Re: Pelargonium fragrans

Hi Ed,

I scaned and OCR'd (did a few ocr corrections though there still are a few
spelling errors) the following  from the Geranium family species check list
part 4 - Pelargonium.


"fragrans Willd..Hort.Berol.,I,p.701 (1809),
Status: hybrid, described from cultivaled plants
Parents: P.exstipulatum x odoratissimum says Sweet,
Description: woody-shrubby to 40cms; leaves greyish green, soft, pleated,
entire with a more-or-less
crinkled edge or sometimcs with 2 basal lobcs,scented;flowers in thin
deciduous flowering stems, umbels
of 7-10 small while flowers with narrow petals.
Remnrks: Sweet's speculation in this case turns out to be correct, except
that the reverse cross (with
P.odoratissimum as seed parent) lends to produce plants similar to
F.odoratssimum. Prof.van dcr Walt
points s out thut it is not likely to occur naturally as the two species
occupy quite different habitats.
there arc  now several cultivars named all of this parentage, so the name
P.x fragrans is now more the
name of a hybrid-group, and as such, a Type Cultivar should be named, in
accoridancc with the Code for
Cullivated  Plants, Article 19, and Faye Brawner from the U.S.A. informs us
that the name 'Nutmeg' was
created in 1952 by nurseryman Cook for precisely this, plant; thereforc
solving the problem, the Type
Cultivar being 'Nutmeg'.
The cultivar-group Px- fragrans now contains several other cultivars; 'Old
Spice' is verv similar to
'Nutmeg' bill has a more crinkled, bluer  leaf: 'Snowy Nutmeg' has
whitc-variegaled leaves, 'Cream Nutmeg' leaf is yellowish vriegated."

Keep Growing
Pete Liekkio
Seattle, Washington
pliekkio@connectexpress.com
www.connectexpress.com/~pliekkio



----- Original Message -----
From: "Ed Olson Moore" <H20wrx@AOL.COM>
To: <IGSROBIN@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU>
Sent: Sunday, February 24, 2002 7:16 AM
Subject: [IGSROBIN] Pelargonium fragrans


> >From what I've read, scientists are unsure whether P.fragrans is a true
> species or not. According to Diana Miller's book (Pelargoniums, a
Gardener's
> Guide..), it has not been found in the wild , and does not readily set
seed.
> According to The Pelargonium Family, by William Webb, the species is found
in
> the Karoo Highlands. Does anyone know who is right? Are there populations
of
> P.fragrans growing wild in South Africa? Could it's habitat have been so
> restricted that it was destroyed?
>
>  I HAD  a specimen of P. odoratissimum ('Apple') that would not set seed,
> even with hand pollination. I'm working with my P. fragrans now, and seem
to
> be having better luck than with my 'Apple'. I'm at 23 days post
pollination
> and have good seed development on 4 out of 5 self crosses. I'm going to be
> attempting more crosses - to see if it was a fluke. I would love to hear
from
> anyone who has attempted selfing this plant, and your results.
>
> Does anyone know what other species are difficult to self ?
>
> Ed
>
> Ed Olson-Moore
> h20wrx@aol.com
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