Lamiaceae and other herbaceous shrubs close to Rock Hyrax dens. The leaves were narrow, slightly undulate, dark green with a light glaucous bloom, short peduncle (approx 20cm) and a small almost capitate inflorescence of slightly curved red flowers. They looked like a miniature version of the coastal form of V. bracteata. BTW this location was so cold at night that a 1.5 liter bottle of water that I left in the foot well of my vehicle froze solid overnight.

In the Western/Moordenaars Karoo I saw small very striking variants. They were growing in dwarf grassy scrub - only the inflorescences were visible. The entire inflorescence was 20cm tall with bright red flowers! The leaves were very narrow - conduplicate with undulate margins, very dark grey-blue glaucous. A very striking sight against the bleak grass. I passed by these plants almost everyday and was lucky to collect seeds (11!). They grew incredibly slowly and every year there was less until none remained. This location was also bitterly cold - I know because my vehicle sank up to the axles in quickmud below a dolerite dyke and I was stuck overnight.

In Hex River Pass were the most spectacular plants. The leaves were very broad like some forms of V. bracteata and a beautiful powder grey. Inflorescences were tall (50cm) and the flowers bright pink - they looked like a very robust V. bracteata. They were growing on a steep cutting in quartzitic sandstone scree in an ecotone between karroid scrub and Protea dominated fynbos. Sadly all poached.

At the southern end of Piekenierskloof Pass were plants very similar to the Western/Moordenaars Karoo plants except a bit more robust and flowers more pink than red. Similar plants are to be found in Malmesbury growing on granite but always under woody shrubs in the shade.

There is only one recognised variable species with all the variations grading into each other. If you made collections of each of the various extremities of the cline and never saw the gradient i.e seen in isolation, one would be inclined to view them as different. But they are best viewed as a single variable species: Veltheimia capensis

[Uli]

Thank you, @Robin Jangle, for this great information on the diversity of the species. 

[Too Many Plants!]

And on that Veltheimia note...

Veltheimia Bracteata waking up!

A fun little tidbit on these...I found these years ago at, of all places (which I frequent so I'm pretty certain they only got a pot or maybe 2-3), my local HD! One lone pot.

...also, for a while now I've been wondering if I have these in too much full sun. They often get a bit fried looking.

[David Pilling]

those are Drimia numidica.

Seemingly it was once Urginea maritima var. numidica

What do you think the photos on the wiki are of?

https://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/DrimiaSpecies#martima

How do you tell the difference?

I'll do a wiki entry for numidica using the photos from here if that is OK? Or feel free to send in photos.

[Uli]

And on that Velthemia note...

Velthemia Bracteata waking up!

A fun little tidbit on these...I found these years ago at, of all places (which I frequent so I'm pretty certain they only got a pot or maybe 2-3), my local HD! One lone pot.

...also, for a while now I've been wondering if I have these in too much full sun. They often get a bit fried looking.

I grow my Veltheimia capensis in full sun and the border where it grows will be very dry and warm in summer. But the Veltheimia bracteata would not like this. It has a rather short dormancy, I am surprised that yours are only just leafing out now. They grow in dappled shade in a border which is irrigated in summer so the roots will find some moisture. As a pot plant in a cool room Veltheimia bracteata can be virtually evergreen.

[Too Many Plants!]

And on that Velthemia note...

Velthemia Bracteata waking up!

A fun little tidbit on these...I found these years ago at, of all places (which I frequent so I'm pretty certain they only got a pot or maybe 2-3), my local HD! One lone pot.

...also, for a while now I've been wondering if I have these in too much full sun. They often get a bit fried looking.

I grow my Veltheimia capensis in full sun and the border where it grows will be very dry and warm in summer. But the Veltheimia bracteata would not like this. It has a rather short dormancy, I am surprised that yours are only just leafing out now. They grow in dappled shade in a border which is irrigated in summer so the roots will find some moisture. As a pot plant in a cool room Veltheimia bracteata can be virtually evergreen.

I think I may have my Veltheimia reversed, to some degree anyway. My Capensis maybe in winter 50/50 sun vs filtered sun/shade, might be happier in full winter sun. And vise versa for my Bracteata. I've thought about moving my Bracteata many times, it just never makes it near the top of my MASSIVE to-do list. 

[Too Many Plants!]

those are Drimia numidica.

Seemingly it was once Urginea maritima var. numidica

What do you think the photos on the wiki are of?

https://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/DrimiaSpecies#martima

How do you tell the difference?

I'll do a wiki entry for numidica using the photos from here if that is OK? Or feel free to send in photos.

David, if you're asking me if you can use my photos, absolutely fine with that. I can try and find some past pics of my flowers too. If it works better I can send my pics for you, just let me know how/where to send them...

[Too Many Plants!]

I heard my name!
Veltheimia capensis is a widespread taxon occurring in winter rain and borderline winter/summer rain. Always somewhat xeric though.

Thank you for your contributions, Robin! It's always fun to get details like that from plant folks who live around, and see them in native natural habitat!!

I purchased 6 of those "Deasii" Capensis types, planted them in the ground, and now I'm not certain how many have survived after two years. This winter may answer that question. My "standard" Capensis are reliable every year leafing out and flowering.

[David Pilling]

if you're asking me if you can use my photos, absolutely fine with that. I can try and find some past pics of my flowers too.

Thanks. There are some forum flower pics here, question is of which one.

https://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbsforum/index.php?msg=2234


Send photos to david@davidpilling.com

[Carlos]

Hi @Too Many Plants! And @David Pilling

All plants in California, or 99,99% are numidica.

The first two sets of photos in the wiki show this species. The last photos from Morocco probably show numidica, too.


The bulb was used as a rodenticide even in Greek times and there was an experience to extract it at a large scale. The active compound could not be produced in a lab, so they grew thousands of bulbs. In the end the product was too toxic to pets and humans and cheaper compounds appeared, so the USDA gave / sold the bulbs to one or more nurseries.

I think that a couple of years ago I posted a link to one of the papers telling the story.

I have a few photos of wild plants in Mallorca, and some of true maritima. I will sum up the differences tomorrow.

[Too Many Plants!]

if you're asking me if you can use my photos, absolutely fine with that. I can try and find some past pics of my flowers too.

Thanks. There are some forum flower pics here, question is of which one.

https://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbsforum/index.php?msg=2234


Send photos to david@davidpilling.com

David, I emailed you the Drimia pics from the post, plus one flower pic I found from Aug '21.

[Too Many Plants!]

Hi @Carlos, I added a pic to my post on prior page of my flowers from 3 years ago, if you want to check them...

[CG100]

Drimia numidica was published by Manning and Goldblatt in 2004, in the Edingurgh Journal of Botany (60:557). The journal is open access.

Edinburgh Journal of Botany

https://journals.rbge.org.uk/ejb/article/view/1105

Interestingly, in view of the comment from @Carlos about it being used as a rodenticide, there are numerous published papers available online looking at the chemicals in the plant, especially phenols.

[Ron]

Flower pic added...of same bulb from August 2021 when the bulb was much smaller and only two headed.

What is the interesting plant in the watering basin behind the Drimia's inflorescence?