Thank you Leo for these reminders about Malagasy pronunciation. LOL, regarding Cymraeg, it's such an endearing tongue. I work with many endangered Malagasy palm and orchid species and these marvellous epithets and place names are both befuddling and delightful, what a fascinating member of the Austronesian language group. It is one of my greatest dreams to spend time there. I got a bulb from Madagascar via the Massaras labelled as Rhodocodon sp. n°1 in 2007. It bloomed in September 2008 with globe-shaped pendent white bell flowers. I was too busy to get pictures. After seeing this ( http://bihrmann.com/caudiciforms/subs/…), I think I may have a tentative ID as Drimia rotunda which is endemic to the west of the island. It set seed without manual pollination and without the presence of a compatible species in bloom. After bloom the bulb decided to split, a behaviour that I have seen sometimes with very large Drimia maritima. I am also growing another that they offered as Rhodocodon sp. n°2 but it has not flowered and its leaves are quite different than sp. n°1. Seed sat unsown until May 2009. They took two weeks to germinate and I found it curious that they did so epigeally. These seedlings are pictured here at just over three months old: http://flickr.com/photos/morabeza79/…. The seedlings are growing very well this year with leaves at least 150% larger than last year. I would love to hear about others' experiences with Madagascar Drimia and also anything anyone might now about the conditions of their habitat. I read some place that they may behave as epiphytes but it have my doubts. In Honolulu these grew very well for me outdoors but needed a dry dormant rest in winter. I am now growing them indoors because summers don't get warm enough here in this frequently foggy part of Berkeley. Jacob Knecht Berkeley, California ---------- - http://www.flickr.com/photos/morabeza79/ On 29 June 2010 19:31, Leo A. Martin <leo@possi.org> wrote: > Uh... I think his name is Alfred Razafindratsira, pronounced > alphabetically with the accent on the DRAT, and the final -ea in the > plant's specific is Latinization. > We can thank a Welshman for deciding how to write spoken Malagasy in the Latin alphabet, which explains why it's so easy to sound out. (That was sarcasm.)