Re: Drimia [Urginea] maritima
- Subject: Re: Drimia [Urginea] maritima
- From: C* R* <t*@verizon.net>
- Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2007 11:25:57 -0700
Hi Brian,
I think you are right about means of dispersal. I found my Drimia on
the Island of Crete near Sitia when my husband and I went hiking in
the hills. It was just lying on the surface, and we thought perhaps
it had been kicked up by goats. I had no idea what it was, and the
hotel manager told me the flowers would be yellow and fragrant. I
brought it home and it turned out to be what I managed to identify as
"sea squill". That was more than 25 years ago. It has been very
happy on my unwatered slope in coastal Los Angeles and has
multiplied. I enjoy the handsome big leaves as well as the flowers.
This year there are far more flowers than usual and I don't know
whether to attribute it to my winter temperature of 24 degrees, the
lack of rain (three inches here), or the recent heat wave (100 degrees).
Cathy
On Sep 17, 2007, at 6:03 AM, Brian Ottway wrote:
Hi Moira,
This idea of baking of the bulbs makes sense and you're probably
right ....but...I do wonder if this is the answer in the case of
the Urginea. Where I live, anything in a rocky stony sandy soil
will be baked over the summer down to quite some depth - no need to
be above ground level. Could it be a dispersal mechanism, with
offsets being knocked off by passing animals?
Thats my thought for the day!!
Good growing
BrianO
----- Original Message ----- From: "Tony and Moira"
<tomory@xtra.co.nz>
To: <ottways@eircom.net>
Cc: <medit-plants@ucdavis.edu>
Sent: Monday, September 17, 2007 12:21 AM
Subject: Re: Drimia [Urginea] maritima
Tony & Moira Ryan, Wainuiomata, New Zealand
Climate ( US Zone 9). Annual averages:-
Minimum -2°C; Maximum 28°C Rainfall 2000mm
----- Original Message ----- From: "Brian Ottway"
<ottways@eircom.net>
Hi Pamela,
I'm sure that Urginea must grow wild along the Costa Blanca - in
fact I would imagine it is quite abundant in places. However, I
think that you have the same problem that I have here in the
Algarve - the range of plants especially true Med plants
available in the garden centres is very very limited. It can be
so frustrating.
Urginea is abundant near me in rocky dry grassland. Most of the
bulbs are protruding from the soil many of them perhaps a half or
more above ground. I wonder if this is important when growing
them in the garden?
Brian
I think so, a great many different bulbs like to grow in this way
with the necks, and sometimes even more of the bulbs, out of the
ground and it certainly pays to respect their preference . It
probably has to do with the ripening of the bulb by the sun, many
warm -climate bulbs seem to depend on this for proper flowering.
Tulips on the other hand need the bulbs to be kept cool when
dormant if they are to produce a viable flower.
Moira
