Rauhia multiflora cultural suggestions requested

Your culture for R. multiflora sounds excellent. Yes, R. peruviana is
a synomyn that refuses to die for some reason. They are summer growers
so if they loose all leaves it will be in winter, when they can be
left completely dry for several months. Sometimes they will keep a
leaf or two, sometimes not, but they are dormant in winter even with
leaves. As with amaryllids generally, self-compatibility is variable.
In my experience at least a few per umbel of selfed (hand-pollinated)
flowers of R. multiflora will set seed, same with R. staminosa, while
R. decora is strongly self-fertile. All will make offsets eventually.

Rauhia decora has similar cultural needs but requires shaded
conditions lest the leaves scorch; it is typically evergreen. The
flowers are very different from the other two and resemble those of
Eucrosia.

I am glad to see some interest in this fantastic (if small!) genus. I
am writing an article on Rauhia and would appreciate hearing from
members about their experience with material of known wild origin
(with locality) and field notes and field photos.

Alan Meerow is, I believe, writing up a new Rauhia presently. There
are other 'anomalies' that need to be sorted, such as smaller,
definitely deciduous plants with bluish-glaucous leaves. They appear
to fall in with R. staminosa.

On 2/8/07, Dell Sherk <dells@voicenet.com> wrote:

Dear All,

I would like to add my lucky, but stumbling experience with Rauhia
multiflora (mine came labeled "R. peruviana," but I gather they are the same
thing.) I grow it in a heated greenhouse. I have had it for 4-5 years. It
never went dormant, even during the summer, when it baked in severe neglect
inside the greenhouse (temps to 120F at least), but got an occasional light
watering. Last year, it bloomed about this time of the year with leaves.
This past summer or fall, its leaves turned yellow and died. So I watered it
a little less (a splash every two weeks?) And now it is putting up a bigger
scape than last year. But our weather has been unusually cold (<10F) and the
temp in the greenhouse went down to 30F before I adjusted the heaters. After
hearing Dylan's advice about temps with this one, I moved it to a heated
room with a very bright window. That was this morning. It is very pleased,
and the scape grew an inch today. Leaves are beginning to appear too. It is
in a deep pot (6" long tom) in a mixture of pumice, and coarse, stream
sand/gravel with almost no organic matter. It is planted at soil level, and
I feed it once or twice/year with either a time release general purpose food
or a time-release bulb food.

Does anyone know whether or not it is self-fertile? I tried last year, but
nothing happened. Alan Meerow, are you still on this list?

I also have two pots of Rauhia decora (seed from Alan). And here again, I
don't know how to grow them. This makes it fun! I haven't killed them yet,
so this makes them success stories in my checkered record. I second our
member, Tony Avent's, motto, "I consider every plant hardy [growable] until
I have killed it myself...at least three times" - Avent

BX 140 should go out on Monday.

Best wishes,
Dell

Dell Sherk, SW PA, USA, Zone 6/7

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