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From Pamianthe on Monday 21st of September 2026 05:16:44 PM PDT
Pamianthe peruviana Stapf is the most commonly grown species. It grows as an epiphyte on tree branches in moist forests in Peru. It prefers moderate temperatures, and can do well as a houseplant if grown like an orchid in a very open mix. It is not tolerant of extreme heat or cold. The flowers are produced in early winter and are on very short stems, each producing a pair of large scented flowers. The flowering tube is an amazing 20-25 cm long, and must need a very specialized pollinator. Each flower has a central corolla, and opens a greenish yellow which lightens to pure white, measuring about 15 cm across. Reports of self-compatibility is mixed where it seems that in the proper age, growing conditions during flowering and genetic clone, this species would be able to self. A successfully pollinated flower produces a pod that takes 15 months to ripen. The bulb has the appearance of a leek, with a long neck formed by the bases of the leaves, and needs to be grown on the surface of the mix. Bulbs will naturally try to grow horizontally, with the long arching leaves spreading downwards. Height: 40 cm. Photos 1-3 by Diana Chapman. Photos 4-5 were taken by Hans Joschko.
There was a discussion (starting here) about the length of the flowering tube and pollinators. Photo 3 above was added to clarify; the ovary is the darker green thickened area at the end of the floral tube. The photos below were taken by Nhu Nguyen showing the flowers, scale of the flowers, and the habit of the plant.
The photos below were taken by Uluwehi Knecht showing vegetative characteristics of the plant.
From Macropidia on Sunday 20th of September 2026 05:08:30 PM PDT
Macropidia fuliginosa, also known as the "Black Kangaroo Paw", grows in kwongan and woodland in lateritic soil. It has fans 20 to 50 cm long with a flowering stem to 1.5 m and flowers 5-6 cm. It is hard to come by outside of Australia. There is a magnificent bed of these growing in Kings Park and Botanic Gardens in Perth, Australia. I couldn't believe it when this became available from an Australian native plant specialty nursery here in Southern California. So I bought one. It is sending up scapes now and the fuzz on the buds are really and truly black (as opposed to a really dark purple or red). I think it is very striking. Photos taken October 2006 by Lee Poulsen.
Photos taken in Kings Park, Perth, October 2007 by Bob Rutemoeller and Mary Sue Ittner. It is a little difficult to photograph the bed as the flowers blend together into a mass of color.
From Worsleya on Saturday 19th of September 2026 05:00:25 PM PDT
Worsleya procera (Lem.) Traub, syn. W. rayneri (Hook.f.) Traub & Moldenke, is one of the most sought after and rarest of the bulb world. It is native to Brazil. In its native habitat these plants grow on steep granite cliffs/well drained area, fully exposed to wind, rain and sunshine, constantly subjected to mist from waterfalls. It produces large clusters of gorgeous lilac-blue flowers, speckled mauve within, blooming in mid-summer on stems up to 1.5 meters tall. Plants are not truly self-fertile. Seedlings produced from selfing do not survive very long . Good seeds will last about 9-10 months (Terry Hatch).
It is very exacting in its requirements, including potting medium, temperature, sunlight and water. A position in bright light, not necessarily in full sun, but morning sun, would suit it best (Bill Dijk). Various growers have success with different growing media, but this is dependent on where the bulb is grown. In the US, one of the best media is pumice. A detailed, illustrated article on how to grow W. procera in pure pumice can be found here. It was written by Dr. Paul Resslar of Wesleyan College.
Lee Poulsen posted to the PBS list a description of the climate where this plant grows; see also Organ Mountains Climate Graphs.
To grow from seeds, either float the seeds in water or sow them directly under a thin layer of the medium. Daryl Geoghegan uses 80%25 spent orchid bark (1/2" size) and 20%25 white sand. He leaves the plant in a breezy location and waters them daily. Germination takes about 3-10 weeks at 18-24 °C.
Seedlings and adult bulbs do not go through a dormancy period and will continuously grow throughout the year. Use very fibrous soil, slightly acidic. Water with rain water only. Allow the pots to dry out thoroughly between each watering (Thompson and Morgan catalog).
Photo #1 was taken by Bill Dijk and photos #2-4 were taken by Lee Poulsen of a clone which was grown in the mountains of Veracruz, Mexico. Lee's photos were taken in September 2004. Photo 5 of a bulb by Pontus Wallstén.
Photos #1-3 were taken in situ by Nicolás Garcia on steep granitic morros that surround Petropolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photos #4, 5 by Alan Meerow at the same location.
From Tapeinochilos on Friday 18th of September 2026 05:14:17 PM PDT
Tapeinochilos ananassae is also known as the Indonesian Wax Ginger and is native from Malaysia to Queensland, Australia. It grows to about 8' (2.5 m) tall. Photos below were taken by Nhu Nguyen at the Lyon Arboretum, Hawai`i, USA.
From Homeria Two on Thursday 17th of September 2026 07:21:11 PM PDT
Moraea miniata Andrews (syn. Homeria miniata) (Andrews) Sweet is widespread (Namaqualand, Roggeveld, northwest, southwest, and southern Cape), growing mainly on clay slopes, renosterveld and karroid scrub. It has two or three linear leaves, usually salmon flowers, but sometimes yellow or white and is minutely speckled in the center. Height range: 15-60 cm. It is poisonous and has a number of ways of spreading (by cormlets in the leaf axils sometimes). It is banned in Australia and to be avoided in areas where it can thrive and become a problem. Photos by Mary Sue Ittner, Bob Rutemoeller, and Cameron McMaster were taken near Middelpos and Sutherland in the Roggeveld on IBSA trips in September of different years. One of the flowers had extra tepals.
Photos 1-2 from Bob Rutemoeller and Mary Sue Ittner of plants with white flowers blooming in Namaqualand September 2006. Photo 3 taken in Namaqualand by Cameron McMaster September 2011 shows the more usual color form.
From Bear Valley Road on Wednesday 16th of September 2026 06:38:50 PM PDT
Triteleia laxa photos below were taken by Mary Sue Ittner in 2005, 2016, 2019.
From Dipcadi on Tuesday 15th of September 2026 06:29:35 PM PDT
Dipcadi rigidiflorum Baker is native from Zimbabwe to the Northern Cape Province. It is a summer grower. These plants appear to be self-fertile. Height range: 30-60 cm. The photos below were taken by Nhu Nguyen.
From Pelargonium Species Four on Monday 14th of September 2026 07:02:25 PM PDT
Pelargonium species This is a plant grown from seed obtained from Silverhill seeds as P. incrassatum. Whilst it is clearly a plant of Section Hoarea, it is not P. incrassatum, but I have not yet identified it. Photos David Victor.
From Xenoscapa on Sunday 13th of September 2026 05:26:44 PM PDT
Xenoscapa uliginosa Goldblatt & J.C.Manning, Kamies Fairypipe, is endemic to the Kamiesberg in Namaqualand. It has long tubed pink flowers that are pollinated by the long proboscid fly. Height range: 3-20 cm. The photo from iNaturalist was taken by jean_s in the Kamiesberg in September and shared under a CC BY-NC license.
From Tritonia Two on Saturday 12th of September 2026 05:18:46 PM PDT
Tritonia drakensbergensis M.P.de Vos is found on the southern parts of the Drakensberg range in the northern Eastern Cape. It flowers January to March. It has long narrow rigid leaves and red or pinkish scarlet flowers with the tube about half the length of the segments and with low yellow almost triangular shaped calli. Height range: 20-30 cm. Photos by Cameron McMaster taken in the Eastern Cape.
