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A winter growing and flowering species. Interesting green and brown flowers, it must be deeply dull in habitat where the colour presumably helps protect it from garlic
loving predators. I bought it from Tale Valley Nursery, their label says: "Scented, winter growing South African bulb with unusual brownish to purplish and green scented flowers. Glasshouse protection." Writing in 'The Plantsman' in 1993, Stephen Benham says: "A very variable species, but it has a distinct trisect corona with deeply bifid lobes. Evergreen, alliaceous odour only from bruised leaf tissue. The rose-purple flowers have a sweet nocturnal fragrance; the flowering period extends from May until September. A vigorous species indigenous to the southern Cape, growing on rocky hillsides and in rock crevices, at an altitude ranging from sea level to 1,000m. Although this species lacks showiness, the sweetly scented flowers, robust growth and long flowering period are good reasons why I should be grown more widely." Bihrmann's Caudiciforms says: "This member of the Alliaceae family was given this name by Carl von Linnaeus in 1771. It is found in the western South Africa, growing in a well drained soil with some water and lots of sun. The caudex can grow to three centimetres in diameter, the entire plant to 20 centimetres in height. The flowers are brownish to purplish and green. The genera is named after Ryk Tulbagh, governor of the Cape of Good Hope. The species is named after the Cape - of South Africa. Accordantly to the latest taxonomic system; APG IV 2016, Alliaceae is now part of the Amaryllidaceae." |
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| 5th December 2014 | ||
