[pbs] Watsonia
Mary Sue Ittner
msittner at mcn.org
Mon Jul 6 14:32:15 EDT 2009
Hi,
I've spent a lot of time upgrading the Watsonia wiki page adding photos and
information of many new species which meant I had to split it up as it was
getting too long. Watsonia is a genus in the Iridaceae family that grows in
both winter and summer rainfall areas of southern Africa. Some of the
species are quite tall, but there are shorter species too. Some are
evergreen and others deciduous. Some only bloom well in the wild after a
fire and then are most spectacular, flowering in mass. In my garden the
species I grow don't flower every year. Watsonia meriana var. bulbillifera
is a worrisome taxa in climates that suit it as it spreads dramatically
replacing native plants and not looking very attractive most of the year
(my bias). Other species or hybrids naturalize where I live in coastal
Northern California with little care, but don't spread so much and are more
attractive. I think many of the species are quite similar and so it is
frequently difficult to identify them from a picture where you can't
measure the tube or other parts of the flower, often can't see the leaves
or the bracts which are often important in identification. Hope you enjoy
what I have created.
http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/Watsonia
More information about the pbs
mailing list