Dear Paul, I would appreciate a picture. Thanks Hugh --- Paul Tyerman <ptyerman@ozemail.com.au> wrote: > At 04:32 16/02/05, you wrote: > >Dear Paul, > > Do you have a picture of your > Harrisiana? > >You say it is the same as the Hughii? > > Hugh, > > I have been "told" that var harrisiana is a synonym > for S. hughii but > apparently that is wrong. Maybe that synonymy is > just in what is in > commerce around the place? According to Angelo in > Italy there are very > specific differences and he doubts that the real S. > hughii is in > cultivation, or at least not freely available. I > can send you a picture if > you'd!! > > >You mention 2 other forms which flower regularly > when > >the common species sometimes misses a year. Which > 2? > > I meant that the 2 other forms I have (i.e the var > harrisiana and the > 'Alba') flower very very regularly while the > straight species "can" skip a > year. It was commented on one of the lists last > year I think that it is > common for S. peruviana to miss a year, but I have > only ever seen it happen > once. I have grown it for years in pots and I have > never had a pot fail to > flower, no matter HOW bad the conditions it was in > were <grin>, but I HAVE > had my clump that has been in the ground for 6 years > miss flowering one > year for unknown reasons. I was stumped until I > read the comment about it > being common for missing years. It obviously isn't > "common" for it to do > it here but it can on rare ocassions. > > The pure white 'Alba' has flowered every year I have > had it in pots or in > the ground, and the var harrisiana flowers in spring > and/or autumn as it > feels like it. I have found that the var harrisiana > tends to be much more > reactive to its environmental conditions as it tends > to go dormant if it > gets dry, whereas the straight species and the > 'Alba' hold on for much > longer. The var harrisiana tends to put up leaves > whenever things are > right for it, and I think this may be why it can > flower in spring or autumn > as it feels like it.... in a good year it can then > flower in both spring > and autumn rather than just sticking to spring like > the 'Alba' and the > straight species we have here. The harrisiana > observations though are just > from my own plants that I have been growing for the > last 3 or so years. We > are in a bad drought at the moment but the pots are > watered regularly. It > has behaved quite differently in similar conditions > to the other ones, > which is why I have noticed it so clearly. I do not > know if these > observations hold true for others as I have not > spoken to anyone else > growing it. > > Hopefully this explains more clearly what I was > meaning. > > > Cheers. > > Paul Tyerman > Canberra, Australia. USDA equivalent - Zone 8/9 > > Growing.... Galanthus, Erythroniums, Fritillarias, > Trilliums, Cyclamen, > Crocus, Cyrtanthus, Oxalis, Liliums, Hellebores, > Aroids, Irises plus just > about anything else that doesn't move!!!!! > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > ___________________________________________________________ ALL-NEW Yahoo! Messenger - all new features - even more fun! http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com/