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Re: Bulbine fruticosa and yet another question

On Sun, 26 Apr 1998 Moira wrote:

>Having said all that, I really wonder if your Bulbine fruticosa is
>properly named. I cannot find the name in any of my reference books, and 
>the epithet "fruticosa" (meaning shrubby) seems quite out of place for
>plants in this group.

I thought this, however, the supplier is usually exceptionally careful
with correct names.  That said, he is only familiar with growing the
plant and is not aware of its origin.

>Fromm your description it sounds quite like one of the NZ species of
>Bulbinella, either B hookeri or B angustifolia (more probably the
>former, as your description suggests the leaves are quite wide). Either
>of these would be cast-iron hardy with you, as they come from montain
>and low alpine areas of our South Island  between 1000 and 1500
>metres(Say 3 and 5 thousand feet)

Not knowing either of these, however a slightly more detailed
description is as follows:

Leaves: Glaucous grey-green, rather succulent,softly fleshy, 1 cms
wide, oval in cross section, acute, with slightly flattened upper
surfaces, to 25 cms long, alternate and clasping the stem.

Flowers: To 1 cms across, borne in a long, slender raceme to 30cms. or
more, sepals & petals pale orange, reverse sides lighter with a darker
median stripe.  Stamens conspicuously hairy, yellow, with yellow
anthers.

Stem: initially erect, becoming prostrate, rooting at the internodes,
very pale, almost whitish green, branching after producing a flower
spike.

>Even the South African species are pretty hardy. I can grow them easily
>in my garden and my zone is about 8. I had Bulbinella nutans (a large
>showy S African species) in my garden for many years.

Thanks Moira, I'll give it a go - my only concern is that although our
winter temperatures are for the most part, quite warm for the UK, we
do get rather a lot of rain and long dull or even dark days at that
time of year.  I may just take a few cuttings as insurance.  I've
'poked' a few pieces into a cavity on the sunny face of an old stone
wall, where several species of stemless Aloe (aristata etc.) do
extremely well.  If it likes that position, it should form quite an
effective 'trailer' and would look well with the Aloes.

Now another poser, I've also just bought Pericallis lanata, which
looks for all the world like a sprawling, diminutive version of the
florists Cineraria (Senecio cruenta hybrids).  It is definitely
shrubby, with typical 'cineraria-like', greyish leaves with white,
wooly undersides and racemes of small (3.5 cms), daisy-like, lilac
mauve flowers - dark at the tips and edges, fading to white towards
the centre, with a dark, almost reddish purple boss of stamens.
Again, I know nothing about it other than it is a composite and may
come from the Atlantic islands (Canaries etc) or mediterranean
countries.  I'm told it flowers almost continuously, but makes a very
untidy low shrub and needs regular trimming.  Despite this, it is
really rather charming.  Any ideas anyone?

David Poole
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