Cyrtanthus identity
Johannes Ulrich Urban (Sat, 02 Jun 2018 14:03:49 PDT)

Hello Leo,

Concerning your question about the donated bulbili: Yes, the two
donations BX 440-2 and BX 412-26 are bulbils from the same plant. I got
it from John Lavranos in 2014 and checked the label: it says Cyrthanthus
spec. (or Strumaria) not collected by John Lavranos. I remember that he
told me it was collected by somebody else but I would have put the
collector on the label if John would have told me. So I assume he did
not remember. The plants were pot grown and had impressive bulbs above
ground with lots of bulbili, mine by now are almost the same size as his
were. They have not flowered with him neither with me so the identity of
this bulb could not be clarified up to now. I dropped the Strumaria info
because I showed my plant to several knowledgeable friends who all
agreed it is not Strumaria but Cyrtanthus by the looks of the whole
plant. Sorry I cannot help any further...

The plant has been evergreen with me so far and requires water all year.
If it does not get enough water the fleshy bulbs go soft and start to
wrinkle and I have a feeling that this is not what they want. if they
are watered again the bulb becomes firm again very quickly. Right now it
looks as if it wants to lose most of its leaves if not all of them which
would be a novelty. But it has moved with me to Portugal and has spent
the winter outside in its pot in half shade. Maybe it adapts to a new
growth rhythm here? When I got if from John in April 2014 it was in leaf.

I know that some Cyrtanthus only flower after fire. But fortunately my
new garden has been spared from that natural event so far.... and I have
not dared to let a controlled fire run over it so far. But on the other
hand I cannot really imagine a very fleshy bulb sitting above ground
being happy in a fire.

Uli

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