Wiki additions -- Massonia, Haemanthus, Dietes, Chamaescilla
Mary Sue Ittner (Fri, 28 Dec 2007 08:29:33 PST)

Hi,

I'm never sure if I should keep announcing wiki additions since I almost
never get any feedback to know if anyone does more than delete the post. So
perhaps people who care should write me privately and I could just have a
short list I could send an announcement to. I know some of the others who
add pictures have stopped telling people about their additions for the same
reason.

I just added some more Massonia pictures to the wiki. I also looked up the
key in the Cape Encyclopedia and see that it is the stamens that are the
distinguishing factors in telling the species apart. Massonia depressa has
anthers that are more than 2mm. M. pygmaea besides being smaller has
filaments of two lengths. Massonia pustulata has filaments longer than 10
mm (to 24mm.) and Massonia echinata 10 mm or less. So it looks like you
need to measure to be sure of what you have. I went out and looked at my M.
depressa and the anthers really are bigger. You can't see these subtle
differences in pictures. Photos added: Massonia depressa from Cameron
McMaster, Massonia echinata from Alan Horstmann (an unusual color) and
pustulate, Massonia jasminiflora from me and now blooming, Massonia
pustulata being pollinated (sorry these pictures aren't clearer, I had very
little time to get a tripod or even be sure of my settings, but was
fascinated watching the pollinator go from anther to anther), Massonia
pustulata from Cameron, and finally Massonia pygmaea from Alan.
http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/…

I also added a few more Haemanthus pictures a couple of days ago. The first
is of a hybrid I believe. Doug Westfall sent me seed of H. albiflos and one
of the seedlings was distinctly different.
http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/…
And I added pictures of H. pauculifolius now blooming for awhile in my
greenhouse. I obtained this from Telos a number of years ago, but this is
the first time it has bloomed and I quite like it.
http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/…

I also added a picture of an additional Dietes species that we saw in the
Royal Botanical Gardens in Sydney. This species, Dietes robinsoniana, is
native to Cape Howe Island, an island off Australia. I added an additional
picture from Alan Horstmann of Dietes bicolor at the same time.
http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/…

Finally about a week ago I added a wiki page for Chamaescilla
http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/…
This is an Australian genus with blue flowers. It's a charming little plant
we saw a number of times when we visited in September. It is not in the
Hyacinth family, but in the Anthericaceae family along with some other
Australian plants with the unusual root system that annually grows tuberous
roots from a cormlike stem. This family has been included in Agavaceae or
optionally Asparagaceae by APG II. Since Hyacinthaceae is also optionally
included in Asparagaceae that is one way genera with blue flowers that have
scilla in the name can be together.

Mary Sue