Greenhouse Bulbs 2011

[Mattus]

What's in bloom in my greenhouse at the moment. As soon as the day length shifts around Feb. 14, it starts to feel like spring in the greenhouse.

[Mattus]

Some images from a Stenomesson pearcii, which is currently blooming under glass. I've had the bulbs for seven years, and this is the first time that I have been able to get the plant to bloom.

[Mattus]

The species Gladiolus that I potted up in October are starting to bloom, the first, this pot of G. maculatus, it is so fragrant, (not unlike G. tristis). This pot was so fragrant, that I brought it into the house for the weekend.

[Hoy]

Amazing
I presume your greenhouse is completely frost free?

[McDonough]

Some images from a Stenomesson pearcii, which is currently blooming under glass. I've had the bulbs for seven years, and this is the first time that I have been able to get the plant to bloom.

Congratulations Matt, this is a rarely seen genus, and its a beautiful small plant.  The link from the Pacific Bulb Society shows that even though this plant grows at very high elevation in Peru and Bolivia from 2700-4000m (8,800-13,000 feet), apparently the region has a very mild climate without freezing.  According to the PBS pages, some Stenomesson are now the genus Clinanthus.
http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/Clinanthus

S. pearcei on PBS:
http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/Stenomesson

[WimB]

Matt  

That's a real explosion of colour. What's the yellow flower with the blue anthers in the second picture?

Edit by Wim: Found the answer to my question here: http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=578.0;topicseen 

[RickR]

All photos worth studying, Matt!  Thanks.

Is that a blue tinge on the backs of the petal ends of Stenomesson pearcii? 
A nice little accent.

[deesen]

Lovely images Matt. I assume you heat your greenhouse?

[Mattus]

Thanks all. The greenhouse is heated, but drops to about 40 degrees F at night. At this time of year, it can reach 80 degrees F on a sunny day, but the automatic vents open at 70 degrees. I was aware of the some species in the genus Stenomesson being moved to Clinanthus, but not S. pearcii. The tint on the outside of the petals is actually green, not blue.

[Todd Boland]

What a way to enjoy an early spring!  I grow a few bulbs in the cool greenhouse at work, mostly cyclamen...I'll post pics next week when I get back home.

[Tony Willis]

Some terrestrial European orchids. Not always thought of as bulbous these go dormant in summer and have a small tuber. Many have been renamed but I do not subscribe to the manic need to split everything up and so ther may be some disagreement about my naming

Two Ophrys lutea
      Ophrys papiloniacea
      Orchis morio
      Orchis anatolica

[McDonough]

Some terrestrial European orchids. Not always thought of as bulbous these go dormant in summer and have a small tuber. Many have been renamed but I do not subscribe to the manic need to split everything up and so ther may be some disagreement about my naming

Two Ophrys lutea
      Ophrys papiloniacea
      Orchis morio
      Orchis anatolica

Awesome orchids Tony.  I have long admired Ophrys orchids with their amazing colors, patterns, and insect-imitating forms.  Googling them I read that "most Ophrys orchids are dependent on symbiotic fungi"; please tell us how you grows yours, do you use any sort of host plant?  Again googling around, I find this fascinating: "Ophrys use sexual deception to attract pollinators to their flowers" and "in sexual deception, an orchid attracts male pollinators by producing the sex pheromone of virgin female pollinators in addition to providing visual and tactile cues".

Orchis anatolica is a real beauty, love the spotted foliage.  I wonder if it would be growable outdoors in a dryish habitat.

[Tony Willis]

Mark

I think the need for symbiotic fungi is only at the germination stage and that once the plant has moved into green growth it is not critical. I have always taken the view that any fungi in the soil must be on the tuber as well and therefore is always present. The Orchis anatolica is a typical example of how I grow them. In individual pots with a compost of 50% John Innes and grit. They go dormant about end of May and I keep them dry until end September. Just moist and frost free all winter but with as much light and air as possible. No I do not think they will grow outside unless you have a Mediterranean climate.

As to sexual deception how does this one grab you?

[McDonough]

I'm easily deceived

Wasn't sure of the root of the name O. fuciflora, presumably from the latin "fucus" which refers to seaweed, or a rock lichen used as a red dye, any kind of face paint or dye, a false show [Obs]; the latter making sense as it pertains to the insect mimicry of Ophrys flowers.  If one could paint a dot on each of the two lateral pink floral parts (don't know the true name of what to call them), that flower would look just like Krusty the Clown laughing

Orchis anatolica appears to be a popular one, tons of information on web pages on this one, here's a link to the Van Flora site:
http://www.vanherbaryum.yyu.edu.tr/flora/famgenustur/orchis.htm
http://www.vanherbaryum.yyu.edu.tr/flora/famgenustur/or/or/an/index.htm

It describes the species as from sea level to 1650 m. in Macchie, scrub, Pinus forest. I wonder if any of the higher elevation forms would be hardy.

[Tony Willis]

Mark

I have looked at the Van Flora on many occasions for various plants. The pictures on the page for Orchis anatolica are in my opinion not that species but possibly O. morio.

I have seen O. anatolica  quite high  but never at the elevation suggested and it is possible at the maximum elevation they will have been snow covered in winter but then they get a scorching summer. I have seen many orchids in the Med and apart from the  hardy ones such as dactylorhiza they have been low growing and not subject to hard frosts. The problem is they make their leaf growth in the autumn and cold wet rots them off.