On Dec 4, 2005, at 5:43 PM, Matt Mattus wrote: > A couple of my still mystery Cyrtanthus' in bloom are even better than > last > year. You might remember, perhaps from my posting a year ago, that > these > we're two tiny Cyrtanthus seedlings which I had bid on at the IBS bulb > auction a few years back at Huntington Gardens, both we're labled > Cyrtanthus > elatus, anthough, when they bloomed last year, I feel that we all > agreed > that they they we're most likely a cross between C. purpureus or > another, > since the blossoms droop, yet they are quite large, about four inches > long > and brilliant vermillion. It's nice that they bloom through the > holidays, > regardless. > I may have said this in the previous discussion, but I think I got a bulb of this at that auction as well. I love it. I put it in an 8 inch clay pot and it has now offset so much that I think it will burst the pot next year. However, currently there are 7 large scapes on it with numerous large drooping vermillion blossoms on each scape. It is beautiful. And it always blooms at this time of year. I have another 8-inch clay pot that is also full of bulbs now, but it must be a different cross somehow, because although the plants and the flowers and scapes are almost identical (the orangey-red is a different shade and somewhat iridescent), this other one blooms in the summer. My Lachenalia viridiflora have also started blooming including some seedlings from last year. Other things currently in bloom are Crocus goulimyi, Narcissus viridifora, a N. viridiflora hybrid I got from Harold Koopowitz, Crocus ochroleucus, various and sundry Oxalis (I agree with Matt that now that I've started taking care of them and feeding them, they grow so much better and bloom like crazy), Achimenes still hanging in there, Ipheion hirtellum, and Scilla lingulata subsp. ciliolata. Some of the Polyxena are on their last legs and the last of the Narcissus serotinus faded away last week. Also fading away last week were Griffinia aracensis, Eucharis x grandiflora (and since it has gotten very chilly at night the past few days, that's probably it for them). --Lee Poulsen Pasadena area, California, USDA Zone 10a