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This plant came from a Longacre nursery as R.alpinia. They described it as "the true species (not scillifolia
which is normally offered under this name elsewhere.)" Well, it is true, it is not scillifolia. I don't
think it is alpina either. At present these plants are being exported from Chinese nurseries in quite
large numbers and the identities of plants exported can sometimes become muddled. I currently think this is R.schneideriana. Jill Cowley says: "George Forrest may have introduced Roscoea schneideriana to cultivation from one of his many forays into western China at the beginning of the last century. Cowan (1938) includes a photograph of a plant labelled R. purpurea. The photograph shows quite clearly the distinctive fan-shaped leaf arrangement and the tell-tale round white ends to the anther appendages, both clearly showing that it depicts Roscoea schneideriana. Roscoea schneideriana grows iun the southern Sichuan and Yunnan provinces of western China. The habitat it favours is shady situations in mixed forest, open limestone slopes, moist stony pastures, among boulders, between rocks and on ledges of mountain cliffs at altitudes between 2600 and 3350m; it flowers in July and August." Gary Dunlop says: "In flower, it cannot be confused with any other species. It is mid purple, but much darker at the base of the comparatively large labellum, which is surmounted by a narrow elongated and curved dorsal petal, which is silvery grey externally. There are several forms in cultivation which vary in height and flower size. In some forms the long narrow foliage is quite crinkled aloing the edges. All forms self-seed readily." |
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