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| RESNOVA MEGAPHYLLA, NOW ALMOST FULLY EMERGED, DISPLAYS TWO LEAVES, NOT UNLIKE OTHER RELATIVES LIKE THE MASSONIA BELOW, BOTH SHARE PHYSIOLOGICAL FEATURES LIKE DUAL APPRESSED LEAVES AND BLOSSOMS THAT LOOK LIKE SHAVING BRUSHES AT GROUND LEVEL. |
Like any family, whether we like it or not, there are similarities amongst relatives. While I may share my physiology with my brothers, sister and my dad, the goes for plants. As I walked through the greenhouse this morning, I noticed how many of the rarer relatives of the Hyacinth family all share similar traits with the common Dutch hyacinth which we are so familiar with. Here are a few shots which demonstrate the botanical connection between some South African bulbs species all related to hyacinths. I could have included the Daubenya from the previous post, as well as some spring blooming specimens in my collection like Velthiemia, Dipcadi and other Lachenalia, but I wanted to show what is growing right now, near each other.
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| MASSONIA JASMINIFLORA, ALMOST READY TO BLOOM |
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| IN THE SAND PLUNGE, YOU CAN SEE THE SIMILARITIES |
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| LACHENALIA PURPUREO -CAERULEA HAS CURIOUS PUSTULATED FOLIAGE -LITTLE BLISTERS WHICH CAN BE ORNAMENTAL. |
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| EVEN HYBRID LACHENALIA HAVE INTERESTING FOLIAGE. THE AFRICAN BEAUTY SERIES HAS SPECKLES, AND ALSO PRODUCE 2 OR 3 LEAVES. |
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| THIS LACHENALIA PUSILLA REALLY DEMONSTRATES THE SIMILARITIES WITHIN THE FAMILY. APPRESSED LEAVES AND FOLIAGE PATTERNS. EVEN THE BLOSSOM, DESIGNED TO BE POLLINATED BY DESERT RODENTS, REMAINS AT GROUND LEVEL. I RAISED THESE FROM SEED, AND NOW MATURE, THEY BLOOM EVERY AUTUMN IN THE BULB BED. |
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| DETAIL OF LACHENALIA PUSILLA |
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| OTHER SMALL LACHENALIA ARE JUST EMERGING. THIS POT OF L. PUSILLA, HAS BOTH SEEDLINGS AND MATURE BULBS, SINCE I DUMP THE OLD SEED PODS BACK INTO THE POT EVERY YEAR. THIS SPECIES WILL PRODUCE A YELLOW BLOSSOM IN MID WINTER. |
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