5/04/2007

ラケナリアたち

１、発芽について

２、栽培について

３、品種

１、発芽について

秋に蒔くいて春までに発芽しない場合には蒔いた鉢ごと涼しい場所で乾燥保存して、来年の秋から水やりを再開すると発芽してくる事も多いです。
春に蒔いても発芽はまず期待できません。エリオクエストでは冷蔵庫の野菜室などに種子を保管しておき、次の秋に蒔いて発芽しています。

２、栽培について

一般的なラケナリアなどは摂氏-7度くらいまでなら死なないだろうと言われています。そこまで冷やすとさすがに地上部は枯れるものがあるらしいですが。
最高気温が30度に届くような環境では、芽が出たばかりの子苗でもやはり夏になると休眠してしまうと思います。休眠に入ってしまったら、再び生育を始める秋まで用土に植えたままで管理をすることになります。
休眠期間中の高温や極度の乾燥には親球ほどの耐性はないのが問題で、日光が当たると鉢の温度が上がって球根がすぐに消耗してしまいますし、風通しの悪いところにおいておくとカビや細菌が繁殖しやすくなります。
かと言って乾かしすぎると干からびてしまいますので、確かに面倒と言えば面倒なのかもしれません。
管理方法としては雨や直射日光の当たらない、しかも風通しが良くてできるだけ涼しい場所に鉢を置いて、2-3週間に1回ほど用土の表面が軽く湿るほどのごく弱い水やりをするのが良いかと思います。
また、個人的には遮光による温度管理と通風がかなり重要ではないかと考えています。私のところでは、夏は昼の気温が35度に届くのもしばしばですが、非常に風通しが良い場所で常時50-70%の遮光下で管理していて、これまで実生球の夏越しで目に見える失敗をした経験はありません。
むしろ年を取った親球の方が失敗しやすいくらいです。
時に水をやりすぎて鉢の底から水が出てきたりしましたが、大丈夫でした。

ラケナリアウニフォリアリグティ変種
Lachenalia unifolia var. wrightii

ラケナリアウニフォリアリグティ変種
Lachenalia unifolia var. wrightii

ウニフォリアとは「１枚葉の」という意味。
変種名はライトという人の名前ですが、学名はラテン語なので上のように発音します。
１枚だけ着く葉っぱの縞模様も楽しいけれど、花はもっと素敵です。

ラケナリア・ルビダ
Lachenalia rubida

/ ヒヤシンス科
南アフリカに自生しています。
はじめて咲いてくれたラケナリア・ルビダ。
この花が欲しかったんです。
南アフリカから直接、種を取り寄せました。
ラケナリアは比較的早く咲いてくれる種類で、この花は、種を蒔いてからわずか2年と3か月でした。
普通、球根植物たちは３年から５年かかるんです。
この花の花弁は、６枚で構成されています。
外側の筒状の部分に３枚、内側にも３枚の花びらが付いているんです。
これからふさふさに花をつけるようになります。でも、私はこのままがいいと思ってるんです。キリン模様の獏の口みたいかな。。＾＾

ラケナリアオルキオイデスグラウキナ変種
Lachenalia orchioides var. glaucina

学名のオルキオイデスは「ランのような｣、グラウキナは「灰青色の｣の意味。
強めだけれど上品な芳香があるので、ランみたいだと言うことらしいです。
丈夫なようであまり世話をしてないのに、花がだんだんと増えてきてます。

ラケナリアナマクエンシス
Lachenalia namaquensis

自生地のナマクア地方がそのまま学名になっています。
小型種が多いラケナリアの中では大型種のようです。

ラケナリアアロイデスアウレア変種
Lachenalia aloides var. aurea

ラケナリアアロイデスアウレア変種 Lachenalia aloides var. aurea
ヒヤシンス科　ラケナリア属
南アフリカからやってきた種を蒔いて、これでも３年目で、早くも立派なんです。
アウレアとは「黄金色の」という意味。
夫が職場に持ってって女性陣に見て貰ったら、「鯛焼きみたいな花｣との感想だったそうですが。

ラケナリア・プシラ　Lachenalia pusilla

ラケナリア・プシラ　　Lachenalia pusilla / ヒヤシンス科

花の形は、ラケナリアの花のなかでも一、二を争う変わりものなんです。。

ラケナリア・カルノーサ　Lachenalia carnosa

一つの苗からいくつかの個性のある茎が出てくるんです。

ラケナリア・バルケリアナ　Lachenalia barkeriana

これもラケナリアです。
直径１ｃｍくらいの花なんです。と言っても花びらはしべの周りにちょこっと、ほ～～んの少し見えてるのですが小さい。
マッソニアみたいなんですが、やっぱりプシラみたいといったほうがいいのかな。

プシラは蕾がつき始めてるので、もう少し先になりそうです。こちらはうちのラケナリアの中では一番早く咲いてくれました。

ちびラケです。

ラケナリア・コンゲスタ Lachenalia congesta

南アフリカ　サザーランド産　Sutherland
葉っぱが地面にくっつくように寝ていて、
花茎が伸びない咲き方をするのがきれいなんです。

ラケナリア　コンタミナータ　

Lachenalia contaminata

Ornithogalum sp. #5, no locality

Fig.1 O. sp, #5, no locality

They develop very intersting leaves which we have not seen so often.

Comments

This is another curious species, yet we do not know the real taxon. We received them as Eriospermum species however, we noticed that the name was wide of the mark at the first sight.

They develop only one leaf per bulb. The glistening dark green leaves are strap-like or rolled, then ascending or recurved. The leaf shape varies in each bulb and is persistent.
These plants flower in spring and they are truly hysteranthous. The leaves begin to wither as the temperature gets higher, then they die down soon. The bulbs take a brief rest in a few weeks and suddenly develop a flower stalk.
The flowers are nodding yet very beautiful.

Fig.2 Ornithogalum sp. #5, Inflorescence

There is no mark of foliage because it has already withered and has been moved by the spring wind.
This photo was taken a few years ago.

Fig.3 Ornithogalum sp. #5, Flowers and buds

The flowers are nodding yet the shape is like another Ornithogalum. This plant is fully self-compatible so it produces a number of seeds each year.
This photo was taken a few years ago.

Cultivation notes

The plants are easy to grow as winter growing bulbs.

Information of the plant

Scientific name Ornithogalum sp.
Collection No. -
Locality -
Growing seasonwinter

Ornithogalum sp. #4, no locality

Fig.1 Ornithogalum. sp. #4

The opposite leaves are all they develop before flowering.

Comments

Small plants with only a couple of opposite leaves. We got them as a Polyxena species yet they are absolutely different. The leaves are thin, dark green and prostrate. They flower after the leaves wither in spring.
They are self-compatible so we can easily get the seeds once they flower. The flowers are just like Ornithogalums though, the plants can be a Drimia species. We have to check the flower in detail again and then check the fruits.

Cultivation notes

Their cultivation is as easy as any Ornithogalums. They can stand short and mild drought during the growing season so they might come from a certain arid region.

Information of the plant

Scientific name Ornithogalum sp.
Collection No. -
Locality -
Growing seasonwinter

Ornithogalum aff. secundum, Ceres

Fig.1 O. aff. secundum, Ceres

Several linear, succulent leaves develop at a bulb. They are an interesting species though not as funny as O. apertum.

Comments

They surely develop several, linear succulent leaves but the leaves are just straight and rather prostrate.
Well, we knew it and we bought the bulbs. Once caught by the unique charm of the genus Ornithogalum, we can not stop collecting the plants.

Cultivation notes

They are growing well with our ordinary care of winter growing bulbs. We have no idea whether it is alright however, they are preparing inflorescence.

Information of the plant

Scientific name Ornithogalum aff. secundum
Collection No. -
Locality Ceres, W Cape
Growing seasonwinter

Ornithogalum sp. #2, no locality

Fig.1 Ornithogalum. sp. #2

Some people say they look like seaweeds waving in water.

Comments

They are another Ornithogalum of funny foliage. Some people say they look like seaweads however, people who know of Ornithogalums may feel they are very similar to O. concordianum.
We too had thought they should be another loose form of the famous species, but we noticed a few significant differences. First of all, they are quite larger than O. concordianum we have grown and the inflorescence is also taller than that species. The flower shape and color are very like O. concordianum yet, sizes of flower, fruit and seed are apparently smaller.
Considering these characteristics we think they are other than O. concordianum, though we have no idea what they should be. Anyway, they are very nice plants and worth growing.

Fig.2 Comparison with O. concordianum

The plant in green pot is a mature O. concordianum nearly 4cm high, which has already made a couple of offsets. You can see how big the unnamed Ornithogalum plants are.

Cultivation notes

Just an ordinary care is fine for the plants. They are rather tough thanks to the large bulbs.
Information of the plant

Information of the plant

Scientific name Ornithogalum sp.
Collection No. -
Locality -
Growing seasonwinter

Ornithogalum sp. Zeerust, NW Province

Fig.1 O. sp. Zeerust

The small hairy leaf looks like a cat's tongue, though it might look not so healthy if it were.

Comments

This is a very strange Ornithogalum. It has only one leaf. The leaf barely goes up to 3cm long, and the color is very dark green or half black, with white minute hairs on the surface. The flowers are also tiny responding to the leaf size.
Though the plant shape is already weird enough, The weirdest feature of the plant is that it is a winter grower which inhabits in the summer rainfall area, Zeerust of NW Province.

Fig.2 O. sp. Zeerust, Flowers
Very small flowers for a winter growing Ornithogalum.

Fig.3 Cotyledons
Nothing is particular but they tend to be prostrate.

Cultivation notes

There seems no difficulty in growing the plants as they go well with ordinary care of winter growing bulbs.

Information of the plant

Scientific name Ornithogalum sp.
Collection No. -
Locality Zeerust, NW Province
Growing seasonwinter

Ornithogalum unifoliatum

Fig.1 O. unifoliatum

They are mature plants in a 15cm diameter pot. The leaves were more ascending in the beginning of growing season.

Comments

We had seen the leaves just as thick as a pencil. Now we grow them in our hands, then their leaves get fat and surprising. We have not seen them make any offsets. They are self-incompatible yet we have them three, so we can pollinate and collect the seeds.

Fig.2 O. unifoliatum, mature leaf
The leaf can get as fat as a thumb. There is a groove at the base, probably for inflorescence.

Fig.3 O. unifoliatum, Inflorescence
The beautiful flowers open in warm sunny days. They are smaller than O. concordianum yet have the same characteristics in shape.

This photo was taken a few years ago.
Fig.4 O. unifoliatum, Cotyledons
They have the common shape of the genus. The germination rate was very poor in 2006, but is quite fine this time so they are crowded this much. We don't know what caused the difference.

Cultivation notes

They need full sun to make the leaf fat.
Healthy growth is beneficial to survive during the hot and dry summer rest.
Information of the plant
no locality
Scientific name Ornithogalum unifoliatum, (Rowley) Oberm.
Collection No. -
Locality -
Growing seasonwinter

Ornithogalum unifoliatum, IB12828 Umdaus

Fig.1 O. unifoliatum, IB12828

They look smaller yet are reaching flowering size. In fact, plant in the center of the pot flowered in the spring of 2007.

Comments

We were fortunate enough to get the wonderful Ornithogalum with locality and collection number. They came to us as tiny bulbs of rice grain size. As we had taken care of them in a bit arid way, they stay smaller for their age.
Now we are used to the species and we expect to collect their seeds in 2009.

Cultivation notes

In spite of the succulent-looking leaf, they are just another tender, winter growing bulb.

Information of the plant

Scientific name Ornithogalum unifoliatum, (Rowley) Oberm.
Collection No. IB12828
Locality Umdaus
Growing seasonwinter

Ornithogalum fimbrimarginatum, Sun Mountain

Fig.1 O. fimbrimarginatum, Sun Mountain

The leaves are like O. dubium except the white leaf edge.

Comments

These are plants of beautiful foliage. We have expected the flowers but we have not seen them yet.

Fig.2 O. fimbrimarginatum, Leaf edge
You can see what the epithet means. There are dense, minute white hairs along the leaf margin, then the leaf edge looks shiny white.

Cultivation notes

They accept ordinary care of winter growing bulbs but we have little to say because we have not succeeded in making them flower.
Information of the plant
Sun Mtn. Piketberg
Scientific name Ornithogalum fimbrimarginatum, F.M.Light
Collection No. -
Locality Sun Mountain, Piketberg
Growing seasonwinter

Ornithogalum concordianum, #2

Fig.1 O. concordianum

An elegant plant of glaucous green foliage which is small for the size of undeground bulb.

Comments

This is another form of Ornithogalum concordianum that we have. It came from a domestic nursery with a doubtful taxon, "Albuca contrata", which may not exist formally.

Cultivation notes

We have found no difference of cultivation easiness in forms of the species.

Information of the plant

Scientific name Ornithogalum concordianum
(Baker) U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll.-Doblies
Collection No. -
Locality -
Growing seasonwinter

Ornithogalum concordianum, #1

Fig.1 O. concordianum, no locality

Small yet wonderful foliage. Every leaf of every plant seems to coil this direction and we have seen no exceptions.

Comments

This is the funniest form of Ornithogalum concordinaum, a.k.a. O. apertum that we have, as the leaves are coiled so tightly. Its foliage is actually small, the height or width does not go more than 5cm, but it is striking.
In spring it begins to develop a flower stalk then the leaves begin to wither. The inflorescence becomes very large compared to foliage, then large flowers for the genus open in warm sunny days.
Not only this plant but the majority of O. concordianum plants will be self-incompatible. However, they will make offsets eventually.

Fig.2 Inflorescence of O. concordianum

As you can see the leaves wither along with development of the flower stalks. This photo was taken a few years ago.

Fig.3 Cotyledons

Nothing is particular at this stage

Fig.3 Cotyledons

Nothing is particular at this stage

Cultivation notes

The O. concordianum plants loves full sun and plenty of watering. They are just like ordinary bulbs from South Africa.

Information of the plant

Scientific name Ornithogalum concordianum
(Baker) U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll.-Doblies
Collection No. -
Locality -
Growing seasonwinter

Eriospermum paradoxum, #5

Fig.1 E. paradoxum

A pair of tubers planted in a pot. The enations are so woolly that we can not see the enation trunks very well.

Comments

They are the most beautiful E. paradoxum that we have. Though they are still a bit younger, their appearance is outstanding.
Numerous, very fine enation branches come out from the trunk part and the all parts are densely hairy. As the leaf sheath is very short, the plants may look as if round sticks of wool stood directly on the soil.

Cultivation notes

These plants are as easy to grow as other E. paradoxum plants. However, they are a slow grower. It may take a longer time to adapt to the new environment when they are moved.

Information of the plant

Subgenus Ligulatum
Section Thaumazum
Scientific name Eriospermum paradoxum (Jacq.) Ker-Gawl.
Collection No. -
Locality -
Growing seasonwinter

Eriospermum paradoxum, #4

Fig.1 E. paradoxum

Just one tuber is planted in the soil.

Comments

This plant has orthodox beauty of E. paradoxum and a small problem. It loves more to increase leaf number than to develop a bigger leaf. We have two siblings of this plant and they all behave the same.

Cultivation notes

This plant is comparably robust. When it is moved it can adapt to the new environment more quickly than other Eriospermums and the leaves increase pleasantly fast.

Information of the plant

Subgenus Ligulatum
Section Thaumazum
Scientific name Eriospermum paradoxum (Jacq.) Ker-Gawl.
Collection No. - Locality -
Growing seasonwinter

Eriospermum paradoxum, #3

Comments This plant has a slim, light green enation which is narrowly obconical. It may look tall but is just as tall as a usual plant actually.
We have grown this plant for years but we have not seen the flowers yet.

Fig.1 E. paradoxum, no locality.

This plant is less hairy and looks cool.

Cultivation notes

We do not think this plant is delicate but it grows only slowly.

Information of the plant

Subgenus Ligulatum
Section Thaumazum
Scientific name Eriospermum paradoxum (Jacq.) Ker-Gawl.
Collection No. -
Locality -
Growing seasonwinter

Eriospermum paradoxum, #2

Comments The plant has darker green enation than the other E. paradoxum plants of ours. Somewhat scarce but longer white hairs develop on less elaborate enation then give a special beauty on this plant.
This plant is very precious to us not only because it has special appearance but because it is the only easy-flowering E. paradoxum that we have now. Moreover, it is self-compatible to some extent so it has a potential to proliferate without any siblings.
We have been keen to multiply this however, we have not got a satisfactory result yet. That is because... Please read the Cultivation notes below.

Fig.1 E. paradoxum, no locality.

The fewer and longer hairs make the plant look like catching cobwebs .

Cultivation notes

This is a tough plant for E. paradoxum as it wakes up from dormancy every year sooner or later. If it gets plenty of water at dormancy-breaking period it pops up a new leaf, it may produce a flower stalk if not so.
Problem during the growing season is that the plant would regard it time to have its own leaf whenever the plant is watered enough. Even in flowering or in ripening fruits, If once the plant gets more than a certain amount of water, it will abandon the whole flower stalk and then develop a leaf.
Now you can imagine what happened in our greenhouse before.

Information of the plant

Subgenus Ligulatum
Section Thaumazum
Scientific name Eriospermum paradoxum (Jacq.) Ker-Gawl.
Collection No. -
Locality -
Growing seasonwinter

Eriospermum paradoxum, #1

Comments
You know E. paradoxum is the most famous species of the genus. Besides the popularity, E. paradoxum is said to be the most successful species among enation-producing Eriospermums, though E. paradoxum is the only species that does NOT belong to subgenus Eriospermum where all other Eriospermums with enations are included.
Tree-like appearance of enation with hairs is the unique characteristic of the species. It is said there is a wide variation of enation shape from locality to locality due to the wide distribution.
The plant presented here is missing locality. Its enation is like ordinary E. pradoxum but the less hairly appearance is not like a plant people expected.

Fig.1 E. paradoxum, no locality.

This plant is as vigorous as it looks.

Cultivation notes

Eriospermum paradoxum plants are easy to grow here. They love full sun throughout growing season like other Eriospermums. Once they begin to develop leaves, water should be given enough not to dry out the soil surface, or they may go into dormancy again.

Information of the plant

Subgenus Ligulatum
Section Thaumazum
Scientific name Eriospermum paradoxum (Jacq.) Ker-Gawl.
Collection No. -
Locality -
Growing seasonwinter

Eriospermum multifidum

Comments

E. multifidum can rival E. paradoxum in suprising leaf shape. Mass of finely divided enations is truly amazing.
Compared to the gorgeous leaf, its inflorescence is modest. The peduncle barely goes up to 15cm and the sober flowers are about 1cm wide.
Our plant presented here seems to have conditional self-compatibility. It set seeds by itself after the hottest summer in 2007. We have grown it for four years and that was the first occasion.

Fig.1 E. multifidum
The plant did not develop leaves well this season so we reuse our previous picture.

Fig.2 E. multifidum, inflorescence

The small flowers are held on shorter peduncles. Flower shape and color are ordinary for the section Eriospermum.

Cultivation notes

E. multifidum is as easy to grow as any other winter-growing Eriospermums. It pops up wonderful leaf every year in middle autumn. However, it is often difficult to keep the leaf beautiful. The fine enations are susceptible to dryness or higher temperature, then enations can wither from the apices easily.

Information of the plant

Subgenus Eriospermum
Section Eriospermum
Scientific name Eriospermum multifidum Marloth
Collection No. -
Locality -
Growing seasonwinter

Eriospermum folioliferum, NW Kamieskroon

Fig.1 E. folioliferum, NW Kamieskroon

The enations are twisted and hairy. There are three, small immature leaves in the pot but they are out of the frame.

Comments

This is another fantastic Eriospermum rare in cultivation. Mutiple strap-like, hairy enations develop individually from leaf surface then twist.
This plant has not flowered since it came to us around four years before. But fortunately, this plant tends to make offsets. We already ripped four small offsets yet the mother plant is prepareing new three ones.

Cultivation notes

This plant is a late riser here, as it usually wakes up in December.

Information of the plant

Subgenus Eriospermum
Section Eriospermum
Scientific name Eriospermum folioliferum Andrews
Collection No. -
Locality - NW Kamieskroon
Growing seasonwinter

Eriospermum dregei

Fig.1 E. dregei

All the enation comes from one tuber in the soil.

Comments

This plant has multiple growing point and then develop a number of leaves simultaneously, though each leaf looks like ordinary E. dregei. Clumping is common in cultivation.
We got the plant from a domestic nursery. The tuber was already a specimen size, then it began to develop multiple leaves. We have not seen the flowers in spite of the maturity and vigor.

Cultivation notes

This plant is the robustest among E. dregei plants we have now. It is probably because it has the largest tuber.

Information of the plant

Subgenus Eriospermum
Section Eriospermum
Scientific name Eriospermum dregei Schonland
Collection No. -
Locality -
Growing seasonwinter

Eriospermum dregei, IB13772

Fig.1 E. dregei, IB13772

The enation's shape and size are unusual for E. dregei. It is reasonable to hesitate at identifying it as E. dregei unless the taxonomic description is understood enough.

Comments

This is the most weird E. dregei in our collection. Enations of ordinary plants should keep the thickness more or less toward the tips, but they get simply tapered on this plant. The smallness of whole enation should be mentioned, too.
With all the unique appearance, every important aspect of the plant indicates that this plant should be E. dregei, such as the flower shape, the tuber shape and the mode of hair development as well as the pattern of enation development.
Ingo Breuer, the collector of these plants, seems to have abstained from identifying them as E. dregei, but we think they are the species.

Fig.2 Close-up of the leaf

The much branching habit may remind of E. cervicorne or other but the enation begins from a single trunk thus this should be E. dregei or E. paradoxum.

Fig.3 hairs on the enation

Several hairs develop from a point then give some stellate appearance. This feature is of E. dregei but not of E. paradoxum.

Fig.4 E. dregei, IB13772, Another plant

This plant has larger enation but still weird enough for the species.

Cultivation notes

E. dregei, IB13772 plants tend to wake up later and go domant eariler here. They grow more slowly than the other E. dregei plants but are a bit more resistant against rapid temperature change or mild drought.

Information of the plant

Subgenus Eriospermum
Section Eriospermum
Scientific name Eriospermum dregei Schonland
Collection No. IB13772
Locality -
Growing seasonwinter

Eriospermum dregei, IB13718

Comments This plant is characterized by rather ascending habit of the enation. Much branching enation is another remarkable feature however, it often happens on E. dregei plants in cultivation.
Though the locality is described as 'Taaiboschlaagte', we cannot specify the place in RSA. Well, we have found the name on certain websites on the internet but they point a place far north in the summer rainfall area where E. dregei, a winter grower, would not inhabit.

Fig.1 E. dregei, IB13718

The ascending, much branching habit of the enation gives somewhat like a brush.

Fig.2 E. dregei, IB13718, Young leaf

A leaf of juvenile E. dregei plant is like this. If the hairs were shorter or fewer we could see easily that they develop in groups.

Cultivation notes

E. dregei, IB13718 plants are as robust as other plants of the same species. However it may take a longer time to adapt to a new environments when they are moved.

Information of the plant

Subgenus Eriospermum
Section Eriospermum
Scientific name Eriospermum dregei Schonland
Collection No. IB13718
Locality Taaiboschlaagte
Growing seasonwinter

Eriospermum dregei, ES10310

Comments This is a very hairy plant then it looks whitish under the full sun. We would like to mention that development of the enation is rather scorpioid-like.
The plant showed self-compatibility in 2007 but we are not sure whether it is persistent characteristic or not.