Something finally sprouted

in #gardening5 years ago

I have been collecting seeds from plants on the hill that I was interested in growing but I haven't had much luck with germinating them so far. Finally, the Eriospermum seeds decided to oblige me and all 5 of the seeds I sowed came up.

Eriospermum_sprouts.jpg

Eriospermum flagelliforme has a little round underground tuber and like most caudex plants, it dislikes having its roots disturbed. I sowed one seed per pot except for this one but I'll see if they both grow before I try separating them. This is what the adult plant and flowers look like:

Eriospermum_flagelliforme.jpg

The name Eriospermum is latin and means 'woolly seed', which is exactly what the seeds were like. I haven't grown this type of caudex plant before so I'll be learning as I go along but at least there is a plentiful supply of seeds if these fail. Caudex plants are often grown with the tuber exposed but for rapid growth, the tuber should be left under the soil for a couple of years to develop.

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All the time I wonder how these plants can grow not in the ground but in small pebbles.

That's how we sprout many of our local plants. They need soil that drains quickly

I guess this is the unique of nature once again

Green fingers!! I will have to ask you to germinate seeds for ma!

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I am a bit far away....

That’s a shame. I thought you had a time travel machine! I still have many seeds in my fridge!

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Saludos. Estas plantitas forman parten de la flora habitual. Pareciera que son difíciles de reproducir. Exito en su tarea.

Are these tuber plants only found natural in Southern Africa?

The majority are found in Southern Africa but there are a few that come from Mexico, such as Beaucarnea. South America is likely to have a few, too. These are all adaptations to a climate where it rains a fair bit for 2 months of the year, more lightly for about 5 and can be hot and bone dry for the other five

We are lucky here only get a dry spell in Summer. But last Summer we had plenty of rain

This is exciting. Keep us posted to the growth

I certainly will

Congratulations!
I look forward to further results and photos of flowering! :-))

Thank you! These grow so slowly it might take years

It's a pity .., but we will wait! :-))

These things are soooo slow

Incredible! How fun that they have woolly seeds, which adds even more to the intrigue. I wonder what function the woollyness adds to the seed other than to delight us :P Congrats with the recent success with the seeds!

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