Notes for Seed Exchange 13

[Jan Jeddeloh]

Notes for SX 13
Eleftherios Dariotis is a Greek plantsman.  You can see his seed list here.  https://www.mediterraneanseedsandbulbs.com
 
Moraea notes 
Moraea are naturally winter growers and expect to be planted and watered
in fall as temperatures drop. If they're planted in spring they may rot, or
they may germinate and then try almost immediately to go dormant, which
kills them. I have tried a few times to plant them in mid-winter, and even that doesn't
give them enough time to mature before summer.

"Moraea ciliata tall form:" This selection, from the Moraea King Bob Werra, is about 50% taller than the typical M. ciliata, and the flower colors range from bright sky blue to a smoky blue-purple. I can't decide which color I like best.
 
"Moraea villosa form O:" Seeds of the luscious magenta and blue form of the species, found at the extreme northern end of its range near Piketberg. They're easy to grow in my garden but don't seem to persist for a lot of years, so be sure to propagate them when you get the chance. For photos, go here and scroll down to form O: https://growingcoolplants.blogspot.com/2012/06/moraea-villosa-color-forms.html
 
About the Moraea hybrids and selections: I usually get only a few seeds from each cross, so it doesn't make sense to offer them individually. Instead, I grouped the seeds into seven mixes. I can't predict exactly what you'll get, because the genetics of Moraea are complex, but odds are it'll be interesting...
 
"Moraea villosa color mix:" These are all from species M. villosa, which has very variable colors. I hand-crossed about 15 different color forms of villosa for this mix. Every plant will be slightly different. To give you an idea of the range of colors, see the photos here: https://growingcoolplants.blogspot.com/2012/06/moraea-villosa-color-forms.html
 
"Moraea hybrids - selected bright colors:" This is a mix of crosses between some of my most brightly-colored hybrids, with tepals ranging from purple to orange. Many will look similar to M. villosa, but they'll be even more variable. You probably won't get a lot of spots or stripes from these, although you never know because they're very diverse genetically.
 
"Moraea hybrids - orange with contrasting eyes:" I selected crosses between some of my favorite orange-tepaled hybrids, which generally have blue, black, or sometimes green eyes. The species M. tulbaghensis and M. neopavonia are heavily involved in these crosses. If we're both lucky you'll get some flowers that look a bit like this: https://growingcoolplants.blogspot.com/2022/12/moraea-mm-19-65.html
 
"Moraea hybrids - spots and streaks:" I crossed some of my favorite hybrids that have spots and stripes on the tepals. I can't promise that you'll get spots on your flowers because the genetics are unpredictable, but these should give you a good shot at it. Parents include MM 17-10a, https://growingcoolplants.blogspot.com/2020/07/moraea-mm-17-10.html,  MM 15-89a and b https://growingcoolplants.blogspot.com/2020/05/moraea-mm-15-89.html, MM 19-26b https://growingcoolplants.blogspot.com/2022/12/moraea-mm-19-26.html, and others.
 
"Moraea hybrids - reddish and mauve flowers:" These are offspring from my continuing efforts to breed a truly red hybrid. I doubt you'll get a true red, but you may get oranges, mauves and brick colored flowers like MM 18-234 https://growingcoolplants.blogspot.com/2022/03/moraea-mm-18-234.html
 
"Moraea hybrids - bright colors with rings:" Crosses between hybrids that have clear colors, bright eyes, and a contrasting mottled ring around the eye. The parents include some of my favorite hybrids, including MM 18-333c https://growingcoolplants.blogspot.com/2022/03/moraea-mm-18-333.html, MM 18-334a and b https://growingcoolplants.blogspot.com/2022/03/moraea-mm-18-334.html, and MM 18-312a https://growingcoolplants.blogspot.com/2022/03/moraea-mm-18-312.html
 
"Moraea hybrids involving M. insolens:" These are hybrids involving a species that bloomed for me for the first time this year. Don't get too excited; there are only a few seeds, they're very variable in size (which is not a great sign), and their viability is also turning out to be inconsistent. I have no idea what the hybrids will look like, but M. insolens is a beautiful flower: https://growingcoolplants.blogspot.com/2022/12/moraea-insolens.html
 
Notes on Costus spectabilis
Costus spectabilis is a tropical geophyte typically growing on the forest floor in dappled sunlight or bright indirect light.  It should be grown in a well-draining soil mixture kept moist.  Deep pots are a must for this plant.  I bring my plants inside during winter dormancy and keep them at 60 degrees F so as not to kill the rhizome.  I would suggest referencing Volume 20, Issue 2 of the Bulb Garden for growing information on this rare and beautiful plant.