RE: Musschia wollastonii

Title: RE: Musschia wollastonii

Oops, yes, Campanulaceae -- sorry for omitting that, though I might have been subtly trying to cultivate an aura of mystique about the plant! It's another of those Dr. Seuss-type pieces of vegetation, like a small truffula tree (a while back we had Melanoselinum decipiens, also from Madeira, Umbelliferae).

The flowers aren't your normal Campanulaceae bells though. The petals are long and narrow, either backward curved, spreading, or erect, and united into a tube at the base, each flower about 2 inches (5 cm) long (from memory). It's more the shape of the plant, rather than flowers themselves, that's dramatic.

Here's a thought, how about planting it with some of its Madeiran laurel forest friends, like Isoplexis sceptrum (Scrophulariaceae, tree foxglove) and Euphorbia mellifera -- it could make quite a stunning effect.

On a botanical note, the genus Musschia just has those two species restricted to Madeira; that's it. I'm not sure if they are now regarded by some botanists to be part of Campanula, like some of the other segregate genera (e.g., Azorina, Symphyandra, Trachelium).

Nick Turland
St. Louis, Missouri
(USDA Zone 6)

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Loren Russell [l*@peak.org]
> Sent: Wednesday, 22 May, 2002 1:51 PM
> To: Nicholas Turland
> Cc: Medit-plants (E-mail)
> Subject: RE: Musschia wollastonii
>
>
> Nick:  What family???  Is this related to, or a segregate of a
> better-known genus?  It's a good idea to tell us that for any
> little-known or narrowly-endemic genus.  I think I can picture the
> rosette, but I don't know if I should attach campanula or borage or
> daisy flowers at the top!
>
> loren russell, corvallis, oregon

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