CliviaClub
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Volume 2 Number One January 1993
Colour in Clivia
The colour of a Clivia flower is controlled by the concentration or amount of two different pigments.One is yellow and this pigment is a member of the carotenoid or xanthophyll group (the name carotene comes from the carrot, in which there is a high concentration of carotene giving the orange colour).
The other is red and is a member of the anthocyanin group. This group varies in colour from pink to purple and is responsible for all the colours of flowers except yellow or orange. In the normal clivia flower the orange colour is caused by a mixture of yellow and red pigments. Variations in the orange colour are caused by changes in the concentrations of these two pigments. For example, reddish clivias are caused by an increased concentration of the red anthrocyanin. If this higher concentration of anthocyanin is accompanied by a lower concentration of carotene then the red colour becomes a truer red (less orange tone). Thus to breed a true red one would have to breed out the yellow - in effect producing a white background instead of a yellow one.
In breeding light coloured orange flowers one has to decrease the concentration of red pigment. This leads to buff or flesh coloured flowers.
Now the concentration of red anthocyanin and yellow carotenoid varies in individual clivias in nature thus giving rise to the natural variation in orange colour observed in different clones of the plant. Selection of different coloured plants and breeding from them can intensify or decrease the colour.
Colour variation produced by mutation
The main mutation or "sport" to occur in Clivia miniata has been the yellow mutant. This has apparently occurred in nature a number of times as a number of different yellows have been collected. This mutation simply involves a failure of the biochemical reactions inside the plant which leads to the formation of the anthocyanin pigment. Without the red pigment, the only pigment present to colour the flower is the yellow carotenoid pigment, thus the flower is yellow. In clivia plants (as distinct from the flowers) the anthocyanin pigment is also present, However it is only present in sufficient concentration to be seen at the base of the leaves. This is most noticeable in seedlings and young plants where it appears as a purple stain at the base of the leaves. It is purple because the mixing of red and green (chlorophyll) pigments produces purple. If the plant mutates so that it cannot produce anthocyanin then the flower will be yellow and the plant will be plain green without any purple stain.
Just as the orange flowers vary in concentration of the pigments giving rise to different tones of orange, in the total absence of anthocyanin there is still a variation in the concentration of yellow pigments giving rise to a variation in the depth of yellow colour. In other words some yellows are deeper coloured than
1 others. Some are quite light in colour so that some parts of the flower can appear white. Thus a white clivia is simply a yellow mutant (no anthocyanin) in which there is so little yellow pigment that the flower appears white.As it require two chance occurrences in the one plant to produce a white clivia from a normal orange one, white is much rarer in nature than yellow. However by deliberately crossing two pale yellow plants it should be possible to obtain whites or near whites in one or two generations.
The only other colour variants known at present in clivia miniata are the so called pink forms. These I suggest come from the very pale orange (buff or flesh coloured) plants. These plants at times have a suggestion of pink in the flower. I believe these are the plants which, as well as a low concentration of anthocyanin, also have a low concentration of carotene. Thus a pink flower is one with low anthocyanin (red diluted to pink) superimposed on a white background instead of a yellow background.
Hence a breeding program for whites could also be used as a breeding program for pinks. This would be accomplished by crossing very pale yellow (or near whites) with pale orange flowers which have pinkish casts. Once really pinkish flowers were obtained then pink crossed with pink could be used to intensify the pink while secondarily further reducing the yellow pigment. Bill Morris *****
Tissue Culture of Clivia
More often than not the response about this method of culture for Clivia is negative. Very little success has been achieved, yet it is not impossible to do. The major stumbling block (as far as I have encountered) is multiplication. It appears that culture in vitro is possible on a range of media, but to make it worthwhile, rapid multiplication of the culture is required. If this doesn't happen, then you don't get very far. The article I came across during my research outlined results for various plant parts cultured. Immature embryos were "saved" by tissue culture, but not increased. That is, from one immature seed they obtained one "cultured" plant that had to be grown on to maturity. The technique represented a reduction in time compared to traditional seed sowing. This is fine from a breeding point of view as it may reduce turnover time between generations of about one year. The results didn't give much hope from a commercial point of view. Mind you, a lot more research may have come up with the multiplying media since the publication of that article. Does anyone know if that is the case?
The small trials we conducted in the lab at work failed to achieve any multiplication of Clivia. Agapanthus, on the other hand, multiplies on culture very readily. It is a lengthy process to determine the correct media for a particular plant species. I have heard that various labs are culturing Clivia in vitro, but I don't have specific media details. The extent of the success of these ventures is unknown to me.
Ken Smith, Australia *****
Clivias and their Cultivation
Printed by kind permission from Graham Duncan's article in "Parks and Grounds" Vol. 59. (1991)
Clivia is a showy evergreen , shade loving genus, comprising four species, which is endemic to South Africa. This choice garden plant is rapidly gaining in popularity as its valuable horticultural uses become more widely appreciated amongst gardeners and in the horticultural industry at large.
2 Appearance Of the four species, the most suitable for general cultivation is Clivia miniata, commonly known as "Bush Lily", while C caulescens, C gardenii and C nobilis are more collectors items and not quite as easily grown as C miniata.
C miniata produces an umbel of trumpet-shaped blooms in many different shades of orange or red, and there are also several different yellow forms of this species, known as C miniata var citrina. The species is mainly spring-flowering and it occurs naturally the forest of Natal, Swaziland and the Eastern Transvaal.
The three other species C caulescens, C gardenii and C nobilis, all have narrow pendulous flowers in shades of orange tipped with green.
C nobilis occurs in the Eastern Cape and is recognised by its rough, leathery foliage which has blunt tips and is generally a smaller plant that the other two. It flowers mainly in early summer, but sporadic blooms may occur throughout the year.
C gardenii occurs in Natal and Transkei and it has fewer, longer flowers borne in a semi-pendulous position, with clearly protruding stigmas. It blooms in autumn.
C caulescens comes from the Eastern and Northern Transvaal and is easily recognised in mature specimens by its distinct main 'stem'. It flowers in early summer.
Cultivation
Dappled shade is the most suitable location for growing clivias but they will also thrive in fairly heavy shade. They can take some morning sun but should have shade for the rest of the day. Excessive exposure to sun results in severe scorching of the foliage.Clivias are seen to best advantage planted in large drifts under evergreen trees and as subject for large containers on a shady patio. They can take light frosts but in areas of extreme winter temperatures, protection is required.
In the landscape they can easily be mixed with other shade-loving plants like Protasparagus densiflorus, Impatiens and the low-growing Plectranthus species. Clivias can also be grown indoors in positions receiving good light but not direct sunlight.
The underground portion of the Clivia plant is a rhizomatous rootstock with perennial fleshy roots similar to that of Agapanthus. It is important when planting clivias from nursery bags or replanting newly divided plants, to ensure that they are placed at the same level as they were growing previously, as planting too deeply can cause the leaf bases to rot. In the landscape, plants can be spaced 40-50 cm apart, and three plants can be grown in a 35 cm diameter container.
The growing medium should ideally be a slightly acid, very well drained loam with much well decomposed organic matter. Bone meal can also be mixed into the soil. Most importantly, the soil must be prepared very well, because once clivias have been planted, they should remain undisturbed for many years. Best flowering results are always obtained from well established clumps.
Clivias require regular deep watering during their flowering and growing period which is mainly from spring until the end of summer. They can withstand fairly dry conditions during winter, but are not adversely affected by heavy winter rainfall such as in the southern suburbs of the Cape Peninsula, provided the soil is very well drained. Clivias, in particular C miniata, are gross feeders and benefit greatly from regular applications of liquid fertiliser like Seagro or Supranure, particularly when grown as container plants. Fertilisers are best applied
3 from spring until the end of summer, and established clumps in the landscape can be mulched annually in spring with well rotted compost.
Propagation
Clivias are easily raised from perfectly ripe seed. The seed can take up to 12 months to ripen on the mature plant, and it is harvested once the outer fleshy covering of each berry has turned a bright red or yellow. This fleshy covering is removed revealing the hard, irregularly shaped seeds which are then sown in a well-drained medium such as equal parts river sand, loam and fine compost.
The seeds are simply pressed into the medium to rest just below the soil level and are best sown in deep seed trays, placed in a shaded position. They must be kept moist and germination takes place from about six weeks onwards, but can often take several months. Seedlings can be potted-up into two litre nursery bags at about 12 months old, and planted out into the garden or into permanent containers at 18-24 months. C miniata can start flowering in its third year from seed if well grown, but the other three species take a couple more years to flower.
Offsets form very readily on C. miniata, but less frequently on the other three species. They can be separated when large enough, after the flowering period, and should be replanted immediately. Very large clumps can be lifted and then prized apart placing two forks back to back in the centre. It is essential to retain as much root material as possible on each separated offset. Newly planted offsets will usually take a year or two to settle down before regular flowering commences again.
Propagation of offsets is the most reliable method of obtaining exactly true-to-type material. Attempts to propagate clivia by tissue culture have proved unsuccessful to date.
Pests and diseases
The most important pest attacking clivias in South Africa is the highly destructive lily borer, also known as amaryllis caterpillar. Preventative spraying with a carbaryl-based insecticide gives effective control. Snout beetles cause damage during summer by eating holes into the leaf margins and can be controlled with Ripcord. Mealy bug sometimes attacks the leaf bases of plants and can be controlled with Dursban. Slugs and snails can cause severe damage to the flowers and foliage. A fungus causes leaf die-back from the tips but can be controlled with weekly applications of Captab or Mancozeb.(M45).
Availability
The orange and red forms of Clivia miniata are freely available while the yellow forms remain as sought-after collector's items. The other three species are occasionally available from specialist bulb nurseries, and plants are offered from time to time at the Botanical Society's Annual Plant Sale at Kirstenbosch which is usually held at the end of March.
References
1. Duncan, GD,1985. Notes on the genus Clivia Lindley, with particular reference to C. miniata Regel var. citrina Watson. Veld and Flora 71(3):83-85 2. Du Plessis, N M & Duncan, G D 1989.Bulbous Plants of Southern Africa: A guide to their cultivation and propagation with water colours by Elise Bodley. Tafelberg Publishers. Cape Town.
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4 Culture Tips
And now for something completely different....
Have you ever tried growing Clivia in crumpled up newspaper? Well, you should. I was shown this simple technique by Mr Nakamura when he visited Australia in October this year.
Simply crumple up newspaper loosely and place in the bottom of a pot. Now position a seedling Clivia in the pot, after washing the soil from the root system, and continue to fill the pot with crumpled newspaper. Do not pack down tightly. Place a small amount of granular fertiliser (the type you normally use) on top of the newspaper and water as normal.
The advantages are: it recycles the newspaper, is a lightweight medium, is cheap and easy to do and, surprisingly enough, it holds moisture around the roots.
So far the few plants I have done are doing very well. No setbacks at all. It is a curious method that might prove beneficial to the choice plant that keeps rotting in traditional soil mixes. Whilst it is OK for the collector, I suppose it wouldn't be suitable for plants that are going to be sold?
Wait until I tell you how to pot up Clivia in rocks! Ken Smith, Australia
***** Dear Friends of Clivia
In Vol. 1 No.2 of "Clivia Club" Mr. Dennis Tsang proposed interbreeding Clivia with Cryptostephanus densifolius.
An index has never been prepared for Plant Life - Herbertia, the official magazine for the American Plant Life Society, now known as the International Bulb Society. So far I have found mention of Cryptostephanus in volumes ;- 1948- Herbertia. R.A. Dyer. pp18-19. A write-up and sketch of Cryptostephanus vansonii. 1949- Plant Life. Jozef Benjamin Gouws's paper of four years study was published pp54-81. He covered several species including C vansonii, Clivia caulescens and Clivia miniata chromosome count 2n=22. On p.73 is a drawing of the rootstock of Clivia caulescens. I used the drawing of Haemanthus magnificus in my notes of the new Scadoxus. On p.74 he states Cryptostephanus does not belong to Amaryllidaceae. 1963- Plant Life. p54. A small paragraph by Gordon McNeil. C vansonii seeds take eighteen months to ripen. Dr. Gouws reports chromosome count 2n=24. 1980- Plant Life. Notes on the genus Cryptostephanus. pp102-106. Includes C densiflorus, C haemanthoides, C vansonii, where found and culture.
Perhaps Dr. Gouws is still alive and can be approached about the possibility of the proposed Clivia x Cryptostephanus densiflorus cross when someone ventures into the wilds on a collecting trip. Food for thought. sincerely Les Larson *****
5 Dear Mr. Primich,
Enclosed is a cheque for R10, being the membership fee for the Clivia club. I would be pleased if you could let me have the first newsletter if available, as I am a little at sea as to who is who!
I think Piet Vorster's idea of placing a joint order with a Japanese breeder is great. I would eagerly come in on this venture.
Thank you for all your time that you must be putting into the Clivia Club, and also a pat on the back for your daughter-in-law who has displayed such courtesy in taking club calls! Thank you. My phone number is (011) 882-2973. Sincerely Denise Currie (Mrs.)
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Dear Friend,
Please register me in your association.I am a plant collector with an interest in bulbs, especially amaryllids. I also have a small collection of Clivia types which I would like to expand.
Les Larsson of Western Australia told me about you, and that you had already sent two newsletters, including information from Japan. Please could you send me copies of these. I understand the proposed subscription is US$10.00 which I enclose.
I look forward to hearing from you. Yours sincerely David Brundell
***** Dear Nick
Thank you for your letter and seed. Nakamura San has been and gone. A very exciting time for us to have someone visit with so much knowledge and experience. He was here in Toowoomba for only a few hours. To explain. His plane landed in Brisbane at 9.20 am on Monday 5th Oct and it was ll.45 am before we arrived home. We left Toowoomba at 5 pm to overnight in Brisbane as Nakamura San's plane left Brisbane at 7.25 the following morning. To catch a plane from here means leaving at least 3 hours before. Obviously large-flowered Clivia are not to Japanese taste as Nakamura San was most impressed with my mini miniatas (which I thought as weedy) and with the strain Midget which is much smaller than Twins. Let me know if you don't have Twins over there as I can send you some seed. It could be that a yellow of any size would be acceptable in Japan, similarly with a variegated one. I am beginning to appreciate small Clivia. My mini miniatas come from x cyrtanthiflora which may have been crossed with miniata. Resultant seedlings vary from x cyrtanthiflora types to mini miniatas, some with flesh-pink colouring. Strangely, not one of my flesh-pink Clivia flowered this year.
Nakamura San admired my yellows, not Aurea so much ,but F1 yellows from Aurea. I don't know why he thought these better than Aurea. I am not that good an observer. Many are the times that visitors have noticed things about the Clivia that I haven't.
The cultivar Aurea originated in Melbourne, Victoria. If the owner of the nursery that has been distributing it for so long knew its history he/she would not say what it was. I had never asked but I know others have. The name Aurea should be applied to this cultivar only as it is a published name in garden magazines so by common law is allowed to have that name. I think it is difficult to name yellows as they are usually so
6 alike. I note the colour and not the shape.So much so that visitors here over the years have pointed out two yellows that are "different" and not runts like I do have with tepals very much reduced in size, giving an ugly appearance which doesn't stop some from raving over them. They too, only see the colour. I have named these two good yellows. One has a green section in the tepal, the other has much wider tepals. A yellow seedling flowered for the first time this year, one with very narrow tepals, almost like the common orange Clivia in shape. Nakamura San was much taken by the common Clivia in Australia, and spent a day studying the form in Sydney's Botanic Gardens. It is so common here one barely notices it except when seen growing in the mass as in older suburbs of Sydney. When happy, Aurea seems to offset well. I find it offsets much more rapidly when in the ground. As you say some Clivia are very reluctant to offset.
I have seen the photos you sent over. Nakamura San took them with him on this trip around Oz. Very impressive. I think Bill Morris is right when he says if you cross a yellow with a yellow of the same genetic background you will get 100% yellows. I am finding that seedlings from such a cross have no colouring in the leaf bases. It would be nice to obtain a true yellow....after all citrina means citron-coloured. My species flowered well this year.. by species I mean miniata, temporarily forgetting the others. The seed came many years ago from Blombos along with seed of gardenii and nobilis. The resulting 'nobilis' is not really nobilis, perhaps some hybrid. I love the species miniata for its long stems and open umbels which could take a lot of handling, i.e. the umbel can be compressed without damage. A lady at work told us how when she was a child in Durban 50 years ago the native people used to bring Clivia blooms into town to sell. How fares Clivia miniata in the wild now?
As for an article for the newsletter I was hoping you would have used relevant bits from my Herbertia article. However I'll adapt from that one. I haven't much more to say apart from what was in that.
My Clivia will be shown on a national TV gardening show on the 6th November. These things are very segmenty so will last two minutes at the most. Best wishes Kevin Walters *****
Dear Editor,
Many thanks for the yellow clivia, was delighted to receive it.
I have had a number of clivia for many years, but it was only this year in September that I planted fifty seeds. Had quite given up hope when this week 17 leaves appeared, I had not realised germination would take about two and a half months.
I would like to endorse Piet Vorster's suggestion of a joint order from Japanese growers. Herewith my subs with thanks.
Yours sincerely Chloe Stuart ***** Dear Mr. Primich,
Its nice to hear from you again via the Clivia Club. Well done! The last newsletter is very interesting (vol.1 No.2) especially the planting of seed. I have tried all sorts of different methods, and my results with just leaving the complete seed (in its case) in a quiet shady spot in the garden seem to be as good as shelling them out and putting them into special soil mixes.
My main reason for writing is to apply for one and hopefully two of the yellow clivia you advertised. I enclose cheque for same.
7 Many thanks sincerely Chris Barker. ***** Dear Members
I am at times tempted to call you Dear Cliviers, but I will forgo this for now. I have been queried by Bill Morris, and Dr. Barker on the reason I advocate darkness for seed germination. I meant to answer this in the last letter, but it slipped my memory. I have over the years conducted experiments on what could possibly be the best method for germinating various seed.
When I started growing Clivia I noticed there were strange gaps in the germination of a batch of seed. I conducted various experiments over a length of time, but unfortunately have lost the records of this, although no doubt it could easily be repeated. Anyway, the thing was it became apparent that darkness hastened the emergence of the radicle. I found it had no further benefit than this. In a batch of seed, I found that when covered, one or two seeds would emerge ahead of the others, but would still develop green parts in spite of the darkness.
There is certainly no harm in leaving the fruit on the seed and letting it germinate this way. It probably supplies both the darkness and the moisture factor. Indeed, most of the seed in nature seem to germinate this way. The fruit dissolves into a rather frightful looking mess, but strangely enough not evil-smelling, and shortly after this the radicles will start emerging. I have wondered if there is some chemical in the rotting fruit which might cause this.
I think Dr. Barker might find that when he is germinating his first yellows, that he may not care to follow the natural method. It is hardly suitable for shadehouses or glasshouses where you want to keep control over all forms of rot and fungus. Serious breeders tend to have a few hundred seeds at a time on the go. Most of us are amateurs, and do not have much space in which to operate. When you are growing the majority of your plants in the pot you are also not able to allow the peduncle to fall to the ground to deliver its seed. Things left lying around the garden are also apt to fall prey to any passing predator, some of them being human.
My Cryptostephanus vansonii bore flowers in early November. Small star-like white ones with a distinct, faint pinkish-brown cast to them. I duly crossed them with Clivia nobilis and was pleased to see the ovaries fattening. I kept this plant along with other choice yellow Clivias in my living-room. I put them outside in a small narrow alley to pick up a bit of rain and wash the leaves off. A terrific hailstorm came down and by chance was aligned with the alley. The poor Cryptostephanus took an awful beating. The peduncle was utterly destroyed as were most of the leaves. The Clivias stood up much better, and are only peppered with little white marks where the hail struck them. I will have to wait until another season to repeat the experiment.
The cross between the Clivia miniata hybrid and the Eucharis amazonica also came to an end as far as the E. amazonica is concerned. All the seeds aborted after showing a little promise. On the Clivia there is one very full ovary, and that is all. I shall ripen this seed and keep a special eye on it. Perhaps it is only a case of parthenogenesis. I have tried various crosses with other amaryllidaceae but have had no significant result.Please note the response from Ken Smith and Les Larson in this letter on these issues. Things are looking up and getting exciting. Kevin Walters sent me an article for publication.(It will appear in the next newsletter). A pretty good article, but it was accompanied by a gem of a letter which I have taken the liberty of printing here. I hope he forgives me. Please note that you should mark your letter not for publication if that is what you desire. Along with his letter he sent about sixty seeds of yellow Clivias. I would guess that about thirty to forty yellows would result from this lot. Kevin said " dish them out among the members." This gave me a bit of a
8 problem, because it would hardly be fair if I phoned the few members who have been in touch with me and said come and get them. I could hardly post you all one each! So I have planted them and will use the seedlings to hand out as prizes for literary achievement. Starting next issue I will award a prize for the best letter, say three green-sheathed seedlings, and a prize for the best article(six green-sheathed seedlings.), by one of our non-pro's. We all know who they are. There are also some reds, and I am sending them to the others who asked for Ken Smith seeds and lost out. Let us all put our pens to paper and produce the best ever newsletter next quarter! Nick Primich (ed)
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WANTED
Seed of Agapanthus inapertus albus, the white- flowered form of the pendulous Agapanthus. A plant was listed as Agapanthus inapertus ssp inapertus "white", in Veld & Flora Dec 1985, page 124. I would be happy to exchange seed. Ken Smith, Australia
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Colour
I suppose we could think of colours as adjectives in the language of sight. They help to define and classify the images that the retina sends to the brain.
I have no wish here to launch into the world of physics, but it is hard to establish any ground without a little science. We are all aware of Newton and his spectrum. Most of us can recite the colours of the rainbow. Seven colours indeed! Seven hundred if you want to look a little closer.
There it is, we can keep it simple or make it overly complicated. Let's stay simple.Primary colours are red, yellow, and blue. If we arrange them in the traditional circle we get between red and yellow, orange; between red and blue, purple; between blue and yellow, green.These are the primary colours and they vary in hue and saturation.They are also known as the chromatic colours, as opposed to white and black which are the achromatic colours and vary in lightness and brightness.
There are various standard colour charts around which help to sort it out if one becomes confused, but the chromatic colours can be combined with the achromatic colours. Thus we could have a greyed blue, which is a blue with a little black in it, and a little white. Is grey not an admixture of white and black?
Crimson is on the blue side of red, and scarlet is on the yellow side. Somewhere, in-between, is a thin, rare band of true red. Now pink is not a weak red, but rather a colour on the red side of purple. So for your Clivia to be pink per se, there would have to be some blue coloration.Bill Morris tells us that anthocyanin is responsible for all the colours of flowers except yellow or orange.. According to the acidity of the flower, the anthocyanin varies from red to blue through pink, and on to blue-green and green. That is why I am glad that Bill speaks of the "so-called" pinks. This flesh, or pale salmon, or buff whatever it is not a pink at all. We still have to see a pink Clivia, and lets hope that day may still come. Nick Primich.
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Hybridising with other Genera
9 Can it be done? Has it been done in the past and what would be the outcome for future breeding if it is truly successful?
Past horticultural literature lists some crosses as if they were "matter of fact" and suggests that other crosses may have been achieved. In my thesis I listed those crosses that came to my attention. The success of these crosses needs to be questioned. Only by careful consideration of the plants used in the crosses, and detailing results of any personal hybridizing work, will we learn about the potential to create new hybrids.
How far removed from Clivia will these supposed hybrids be? Is the crossing with other genera worth it?
One of the earliest records is of Cliveucharis, a cross between Clivia miniata and Eucharis grandiflora, published in 1891. Cliveucharis pulchra is described as a hybrid raised in M van Houtte's nursery out of Clivia by the pollen of Eucharis amazonica. What do they look like? Does anyone have these plants growing? Do they really exist?
Gordon McNeil reported on several crosses in his article (Herbertia Vol 41). This included using Agapanthus, Allium, Cyrtanthus, Narcissus, and Tulbaghia. The plant called Clivia (?) 'Green Girl', a supposed cross of Clivia miniata and Hippeastrum, was illustrated in that articles. Plants of 'Green Girl' were offered in the 1985 catalogue of the International Growers Exchange. They were described as "pink with green stripes. Fragrant and sold for $US75. It would be interesting to see tangible proof that these plants exist.
What do you get when you cross a plant that has a true bulb with a plant that has a rhizome? What if one plant is evergreen and the other parent is deciduous? What results if one type produces round, white, fleshy seed and the other flat, black, dry seeds? Can we succeed if we match up some plant characters, or must they all match? If anyone can supply chromosome numbers for these genera, I would be grateful.
Anybody who grows Cryptostephanus vansonii will know how similar in appearance it is to Clivia. Apparently early specimens were thought to be Clivia until investigation of the flowers showed otherwise. It is a beautiful plant in itself, but is also more plausible to suggest that crossing with Clivia will be successful. I am attempting this cross this season and will let you know through this newsletter of my success of failure.
Amaryllis and Crinum are two other species that have been used in crossing with Clivia. Does anybody know of these? I would urge you to think about these hybrids and report through the newsletter any findings you may have. I have been challenged to think hard about them and not just accept that they can be easily done.
What are your thoughts on this aspect of Clivia culture?
Cryptostephanus vansonii X Clivia
This season I have been deliberately pollinating the flowers on my plant of Cryptostephanus vansonii. A mid-orange flowered C miniata is the pollen plant. It happens to have roll petal flowers, but basically is flowering late so I am using it. Each flower is liberally dusted with pollen, with a follow up in the next day or two. 23 have been treated at the time of writing. The umbel has 42 flowers, although I don't know if all will progress fully.
There is a marked change in the treated flowers after a day or so. The top row of anthers is stained red. Ovaries are swelling and the petals are closing, with a distinct line forming at the base just above the ovary. I can't tell at this stage if self-pollination has occurred but the signs are promising that crossing with Clivia is a real possibility.
10 I am heartened by the comment of our editor on page 9 Vol 1 No 1 of the newsletter, "crosses readily the Clivia". I also note that Ian Coates, in his articles of Feb 1990, states that he has a seedling from this cross that is distinctly different from both parents. It was three years old then so perhaps has flowered by now. Does anyone know of this hybrid plant? I will keep you posted Ken Smith, Australia
*****
Members Connie Abel, 89 Brampton Road, Lynwood Manor, 0081 Mrs. W.E. Allison, 10 Vestness Road, Valhalla,0185. General. C. Barker, P.O.Box 154, Knysna, 6570. Growing & selling. Looking for yellows. Herman Burger, Topaz nr.2, Murrayfield, 0184. General Stephanie Crookes, P.O.Box 4248,Randburg, 2125. General. Howard Cook, P.O.Box 6,Gillits,3601.General Denise Currie, 303 Cromwell Road,Lombardy East, 2090. General. Mej. M. de Bruyn, Bel Monte 43, Maianalaan, Brummeria, 0184 General E. Ellis, P.O.Box 2824, Jhb,2000. General. Mrs. Dulcie Emanuel, P.O.Box 97, Rosetta, 3301. Beginner esp. yellows. Mr. A. Gibello, P.O.Box 253, Great Brak River, 6503. General. Mrs. N.E. Gilson, P.O.Box 6, Swartberg,4710. General. A.N. Grobler, P.O.Box 75376, Lynwoodrif,0041.General. A.J. Hankey 7 Orion St., Kensington,2094. General. Mrs. C. Howie, 7 Ripple Close,Newlands, 7700. General, buyer of yellows. J. L. Holmes, P.O.Box 4063, Idas Valley,7609.General. Engelina Joubert, P.O.Box 16, Settlers,0430. General. Dot Kropf, P.O.Box 904, Stutterheim,4930. General. Penny Lennox, 2 Ascot road, Milnerton, 7441. General. Prof. Roy A. Lubke, Schonland Botanical Laboratories, Rhodes University, Grahamstown. 6140. General. Keith Macmullen, P.O.Box 2155, Cramerview 2060. General. Mr. M.D. Mey, 55 Black St., Parkdene,1460. General. Lukas Otto, P.O.Box 309, Muldersdrif, 1734 Mrs. L. Robertson, 59 Harewood Drive, Nahoon, 5241. General. Mrs. V.M. Rodel, P.O.Box 9206, Cinda Park, 1463.Beginner. P.E. Shanahan, 27 Pat Newson Road, Epworth,Pmb.3201. General. Mr. A.V.V.R. Schweizer, 14B Pioneer Rd., Irene, 1675. General Mrs. R. Stevenson, 4 Karee Street,Randpark Ridge X1, 2194. Ms. Dorene Theron, Amoi Estate,P O Box 810, Stellenbosch, 7600. Mr. J.H. Uys, 25 Elbertha St., Stellenbosch. 7600. General. Ms. D. van der Merwe, P.O.Box 651006, Benmore, 2010. General. Willem H.J. van Deventer, Pirokseenstraat 672, Elarduspark X6, 0181. Pretoria. General. Laila van Heerden,P.O.Box 15766, Lynn East, 0039. General. Mrs. C. van Vuuren, P.O.Box 6292, Homestead,1401. P.Vorster, Botany Department, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X5018, Stellenbosch,7599. Hybrids & Cultivars. Mr. G. J. Wiese, 12 van der Westhuizen Ave, Durbanville, 7550
Australia Milton Edwards, P.O. Box 499, Belgrave , Victoria 3160.General. C.J. Grove, 39 Pandora Drive, City Beach, 6015, Western Australia. Breeder R. Harrison, P.O. Box 161, Wanneroo, 6065 Western Australia. Breeder. Jerd Seeds, P.O. Box 3424, Mildura, 3502. Australia. Seeds.
11 Les Larsson, 31 Solomon Street, Palmyra, 6157. Western Australia. General. Ron May,11 Loch Street,Toowoomba,Queensland, 4350. Breeder, fancier. W. Morris, 37 Brocklesby Road, Medowie, NSW. 2301. Breeder. John Roper,11 Kianga Street, Graceville, Queensland. 4075. Ken Smith, 593 Hawkesbury Road, Winmalee, NSW.2777. Breeder. Kevin Walters, 20 Wyalla Street, Toowoomba, Queensland.4350
Hong Kong Dennis Tsang, 104 Hing on House, Wo Lok Est, Kwuntong. General.
Italy Davide Rossi,Via Gravellona 22,Vigevano 27029, Pavia General.
Japan Yoshikazu Nakamura. Clivia Breeding Plantation, 4-28, Kurodo Mobara-city, 297 Chiba Prefecture. Japan.Breeder.
New Zealand Dr. K.W.R.Hammet,488c Don Buck Road,Massey,Auckland 8.General.
Sweden Borje Svensson (Mr.) Studentstaden 4, S-75233, Uppsala. General. M. Edquist, Syreng 19, 57139 Nassjo,Sweden. General. S. Hvegholm,Kvartebo,36076, Alghult, Sweden General.
Switzerland Sir Peter Smithers, 6921-Vico Morcote, Switzerland.
United Kingdom A.F.Gosden,12 Maes-y-felin,Penrhyncoch,Aberystwyth,Dyfed,SY23 3EN United Kingdom. General. C.M.Atkinson,7 Leafy Way,Locking, Weston Super Mare,Avon BS24 8BD United Kingdom. General. B&T World Seeds, David Sleigh,Whitnell House, Fiddington,Bridgwater,Somerset,TA5 1JE. United Kingdom. General.
USA D.S.Casebier,Brown University,Box H,Providence,R I 02912, General. Dr. R.L. Doutt, 1781 Glen Oaks Drive, Santa Barbara, California 93108. General. Donald J Hunter,Rancho Soledad Nurseries Inc, P O Box 1689,18539 Aliso Canyon Road,Rancho Santa Fe,California 92067. General. Victor D Newcomer,M D Inc,1260 15th Street,Suite 1024,Santa Monica,California 90404. David West, 209 N 18 Street, Montebello, California 90640. General. Zimbabwe I.D. Waldie, 17 Adare Road, P O Chisipite, Harare, Zimbabwe.
12 On the Compost Heap
It was rumoured that red faces were seen in the editorial office when the final copy was being done.We are not too sure if there are any yellow stripes down any backs, but I'm green with envy over the computer's new blue cover.Also, I blushed pink with embarrassment at our new members' list. Shame on you! Where is a poor worm to get her next meal from? Oh! Perhaps nobody told you that they had not updated the list to spare the shame. They hope everyone will pay by the next issue.
Our editor is so busy with non-clivia things that he forgot to mention the people who want to get a joint-Japanese order through.Someone had better take charge of this matter, and find out what can be got from the Japanese. Who amongst us can speak any Japanese? (or write it.) Don't shout too loud. Lily Borer
13 Clivia Club
PO Box 6240 Westgate 1734 RSA PO Box 6240 Westgate 1734 RSA
US$15.00 p.a. overseas R20.00 p.a. RSA
Volume 2 Number Two April 1993
Clivia nobilis and Clivia x cyrtanthiflora in Australia
The pendulous flowered Clivias are less noticeable in our gardens when compared to the bright orange display of C. miniata and its garden selections. When you start to look more closely, like I have been doing lately, you soon find them here and there. At first I thought that the pendulous-flowered types were representative of C. x cyrtanthiflora. Flower colour varied from orange to orange-red. I could not find the "green-tipped flowers" that all the references stated were applicable to C. nobilis. Discussion and correspondence always included reference to C. nobilis, as if we had this type growing.
Three different types that I have come across so far in gardens, are as follows:-)
TYPE I. Smaller-growing form producing a clump of foliage approximately 50-60cm high. Leaves are 35 mm wide and the leaf tip is blunt.The small, reddish-orange flowers are curved and do not flare at the mouth. Inner and outer tepals are the same colour.The umbel has approximately 20 pendulous flowers. Stamens are shorter than the corolla. TYPE II. A taller growing plant. Foliage is a touch wider, about 40-45mm. Leaf tips are more pointed than Type I, yet blunt leaf tips can be found.Flowers are curved and slightly flared at the mouth. Outer perianth segments are reddish-orange, with the inner ones a pale, creamy apricot. TYPE III. Plant is similar to Type II in foliage and growth. The flowers are a clear orange throughout. They are slightly curved and flare at the mouth to 25-30mm diameter. Umbels of 14-20 flowers are held approximately 75cm high. Stamens exerted.
Flower length for all types is about 45-50mm. The buds can have a greenish tinge if closer inspection is made, but this soon gives way to the orange shades when the flower is open. Whilst some buds do have green concentrated at the tip, it does not remain, certainly not enough to give us "green tipped flowers". At this stage I consider Type I as C. nobilis, and Type II and Type III as C. x cyrtanthiflora. I may learn otherwise.
I am sure there are many more variations on the theme to be found, especially if discussion with local and overseas growers is any indication. The variety of types brought forward by the photographs I have seen show plants differing in flower shape, flower number per umbel and flower colour combinations. Foliage characters vary from rough-edged, leathery leaves ending in blunt tips to the more usual miniata-type leaves.
Our Western Australian "nobilis" are said to be "of better type" than the East Coast plants. Larger flowers are produced. One type referred to as C. nobilis Albany Form, shows a large head of pendulous, pale apricot flowers. At least that is how I interpret the colour photograph, in my opinion a beautiful clivia. Are these forms hybrid lines that were developed separately to the East Coast types? I always keep my plants
1 labelled as received, which is handy for future reference, comparison and breeding work. One plant given to me by one of our breeders is a " dwarf nobilis type ex McNeil seed". If I can get it to flower, I will be able to compare it to the other types. Some three-year old seedlings off C. nobilis ex South African seed are noticeably different to other types I am growing. I am looking forward to them flowering also.
If anyone could send me some C.nobilis wild collected, I would be very pleased. Lets have some more descriptions of the C. x cyrtanthiflora being grown. It will help to paint the picture.
Ken Smith Winmalee
*****
The Clivia in Japan
In Japan as far as Clivia is concerned, efforts at improvement are targetted more towards the leaves than the flower. But my goal is the improvement of the flower itself.
Some of the leaders in this field in Japan tend to name any plant that seems to be even slightly different from the original, as a new variety. Since they are able to sell the seeds under a new name, they fetch a higher price.
But this is causing great confusion since all are hybrids. A novice believes that anything that has been named must essentially be good, and is therefore willing to pay a high price for it.Yet as they gather experience, they become aware that such names do not always carry the same significance as that of a new breed.
This commercial aspect that pursues profit alone is regretable, particularly to a plant breeder like myself. It is more so because I am of the opinion that even hybrids are valuable in their own right just as long as they are fine specimens.
Yoshikazu Nakamura I am gratified, in this our fifth newsletter to present such a magnificent array of writers on the subject of Clivia. Yoshikazu has presented us with this little gem of an article to give us an insight into the Japanese way with Clivia. Cynthia Giddy has joined our ranks and donated the ready-printed article enclosed with the newsletter. Ken Smith is his usual prolific self, Bill Morris chips in with his expert knowledge, Cliff Grove a word for W.A., and Kevin Walters gives us the benefit of his experience. Lester Hannibal, the doyen of amaryllid fanciers is here, and Sir Peter Smithers gives us pure "gold". It makes me wonder where we will get such riches for our next newsletter, but perhaps we will have a surprise or two in store.
I will have seed of the more common types for distribution in July. Some of the seed will be heterozygous for yellow, i.e. if one selfs or intercrosses the progeny about twenty-five percent will be yellows. There will be no charge for this seed, but South Africans can send R1.00 for postage and packing, and our overseas friends the equivalent of USA$2.00.
We urgently need the seed of Clivia caulescens. I will swap three-year old yellows for plants of this species. Does anyone out there hear me? May all your Clivias thrive.
Nick Primich (ed)
2 Breeding Better Yellows
Firstly what are better yellows?.Well in my opinion they should have the following characteristics:- 1. Shape. The petals should be wide enough to fill in the space between them thus giving a full flower. The flower should be open, not bell shaped and the end of the petals can recurve somewhat thus enhancing the flattish face of the flower.
2. The inflorescence should have sufficient numbers of flowers to form a spherical umbel. The flowers should have room to open properly as individuals but should be close enough or overlap somewhat so as to appear as a solid head.
3. Colour. This obviously will vary, but good deep colour approaching gold is still unknown. Most yellows also fade somewhat as they age, and a good, deep, non-fading yellow would be an achievement. However, light-coloured flowers also should be sought after, with the aim of eventually producing white flowers.
4. Vigour. This applies to the plant itself, and breeding to produce more vigourous plants is most important. If it takes 5-7 years to flower a number of plants of a cross instead of 3-4 years then progress is only half as fast. Hence vigour, as measured by how long it takes a plant to flower is most important.
My yellow strain originated by sibling crosses of the original orange and yellow cross made by Les Hannibal in California. This original F1 generation (7 siblings) was remarkably uniform and the F1 yellows obtained from it were fairly narrow-petalled and generally bell shaped rather than wide-open flowers. They were also relatively slow growing (although one flowered in four years from seed) and had narrow (4 - 5 cm wide) leaves.
About ten years ago I decided to repeat the F1 cross but used as the orange parent a good-shaped flower produced earlier by crossing an European commercial strain with an Australian selected strain of clivia. The yellow parent used was a yellow which has been vegetatively propagated in Australia for many years. It is self sterile but sets seed freely to other pollen. This new F1 generation has been much more variable than the original, producing some unusual colours and shapes. The plants also have wider leaves and are better growers. Some flowers and umbels are almost perfect and crossed either with one another or with top quality yellows will obviously produce excellent yellows.
When my first F2 yellows flowered they were pollinated by the Australian yellow which had better shape but still had narrow leaves. Some of these have flowered and are an improvement on the originals. Another yellow strain was produced by Kevin Walters in Toowoomba, Queensland. He obtained pollen from a friends garden from a pale orange clivia which was grown from seed from a Kew Gardens clivia plant, which he used on the self-sterile Australian yellow "Aurea". When these flowered some had exceptional flowers, large and full with many flowered umbels. They also had broader leaves and are good growers and propagators. Kevin was good enough to allow me to choose half a dozen offsets from his plants to use on my strain of yellow seedlings. Since using their pollen my seeds have obviously been more vigorous, producing more and broader leaves at an earlier stage. In fact, two-year old seedlings are often the size of 3-4 year old plants of the original seedlings.
The European commercial orange strains produce mainly deep orange flowers in a tight head with many buds. Generally, they do not have the open flowers, and spherical umbels that I admire. The plants also tend to be smaller growing to comply with the space problems for cold-sensitive plants in Europe. They also have very wide leaves. However, they occasionally produce a yellow-flowering plant (about 1 in 1000).
3 From a batch of twenty-thousand seedlings grown in Sydney, an excellent yellow was obtained from about a dozen yellows that occurred. This yellow has already been crossed with selected yellows off my strain. Further yellows that will hopefully in the near future, be incorporated into this strain include yellows bred from "Vico Yellow". This is a top quality yellow raised from C. x Kewensis. by Sir Peter Smithers. C. x Kewensis is, I believe, simply a select strain of clivia grown (raised?) at Kew Gardens. Sir Peter obtained 2 yellows from a batch of seed, the remainder being orange. "Vico Yellow" has been used in Japan to produce other yellows, and hopefully, these will be crossed with the Australian yellows. In general it has been obvious that each time another strain has been added to the original, it has produced an improvement in vigour.
It can no longer be said that the yellows are more difficult to grow than the orange, and the quality of the blooms is also comparable.The aim for the future is to flower plants in which all the described characteristics are present in one plant and I feel sure that some of the unflowered seedlings will do just that. Then the aim will be to intensify the yellow colour and the production (often via the yellows) of new colours like white, flesh, and pink. At present most of my "improved" F1 plants are being crossed with the very best yellows that are available to me. Although only fifty per cent, roughly, are yellows I feel that these plants will produce more variation both in yellow and non-yellow flowers than in straight yellow x yellow crosses. As some of the "improved" F1 were very pale, it is hoped that crossed with yellow there may be seedlings which are almost yellow but with just touches of orange. If this occurs, such flowers may appear to be much deeper yellows!
As I said in the beginning, this is my opinion as to what better yellows should be. It would be interesting to hear from others whether they agree or not.
Best of Luck to all! Bill Morris *****
Kevin Walters Breeds Clivias
Clivia have always had a special fascination for me. Perhaps not always, as I given my first Clivia miniata in my early teens by my paternal grandmother, Charlotte. She had been given two by her son Joseph, my uncle, a locally noted dahlia breeder, and also the grower of a huge collection of shade-loving ornamentals housed in several greenhouses. I still have that original Clivia miniata...there should be hundreds, but I have a small clump, having given them away consistently over the intervening years. Toowoomba is a gardening town and noted for its annual spring flower festival, called for better or worse " The Carnival of Flowers". Of great interest is the garden competition run in conjunction with the Carnival. One noted in the 60's the appearance of improved Clivia miniata with wider petals than the common Clivia. These were called "hybrids". In those days the sort of Clivia available in other parts of the world was simply "terra incognita". Clivia x cyrtanthiflora, though common, was not valued here as it did not flower in Spring to delight visitors to the Carnival. In those days gardens around town tended to be rather dull for ten months of the year, with all the effort going into producing one great show in spring. Naturally Clivia miniata was chosen to colour shady areas.
In 1964 the Clivia world opened up for me as I noticed an advert for Belgian hybrid Clivia so I sent off $1.00 for two seeds for that is how they were sold, in batches of two. How I wish now I had ordered more. Not really knowing much about raising Clivia from seed, in fact not knowing anything about it, I simply planted the seed in plain soil. Luckily one of the seed didn't bear a grudge about the medium and sprouted and grew. It grew into a lovely Clivia with very wide leaves. It took about 10 years to flower. I was quite puzzled as the root-system continued to grow, seemingly out of proportion to the top section, so I had to keep potting on. Well past 10 years I had to wait for an offset to appear. At about the same time the plant
4 split into 2. Since then it has behaved normally with an averaged-sized root system and off-setting as regularly as any other Clivia.
Somewhere in the 70's I obtained by first Clivia miniata var. citrina. It was the celebrated Australian cultivar "Aurea". I used it as the seed parent crossed with the 1964 Belgian hybrid. The cross was made in 1976 and the seed planted in September 1977. I was quite amazed when these hybrids began to flower. Other people were more amazed than I was, saying things like "Isn't that a remarkable Clivia!''.So I began to take more notice. Eventually I began to think that perhaps there should be exhibition type Clivia developed possibly with near-spherical or hemispherical heads, without any overcrowding of the individual florets which should be evenly spaced without noticeable gaps, and held clear of the foliage on a sufficiently robust stem. These large- flowered Clivia are much admired here, but I wonder if one day they might be considered passe and minis and spider forms become the rage. I don't think these large-flowered forms are suitable for bedding, unless they have very good protection from the elements.
Kevin Walters *****
The yellow flowered form of Clivia miniata at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and clones "Vico Yellow" and"Vico Gold".
The following information about "Clivia miniata Regel var. flava Phillips var. nov.; a forma typica floribus flavis differt. ( National Herbarium Pretoria, No. 8724 )" appears in " Flowering Plants of South Africa", 11 (1931) together with a full page plate (No. 411) illustrating the plant.
" On Plate 13 we illustrated typical Clivia miniata as found in Natal. The illustration on the accompanying plate represents a variety, also found in Natal, which differs from the species in having yellow flowers. We received the specimen from Mr. B. Nicholson, D.S.O., of Mbabane, Swaziland who obtained the plant from Mr. C.R. Saunders of Melmoth, Zululand. Mr. Saunders informs us that one or two plants were found in the Eshowe Forest, Zululand, about the year 1888, and a number of plants have been propagated from these originals. Plants were propagated from seed but took many years before they flowered. Mr. Saunders also informed us that two or three years ago a plant flowered at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, but as far as we are aware has not been figured. The fact that all plants raised from seed have yellow flowers indicates that we are dealing with a pure strain; but except for the colour of the flowers we have not been able to detect any tangible characteristics which would separate it from C. miniata and have therefore kept it as a yellow variety."
There then follows the formal description of Clivia miniata var flava. Unfortunately my photocopy of the text ends with the description of the style, but I presume that it goes on to state that the seed capsules of the plant are bright yellow. This seems to me to be an important point differentiating it from the type, which is not mentioned in the description above, perhaps because the author (Pole-Evans?) was working from herbarium material.
The origin of the yellow-flowered plants mentioned in the description above as flowering at Kew, Apparently in the period 1920-30, is not clear from this text, but it may have been the intention to imply that they were of similar origin to Mr. Saunders plants,and this seems to be confirmed by what follows.
The story is taken up in a letter from the late Mr. Lewis Palmer, Treasurer of the Royal Horticultural Society, whom I knew well. The letter was dated the third of January, 1964, and addressed to Mr. Marais at Kew:- "When I visited him (Sir Charles Saunders, Administrator of Zululand) in October 1925 at his home in Eshowe he had several large tubs of it (the yellow Clivia) in flower on his stoep. He kindly gave me two plants which I brought back to England and gave to my father-in-law, the late Lord Wakehurst. He
5 gave one to Kew and kept the other. After consulting Sir Arthur Hill, Lord Wakehurst decided the proper name for the plant was Clivia citrina or Clivia miniata var. citrina. Both plants flowered and Lord Wakehurst exhibited his at a R.H.S. meeting in 1927 or 1928 under one or other of those names. Both plants set seed and subsequently died."(My underlining)
Mr. Palmer continued: "The seedlings in both cases reverted to the orange colours of Clivia miniata, but in both cases C. miniata had been present in the same greenhouse and in flower. This induced the late Mr. Raffel of Kew to endeavour to segregate back to the lemon colour by selfing the seedlings and selecting. I know that shortly before he died he had been successful and for some reason called the plant C.miniata var. flava. Whether it was the F1, F2,or F3 generation I don't know. In the meantime I visited South Africa again in 1948 and was able to obtain another plant from a friend of Lady Saunders, who had a stock in her garden. This flowered in my greenhouse and I selfed it without any other Clivia being present and the resulting seedlings have come true to colour..."
From the forgoing material it is possible to make certain deductions as to the origin of the plant received by me in November 1970 from Mr. Russell as Clivia kewensis Cream.
1- The yellow-flowered Kew plant is not the original Clivia miniata var. flava received from South Africa, which died. It is a segregation back to that plant from a hybrid with a typical C. miniata.
2- Question:-What then is the correct name of this plant? Presumably Mr. Raffil used the name "kewensis" because in fact the plant was segregated and produced at Kew?
3. Question:-What is the status of the plants grown and distributed in South Africa under the name of Clivia miniata var. citrina, a name which Lord Wakehurst and Sir Arthur Hill used previously to the publication of C.miniata var. flava in 1931 and quoted above?
4. My plant of C. kewensis Cream flowered and produced seed in bright yellow capsules. It subsequently died but its pollen was used on orange forms received under the names C.kewensis "A" and C.kewensis "B". I assume that these were also seedlings from Mr. Raffil's program which did not produce selfed yellow flowers, but which nevertheless carried genes from the original C. miniata var. flava. The products of this cross in my greenhouse produced numerous variants on typical C. miniata with differing degrees of yellow in the throat of the flower and varying shades of orange, but none of them produced yellow seed capsules and there were no selfed yellow flowers until many years later. It was then that from a large quantity of surplus seed scattered under the staging in the greenhouse there finally appears, four years apart, two yellow-flowered plants with bright yellow seed capsules. These separate clones have been named "Vico Yellow" and "Vico Gold". These plants presumably have genes from the Raffill yellow plant on both sides of the cross.
Peter Smithers 5 December 1992
This paper is based upon material kindly supplied by Mr J.L.S. Keesing, Living Collections, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Corrections and criticisms of my interpretation of the material will be welcome.
*****
6
An Old War-Horse Comes to Light
Dear Friends
Someone sent me your vol. 1(3) 1992 issue of the bulletin. Wasn't aware of the activity. As some know I've been mixed up with Amaryllidaceae culture for some 50 years, and as secretary of the old American Amaryllis Society back in 1943-45, became acquainted with many of the old amaryllis gang. A good number are now fussing with bulbs up yonder. It was a pleasure to know them all.
You asked about early publications on Clivia. Well, there was the Gladys Blackbeard article in the 1939 Herbertia, pages 190-93, where she mentions Clivia miniata var flava which was corrected later to var citrina Watson. When her estate was purchased for a native reserve, Gordon McNeil obtained some of her stock and sent me a start of her var. citrina. The plant has always been a struggle to grow. It was several years before it flowered and then was self-sterile. But I had used its pollen on several unnamed garden forms as well as the hybrid cyrtanthiflora. The resulting seedlings were light orange, and in an inspiration backcrossed these each way with the Blackbeard clone. Mendel's views on hybridization held true. About half of the backcross seed turned out yellow, but most instances the petals were not as broad as desired.
Then in trading about I picked up a couple of light amber-yellow seedlings, so more crossing occurred. Offsets and seed were turned over to a friend down along the coast who had better soil, climate, and growing space than I have here. It was a good thing too, as the worst freeze in 110 years hit during the winter of 89-90 with temperatures below minus 10 C for a week. That froze many of my bulbs, even under plastic tarps. But much to my surprise much of the seed started sprouting so I passed it about to several friends and interested Clivia fans. However. the main interest appears to be in the broad petalled Kew form of Citrina.
On several occasions I've had enquiries if one could use tissue culture in propagating Clivia. Yes, but why go to the trouble when one can simply notch the roots where they attach to the main trunk. One makes an inverted V-notch leaving a bit of green trunk tissue at the peak of the notch, and the cut may not be more than 2 mm. deep. Tissue sport plants may not need to be detached for several years, and the number produced depends upon the number of roots which you notch. Better growth is obtained in open mulched beds where the Clivia roots can grow out horizontally for several feet. Occasionally, notching 15-20 cm. out from the trunk will initiate tissue sports if the root in that area is exposed to light.
One can produce some bud sport plants by notching the roots of a potted Clivia, but it definitely is not as successful as in a bed where the roots can run out horizontally under the surface litter where they are at peak vigour. Gordon told me that in the wild some Clivia grow in the moss where it covers trees and rocks, so moss culture sounds as a good method of growing seedlings. I've used it for Hippeastrum.
Oh, Yes. Where is Fair Oaks? Its 25 KM east of Sacramento in Central California.
Sincerely Les Hannibal *****
Dear Friends of Clivia,
It was with some interest I read your PR release in our W.A. Glad, Dahlia and Hippeastrum journal and my friend Les Larson of Palmyra said F of C was up and running. Had to wait though, until I moved locale - from gravel and frost to sand plain - how I'm looking forward to growing Clivia in the ground. In the gravel they just sulked.
7 Beginner will best describe me, though I've grown the C.nobilis and C. miniata as tub plants for years - the pale colours of special interest - so far I know of no one in Australia with cream, white or variegated foliage types, so if there's anyone willing to sell divisions, I'm willing to import. The Agriculture and Quarantine personnel are a marvellous lot to deal with here.
To date the biggest pleasure was watching C.lutea bloom, hopefully the seedling from the aforementioned friend , will prove to be the scented C.lutea.
Looking forward to your newsletters and MERRY XMAS
Regards Ruith Hoskins *****
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am interested in joining the Clivia Club. I am a member of the IBS and IBSA, as well as the BSA, but I grow bulbs only as a hobby.
I currently have several yellow clivia specimens, but am more interested in C.gardenii and C. caulescens. Would you know of a source for these?
Please send me information regarding the club. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely, David S. Casebier. *****
Dear Chairperson Clivia Club
I wish to take this opportunity to thank you for your efforts and diligence over the past year of which we have all reaped the benefits.
The brochures we received from the Clivia Breeding Plantation were most inspirational, and hopefully we can see some of the better colour forms and variegated plants emerging in our own collections in the not too distant future.
I am particularly interested in the variegations and would like to know where I might be able to obtain such a plant locally. Please find enclosed a cheque for the annual subscription 1993.
Thank you Yours sincerely A. J. Hankey
*****
Dear Editor
News about Clivias. Most if not all the seed I got from you have germinated. My white Clivia's seed has also sprouted - as did the one I gave you. It will be interesting to see their blooms. Who knows, with a little bit of luck there may be white amongst them. I have quite a few seeds on the yellows, but of course, grass green.
8 Since joining the Clivia Club I am giving my plants V.I.P. treatment, more attention than in the past. I have transplanted the white one into more fertile soil than what it was planted in as I am adamant to force it into bloom this next season. I bought it with an existing flower stalk on, and therefore expected it to have bloomed this past season. When I took it out of its container, I noticed that the soil was like red mud, no compost material in it at all. I cleaned the roots and repotted it in good potting soil and will now keep my fingers crossed.
The Clivia I had that you noticed had a rough underleaf growth was sprayed with Benlate, and all new growth is now free from this disease. This plant is also being nursed to ensure it will bloom next flowering season.
One of my neighbours, a close friend of mine, planted her clivia in the open garden next to a glasshouse together with some white arums. This must have been some five or six years ago. This plant has increased in size and every year she removes the plantlets that appear out of border line. I got one during 1991 and behold it bloomed in 1992. She calls this"thinning out." For the past two years she has remarked on the blooms obtained from her existing plants. More than two dozen stalks of the bright orange flower. To see the plants one would imagine the frost would affect them, and although she does not cover them in the winter , they bloom year after year.
She has never allowed the seeds to mature, she cuts the stems off the plants once the flowers are dead. I have never noticed the yellow rust marks on any of her plants leaves. She also does a lot of flower arranging, and the stalks are removed from the plants while still young and fresh. This method is so different to others like myself, who don't want to cut the flowers off because firstly they make a lovely display in the pots, and secondly, everyone wants a few seeds. It appears that by not removing the flower stalks I am preventing my plants from growing as they could have, had they not had to give nourishment to the seeds that I want. In newsletter No.3 of November 1992, you published a letter from L. van Heerden, in which the writer states that a Clivia miniata was planted some ten years ago, and has since multiplied to some two thousand plants. The writer says they make a sight when they are all in bloom. With all my Clivia experience over the last twenty years, I cannot see how one plant could have increased to two thousand plants in ten years.
My original clivias have increased by about a dozen plants in this time, and my yellow plant, by about ten. The seeds never matured until this year when you showed me how to cross-pollinate. There are now four stalks with seeds on them, and it remains to be seen if they will be yellow. regards Celia van Vuuren.
We are glad to hear your clivias are thriving now. Lets hope that they start to show growth to rival those of Laila van Heerden.Clivias will grow faster in the open ground than in a pot all other factors being equal. They are capable of producing a profusion of roots which has to be seen to be believed.It is obvious that Celia van Vuuren's friend is growing her plants under ideal conditions, but so too I think is Laila van Heerden.
Perhaps Mrs. van Vuuren has overlooked the geometrical procession of numbers when one uses seed. One plant, one flower stem, how many seeds? I think, as I use hand-pollination, I average well over one hundred seeds per stem. Let us allow twenty-five for the first year. The second year sees one mature plant and twenty-five one-year seedlings. The third year sees the mature plant have two flower-stems, with a total of seventy seeds, twenty-five one -year seedlings and twenty-five two-year seedlings. The fourth year gives us twenty-five three-year seedlings, twenty-five two-year seedlings, seventy one-year
9 seedlings, and one hundred seeds from three flower stems. Going on like this, without any myths or magic, the sixth year sees thirty flowering sized plants, twenty-five four-year seedlings,seventy three-year seedlings, one hundred two-year seedlings, one hundred one-year seedlings, and some seven hundred and fifty seeds. The seventh year gives sixty mature plants( a few offsets by now),seventy four-year seedlings, one hundred three-year seedlings, one hundred two-year seedlings, and seven hundred and fifty one-year seedlings. Seed, about one thousand five hundred.The eighth year sees one hundred and forty mature plants, the ninth year two hundred and eighty, the tenth year gives four hundred mature, with seven hundred and fifty four-year seedlings, one thousand, five hundred three-year seedlings followed by any amount of seedlings and seed that one could handle. (Ed.)
Getting the Most out of Your Clivia
To get the most enjoyment out of growing your clivia, you must try hybridising for new colours and new flower and foliage forms. Because of the delay between seed set and getting a flowering result, you must start now! After that initial gap of three to four years you will have the never-ending joy of seeing what your offspring has turned out to be. To get started all you need is a small water-colour brush as used in children's paint sets.Our local supermarket sells a pack of five for about $1.50. If the plant to be hand pollinated is in a glass-house or can be moved indoors I do not consider it necessary to remove the pollen of the mother plant. I simply dab the brush on the pollen of the donor plant, and then dab it on the stigma of the mother plant.
I do this over several days to make sure that the pollen has taken. Make sure that you then put a tag on the pot indicating what the cross was. I can assure you that you will not remember what the cross was in a year's time when the seed is ripe.
With your better plants it is also wise to collect and freeze some pollen so that you can make crosses with plants that flower at different times of the year. To do this I still just use the paint brush to brush off the pollen into a small glass phial. If you are friendly with your chemist, the type that they dispense small tablets in is ideal. Write on a piece of masking tape what the pollen is, date it and put it in the deep-freeze section of the fridge. It will last for at least twelve months, and I have used some at eighteen months and still found it viable.
If you are really venturesome you might try crossing with some other member of the Amaryllid family. There are reports of such crosses, but seldom if ever do we seem to see proven results. Good Luck! Give it a go.
Cliff Grove *****
List of members
Connie Abel, 89 Brampton Road, Lynwood Manor, 0081 Mrs. W.E. Allison, 10 Vestness Road, Valhalla,0185. General. C. Barker, P.O.Box 154, Knysna, 6570. Growing & selling. Looking for yellows. Denise Currie, 303 Cromwell Road,Lombardy East, 2090. General. E T Davies, P O Box 92, St Francis Bay, 6312. M. de Bruyn,Bel Monte 43, Maianalaan, Brummeria, 0184. Mr. A. Gibello, P.O.Box 253, Great Brak River, 6503. General. Mrs. Cynthia Giddy, Giddy's Nursery, P.O.Box 45, Umlaas Road,3730. Mrs. N.E. Gilson,P.O.Box 6, Swartberg,4710. General. A.J. Hankey 7 Orion St., Kensington, 2094. General. Mrs. C. Howie,7 Ripple Close,Newlands,7700. General, buyer of yellows.
10 J. L. Holmes,P.O.Box 4063, Idas Valley,7609.General. Engelina Joubert,P.O.Box 16, Settlers,0430. General. Penny Lennox, 2 Ascot road, Milnerton, 7441. General. Mrs. Sumia Lombard, 349 Elizabeth Grove,Lynwood,0081.Gen. Mrs. M.L.A. Lubke,Waterloo Farm,P.O. Box 83, Grahamstown, 6140. Gen. Mr. M.D. Mey, 55 Black St., Parkdene,1460. General. Lukas Otto,P.O.Box 309, Muldersdrif, 1734 Mrs. P.Quin,Winterglen,P.O.Box 948, Hilton,3245. Mrs. L. Robertson, 59 Harewood Drive, Nahoon, 5241. General. P.E. Shanahan, 27 Pat Newson Road, Epworth,Pmb.3201. General. Mr. A.V.V.R. Schweizer, 14B Pioneer Rd., Irene, 1675. General Mev. A. Theron, Tarentaalstraat 5, Brits,0250. Ms. D. van der Merwe, P.O.Box 651006, Benmore, 2010. General. Willem H.J. van Deventer, Pirokseenstraat 672, Elarduspark X6, 0181. Pretoria. General. Laila van Heerden, P.O.Box 15766, Lynn East. 0039. P. von Stein,3, The Bend, Edgemead,7441. Laila van Heerden, P O Box 15766, Lynn East,0039 Mrs. C. van Vuuren,P.O.Box 6292, Homestead,1401. P.Vorster, Botany Department, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X5018, Stellenbosch,7599. Hybrids & Cultivars. Mr. G. J. Wiese, 12 van der Westhuizen Ave, Durbanville, 7550
Australia Milton Edwards, P.O. Box 499, Belgrave , Victoria 3160.General. C.J. Grove, 39 Pandora Drive, City Beach, 6015, Western Australia. Breeder Ruith Hoskins,6 Tomlinson Place, Armadale,Western Australia,6112.Gen. Les Larsson, 31 Solomon Street, Palmyra, 6157. Western Australia. General. Ron May,11 Loch Street,Toowoomba,Queensland,4350.Breeder, fancier. W. Morris, 37 Brocklesby Road, Medowie, NSW.2301 Breeder. John Roper,11 Kianga Street, Graceville, Queensland. 4075. Ken Smith, 593 Hawkesbury Road, Winmalee, NSW.2777. Breeder. Kevin Walters, 20 Wyalla Street, Toowoomba, Queensland.4350
Japan Yoshikazu Nakamura. Clivia Breeding Plantation, 4-28, Kurodo Mobara-city, 297 Chiba Prefecture. Japan.Breeder.
New Zealand David J Brundell, P O Box 8,Waiuku,New Zealand. General.
Sweden Borje Svensson (Mr.) Studentstaden 4, S-75233, Uppsala. General.
Switzerland Sir Peter Smithers, 6921-Vico Morcote, Switzerland.
United Kingdom C.M.Atkinson,7 Leafy Way,Locking, Weston Super Mare,Avon BS24 8BD United Kingdom. General. Mr. Ian Coates,Linden, Hall Lane, Mobberley,Cheshire,WA16 7AE.
USA D.S.Casebier,Brown University,Box H,Providence,R I 02912, General. Dr. R.L. Doutt, 1781 Glen Oaks Drive, Santa Barbara, California 93108 Lester Hannibal,4008 Villa Ct,Fair Oaks,California 95628.
11 Colman Rutkin, 129 Tysen St.,Staten Island, N Y 10301
On The Compost Heap
Well there we are now, running a lot lighter, but the material is more solid now. Fancy all the senior Clivia fanciers coming out of the closet and holding forth. I bet they have put a few of my family away in their time.You do realise that a yellow clivia is far more tasty than the orange! One must also be careful of these frightful chemicals that abound these days.
Lily Borer.
*****
Clivia on the Rocks
Isn't it frustrating when a choice clivia plant you are trying to establish keeps rotting at the base! One way to ensure excellent drainage is to pot up the plant in rocks. Good size lumps of sandstone, about 5 or 6 cm in diameter will suffice. Perhaps large pieces of terracotta pot or broken brick could be used, or all three mixed together.
An example that I did was potting up a plant into a 20cm black plastic squat pot. Three small terracotta pots (5cm) were placed upside down in the plastic pot. The roots were spread around the pot and the lumps of rock placed as evenly as possible to almost fill up the pot. A handful of orchid bark was sprinkled in as the rocks were being put into place. The top of the pot was then covered with two or three handfuls of coarse compost. Mainly the leaves and twigs from the top of the heap, not the well decomposed material. This was to aid some moisture retention. Lastly, a sprinkle of granular fertiliser was placed on top of the compost.Watering was done and there you have it. No way the water sits in this pot.
Ken Smith Australia. *****
12 Clivia Club
PO Box 6240 Westgate 1734 RSA PO Box 6240 Westgate 1734 RSA
US$15.00 p.a. overseas R20.00 p.a. RSA
Volume 2 Number Three July 1993
Dear Mr. Primich,
Happy New Year. Thank you for your letter and for the vol.1 No.3 newsletter, which I received the day after I posted my last letter to you.I enclose $10 by way of subscription.Since I last wrote to you I have received some seeds from Mr. Nakamura in Japan. These are germinating nicely and it will be interesting to see how they develop. In your letter you mentioned that you would be sending a small parcel of the Kevin Walters seed, I have to tell you that, to date, I have not received them, I tell you this because my experience of the postal service is not particularly good and if they have gone missing I will ask the post office to look for them. You also mentioned putting me down on your mailing list for seed to ripen in July '93. These would be much appreciated.
Now as to the plants from Edinburgh, but first I should tell you a little about what I have to achieve. I am a member of the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Garden, a grand title perhaps, but basically it sets out to promote the conservation of what we have got in plant life. This includes cultivars as well as species. To this end, public and private bodies register with the council, collections of a particular genus, family or subset of plants and maintain it for posterity! A number of conditions are made on the collection holder not the least of which is to allow public viewing, or by appointment members of the general public to view a collection. Holders are encouraged to propagate the material they hold.
In the longer term, I intend to register a collection of Clivia and with this in mind I wrote to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and the Royal Horticultural Society's Garden at Wisley (of which I am also a member) asking for help. Both have responded and as I write I am looking at two rather splendid plants of C.Nobilis one of which is about to flower, kindly supplied by the RHS Garden. These are large well established plants which were supplied bare rooted about six weeks ago. The plants from Edinburgh were offsets, also bare rooted and packed in sphagnum moss. When they arrived I found that many of the roots had been cut as had half the leaf length. It is winter here and freezing outside. We have only six hours light per day and even then it is heavily overcast most of the time, nevertheless the plants were potted up and given underheat. Happily these are beginning to show signs of growth. As I expected, the roots, having been damaged gradually rotted to some extent and during the rot it has not been easy. However I think I am beginning to reap the rewards of my effort. I will keep you informed as to the progress.
The Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh supplied me with roots of a Clivia named "Westonbirt Perfection" since they could not offer me a plant, they told me that they had heard that Clivias could be propagated from root cuttings. I have tried this and have found so far that only the tops of the root can be used. Roots that have been cut at the lower end rot even in a fairly open compost. I do have one or two roots left which are sound but so far no encouraging signs of life have been seen. Any Comment?
1 With regard to the named hybrids of Clivia which I have I will give you a detailed account with photographs as and when they flower. I think it is particularly important that we should form some kind of register of all known plants, and perhaps ultimately produce a booklet containing that information. If I can be of any help in this direction I will do what I can.
Yours Carl Atkinson
CLIVIA: SOME PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS 1965-1989
With kind permission, this article is reprinted from IBSA Bulletin No.38 Feb. 1990
The genus Clivia, a pseudobulb of the family Amaryllidaceae, can be divided into three distinct species, those of an upright flowering habit - C. miniata, those of a pendulous flowering habit -C. gardenii and those of a pendulous habit which root upwards from their bulbous base thus forming a stem - C. caulescens. There are many varieties within all except C. caulescens species and numerous hybrids as the species readily cross.
C. miniata in most of its wild forms has orange flowers with fairly narrow petals. There is a naturally occurring yellow form, C.miniata flava, but this is relatively scarce as it is not self fertile. It will readily accept pollen from other C.plants, including yellows from a different parentage. Where both parents are flavas, I find all progeny are also. In other cases, the yellow is highly recessive. A true yellow can be detected even as a young seedling as it is the only miniata not to have magenta pigment on the reverse of the base of its leaves. The more prized cultivated forms have large broad petalled flowers and broad leaves.Colours vary from a full red to yellow. I have one variety, 'Cynthia', which is a distinct pale orange, most attractive and closer to a C.miniata flava that the common orange, it also has large broad flowers and a split pedicel giving two or three heads. This is not self fertile either. There is a variegated form, with cream or yellow/green striations along its leaves. This is not readily self fertile but can be pollinated by other C. and the seeds will reproduce the striations providing there is a good pale streak across the seed head. Variegated forms are also thrown up as sports occasionally by normal seeds. The variegation on my own plants has all grown out with age so I have not had a chance to make any interesting crosses. Gardenii. The pendulous flowering form.
Some also list C. nobilis as a separate species rather than a sub-species of gardenii. If so, then it is certainly very close to C.gardenii and I would differentiate it merely by its notable green tipped flowers since one of its popular names is the green tipped Clivia.
The number of flower heads and their size varies considerably for C.gardenii in the full range of C.miniata colours. The shape is also variable from long and slender to wide and open mouthed. The definitive shape would appear to be between these two as most of the more extreme shaped flowers I have obtained as C.gardenii have not bred true suggesting they are in fact C.x cyrtanthiflora. Time alone will tell of how much of this is true. One distinctive variety, C. gardenii 'Retusa', has very coarsely toothed retuse leaves and bears flowers symmetrically drooping round its stem with a plentiful drip of nectar.
HYBRIDS - inter species. Usually grouped under the heading x cyrtanthiflora. However, so many crosses are possible, further division may be desirable. My experiences now total over a hundred flowering hybrids and results seem consistent with features repeatedly dominant or recessive. C. miniata x 'nobilis'. Flowers are pendulous and sized between the parents. The C.miniata x caulescens. As the nobilis cross but it retains caulescens rooting system. C.miniata x gardenii. Flowers are upright and similar in colour to its miniata parent but of even larger size than that parent. Where the cross is made with the C.miniata the donor to any other species, the result if always pendulous with flowers
2 rather larger than their mother. Again, the C.caulescens rooting is dominant. C.caulescens, nobilis and gardenii all readily inter cross. They give variable offspring similar to their parents with the C. caulescens rooting being dominant.
Inter - Generic Crosses I have tried many such crosses mostly around Amaryllidaceae with similar diploid values. The lack of success has been notable. I have obtained viable seed only from C.miniata x Amaryllis species and hybrid and from Cryptostephanus vansonii x C.cyrtanthiflora. The former are very possibly self induced pollinations as both plants have grown and flowered similar to their parents with the difference being merely in size. The Cryptostephanus cross, however, is distinct from both parents. It is still extremely small, although 3 years old, and I eagerly await its first flower. Historically, the only successful cross of which I am aware is that with Eucharis. I have never seen this or heard of its continuing existence.
Propagation The certain way to obtain plants identical to their parent is to separate the offsets which appear after a few years. A few plants also divide their main stem. Tissue culture works but, having succeeded once after much failure, I decided to leave this to the professionals who can more readily obtain the correct culture media. Another interesting method, which can also salvage lightly frosted plants, is to cut off all foliage just above the base. This base and root stock can then be cut into four or six pieces with each piece then cleaned to retain about three good roots. These pieces can then be potted up and will throw out side shoots fairly readily.
For hybridisation, seeds are of course used.
Sports Some plants seem to sport fairly often. This mostly involves the number of petals (from four to eight) or the retention of chlorophyll in a petal. When viable seed is given, the first flowering often shows the effect of the sport to a lesser extent. Unfortunately, this appears to disappear in future flowerings.
I have tried various treatments with Colchicine and this has markedly slowed the growth rate in all cases. Whether this will effect the eventual flowering size remains to be seen.
Culture
In the UK, plants cannot be grown in the open. Being severely limited for space and being conscious of heating costs, I grow my current stock of some 200 plants in an insulated timber shed with fluorescent light for about 18 hours per day and electric heating. They survive well but I am sure they would prefer some fresh temperate air (So would I!)
My thanks must go to my many friends around the world who have corresponded and exchanged plants with me. Special mention should be made of my late friends Colin Pritchard, Gordon McNeil and Shuichi Hirao.
Ian Coates. *****
Variegation
3 Variegation in plants is caused by damage to certain cells such that the cell loses its ability to produce chlorophyll. This loss may be total or partial in which case the variegation may vary from white to greenish yellow on a green background. The damage to the cell may be caused by a number of different agents including virus, chemicals, heat, radiation etc.
There has been a considerable amount of incorrect opinion quoted regarding variegation and viruses, the most extreme being that all variegation is caused by viral infection. Some variegated plants are virus infected and the virus is the cause of the variegation, however, these plants are in a minority and most regular variegation is not caused by viruses.
Viral variegation is characterised by the following:- 3. Irregular variegation with uneven spots and patches, or sometimes broken longitudinal lines that jump sideways in the leaf as well. 4. Often the variegation leads to necrotic (dead) areas. 5. The condition is infective. That is, sap or damaged tissue rubbed on unvariegated leaves usually causes the new plant to become variegated.
The commonest virus-caused variegation in horticultural plants grown for their variegation is found in the variegated abutilon. Most other variegated plants have regular variegations. These are usually parallel lines of white or yellow. There are however,some irregular variegates that are still not caused by a virus. These variegations cannot be passed from one plant to another by the transfer of sap or tissue. New shoots may, or may not reproduce the variegation depending on whether the new shoot originated from variegated or green tissue of the mother plant.
As a general rule variegated plants are less vigorous than all-green plants of the same type simply because there is less energy-absorbing food-producing (i.e.green) tissue for the same mass of plant. With very vigorous plants it may be difficult to observe the difference as both plants grow "well". It is easiest to observe in tropical or sub-tropical plants being grown in colder regions nearer the limit of their tolerance. Often a plain green type will survive and grow slowly while the corresponding variegated plant may not grow sufficiently each growing season to overcome its negative growth(loss of leaves, stem etc.) in winter and slowly goes backwards until it eventually succumbs. The difference is clearly seen in variegated clivias where a batch of variegated seedlings is observed. Those seedlings which are nearly totally green with only occasional thin yellow lines grow as well as ordinary clivias. However, as the variegation increases, vigour is approximately proportional to the percentage of green tissue. When a seedling has about fifty to fifty ratio of green to yellow tissue the plant can survive, but the growth rate is slow. At the stage when there is only a quarter of green tissue present,it becomes quite difficult to raise the plant to maturity. It is much more susceptible to poor conditions such as cold, wetness,loss of roots etc. They seldom survive the seedling stage. Totally yellow seedlings usually die before six months, living mainly off the food in the seed.
Variegated clivias with the same ratio of green tissue to yellow, say fifty/fifty, will do better where the variegation consists of thin bands, rather than where one half of the leaf is yellow, and the other half is green. In the latter case the wide yellow stripe is more susceptible to damage such as sunburn or bruising than the one with the numerous thin stripes. As the variegated tissue is in fact living parasitically off the green tissue it seems the cells of the narrow stripe type are better able to transfer food from the green cells which are closer in this case. Just as in the case of the broad stripe where the remote cells may get less food, and thus be weaker and more liable to necrosis. It is unusual for variegated plants to be reproduced from seed. Most variegated plants arrive as mutations of normally green plants. An occasional shoot will suddenly develop a variegated leaf or leaves. Other times, one or more seedlings will appear out of a large number of normal seedlings. Yet continuous breeding from seed of variegated plants sometimes leads to a progressive increase in the percentage of variegated plants. Eventually a strain may develop which regularly produces variegated seedlings. This may be what has happened with clivia.
4 Bill Morris ***** Information about the Bodnant Clivias
Clivias:- The genus and its history Clivias come from the warm dry forests of Natal, in South Africa. They are evergreen perennials, too tender to be grown outside in the U.K., but they make good house plants since they are tolerant of shade. They are ideally suited to a conservatory or greenhouse where the winter temperature can be maintained at 10 C/ 50 F. They prefer a well-drained loam/peat compost and need ample water during the growing season but drier conditions when resting in the late summer and autumn. They flower most freely when the roots are restricted, but they need annual top-dressing and feeding. The normal flowering period is from February to April.
Clivias are members of the family Amaryllidaceae, and were formerly known as Imantophyllums. They were first introduced into the United Kingdom in the early 19th century, and were subsequently re-named after the Duchess of Northumberland (d.1866), whose maiden name was Clive--she was the granddaughter of Lord Clive of India. It was in her garden that clivias first flowered in the United Kingdom. There are 4 species, namely: C. miniata, C. nobilis, C. caulescens and C. gardenii as well as various varieties and crosses.
Clivia miniata is the best known of the species, and forms the basis of the Bodnant collection of hybrids. It is noted for its large, free-flowering fragrant flowers with their strong warm colours, and also for the robust clumps of dark green, strap-like arching leaves. The flowers have up to 20 flowers in a truss, and last for about a month.
The origin and development of the Bodnant collection of clivia Sir George Holford of Westonbirt developed over many years a well known collection of clivias, using both C.miniata and C.nobilis to achieves a wide colour range, the hybrids between these species being known as C. x cyrtanthiflora. In 1924 Sir George gave to the second Lord Aberconway from his collection a small number of plants of superior form.
Between 1924 and 1930 the second Lord Aberconway and his Head Gardener, Mr. Frederick C. Puddle, carried out an extensive programme of selective breeding and hybridisation. The aim at first was to improve the red and salmon forms. However, the acquisition by about 1930 of a plant of the yellow flowered species, C. miniata var. citrina, enabled the breeding programme to be widened. The object of the breeding programme was not only to extend the range of colour but also to improve the size of the flower and the quality of petal.
Some large flowered yellow clivias were produced by crossing the salmon C.miniata with the yellow C.miniata var. citrina. Mr. Raffill of Kew also made such hybrids, for which he published the name Clivia x kewensis. In accordance with the Botanical Code, this name was also used for the Bodnant hybrids and the two named clones exhibited a C.x kewensis "Bodnant Variety" and C.x kewensis "Bodnant Yellow". No clonal names have been given to the other hybrids in the Bodnant collection.
By 1939 many crosses between carefully selected parents had been made---there had been considerably progress in the red and salmon shades, and a number of promising new yellow seedings had flowered. All the seedlings were ruthlessly selected, and only a few of the very best were retained.
5 The Second World War interrupted the breeding programme, but fortunately most of the clivias survived the War. Further selective breeding and hybridisation was resumed at Bodnant for the present Lord Aberconway by Mr. Charles Puddle.
All the clivias at Bodnant are the result of this breeding and selection programme. As a result, none of the original Holford clivias remain in the collection, although they formed the basis of the present collection of red and salmon forms.
Awards won by Bodnant clivias The yellow clivias, which normally flower later than the pink ones and tended to be exhibited in late March, won a number of awards:-
In 1946 a good yellow form was given an Award of Merit by the R.H.S.This clone was named "Bodnant Variety".
In March 1949 a group of cut flowers from the Bodnant clivia collection was exhibited at the R.H.S. and received a Silver-Gilt Lindley Medal "for hybrid clivias raised at Bodnant".
A rather better yellow form "Bodnant Yellow", received in 1950 another Award of Merit, and in 1958 an F.C.C.
The Lord Aberconway, VMH This exhibition in March 1993 is being mounted in honour of the forthcoming 80th birthday of the third Lord Aberconway, VMH.
Lord Aberconway as President of the Royal Horticultural Society from 1961 until 1984, when he retired and a appointed President Emeritus of the Society. He is a distinguished and enthusiastic horticulturist, with a particular love of rhododendrons, magnolias and camellia, and he continues to serve on the Society's Committee B. In addition he was appointed Commissioner General of the first International Garden Festival in Liverpool in 1984, and he has also been actively involved in the Garden Festivals at Stoke, Glasgow, Gateshead and Ebbw Vale. He has contributed to the advancement of horticulture in Britain in many ways, and like his father and grandmother has been awarded the Victoria Medal of Honour, the highest award made by the Royal Horticultural Society. *****
Dear Nick
Thank you for your letter of 17.08.92, Clivia Club publications 1:2 and 1:3. and for the subscription notice dated 21st January 1993.
Yes, I am anxious to be a member and had intended writing much sooner. However, I was overtaken by our growing season. I have an interest in a diversity of genera in addition to Clivia.
I maintain an American bank account and can easily write you a cheque to cover subscriptions. Is this an acceptable form of payment for you? This time I enclose a $US20 note, which I happened to have and trust that it will reach you safely.
I would very much like to have publication 1:1 and issues subsequent to November 1992 to complete the set, I trust the enclosed money will cover these.
6 I am actively breeding Clivia and have been exchanging information and material with Yoshikazu Nakamura of Japan, who seems to have an extraordinary collection. I am impressed in the level of interest in Australia and indeed that country was my source of yellow Clivia, some years ago.
It is interesting to note that Nakamura obtained his collection from Dr Hirao. Hirao visited New Zealand not many years before he died and was instrumental in obtaining a source of a rare tree from Japan for me. With regard to tissue culture of Clivia, the New Zealand selected clone 'Redgrove' was multiplied to commercial levels by use of tissue culture. I am happy to enclose my last copy of Parva Plants 1991 Spring catalogue #54, in which the clone was released to the public. Please retain this for club archives.
Are Club members aware of the collection of yellow Clivia and breeding work carried out on the genus at Longwood Gardens in the USA?
Contact address: Dr Robert J Armstrong/Dr James Ault, Longwood Gardens, P.O. BOX 501, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania 19348-0501, USA Longwood is a very well endowed garden which maintains and extremely high level of husbandry.
I reaffirm my desire to be an active member of the Clivia Club. Please make sure to let me know when subscriptions are again due.
Kind regards Keith Hammett. *****
Cultivar Profile CLIVIA 'COL PITMAN'
During 1983, a batch of hybrid clivia seed was sown by Civic Trees Nursery as part of the landscape planning process for one of their development contracts. This NSW nursery specialises in large container grown stock. The clivias were to be grown to maturity for planting in an entrance atrium of a Sydney office block. Patient potting on and the eventual flowering of this batch brought forth the range of expected "large heads of bright orange flowers ".
An unexpected beauty amongst this group was a very robust yellow-flowered plant.It was held aside in the protected courtyard adjacent to the nursery office. At the time of the initial division of this plant in august 1989,four large flowering shoots and one smaller growth had been produced. Foliage is the broad dark green leaf consistent with the hybrid batch. Width of the leaves averages 50mm and an upright, arching display to 75cm is produced.
Clear yellow flowers (R.H.S. colour chart 12D) somewhat darker at the base, are produced in large hemispherical heads of approximately twenty flowers. The petals are broad and overlap, giving each flower a wide, flared mouth. Flowerheads are held clear of the foliage on stout stems. Fruit when produced, colours a butter-yellow when ripe. Very few seeds per berry are formed when the flowers are selfed, yet I have found this type to cross readily with other yellow ( or non-yellow ) clones. So far yellow seedlings have been produced using several yellow clones that we have here in Australia. Yellow seedlings have also been produced when crossed with Clivia "Relly Williams".
The divisions have so far shown a willingness to produce offsets, indicating a vigorous clone. This is simply a subjective observation when compared to the siblings of the same seed batch. This seedling yellow Clivia is formally named as a tribute to the late Mr. Colin Pitman, principal of Civic Trees Nursery.
7 It is due to Col observing and selecting this plant from a batch with no stated yellow ancestry that we have a fine cultivar to add to our collections.
Kenneth Smith Australia ***** Dear Nick,
Please find $5.00 Australian which should cover $2.00 USA.If you do have any seed later I'd appreciate it. I have been without luck trying tissue culture. Can't get multiple budding as yet, and everything is very slow.
I'll probably try Les Hannibal's notching in vitro. Can't at the moment, as I've cut the roots right off and tried higher cytokinin levels. Kevin Walters told me he had purchased some years ago, a couple of plants said to have been tissue-cultured in Holland.
If any of your friends are coming over, Sydney is a great spot for clivia. The Botanical Gardens, Hyde Park, and Tanuga Zoo Park - usually in September and October.So also in Toowoomba, Queensland, particularly with Kevin's plants. I'm trying to build up mass displays in the garden here. Should have started earlier!
Best Wishes John Roper *****
Dear Clivia People,
I was given nine seeds of Kew yellows by Willem Reuter of Mechelen. Of these, eight have come out with clear green parts, and one with the usual purple base. He also gave me some Kew reds. I grew all these seeds submersed in about 20mm of soil, and the containers were covered with a black plastic sheet. All the seedlings were white when they first emerged, but the yellows soon developed green parts on the leaves. The reds however became a maroonish red,no green visible, about 60D on the R.H.S. colour chart. I left them under the black plastic for about a month. The one red has now developed some green coloration, but the others are still only red after about a week out of the plastic, and in low light levels under the bench. I would like all interested members to do some seed trials this coming season. Please keep as much information as possible,i.e. temperature, humidity, moisture ,growing medium and general weather conditions. Idealy, one would want to run sightly different tests on one batch of the same type of seed which you would have split up into however many divisions.
I must mention, for the benefit of any prospectivee writer who withholds for fear of committing any grammatical or botanical error, that I am here for your benefit.
I always check , to the best of my ability, any article sent in to correct any major error. I have in the past, made deliberate errors, hoping to attract replies by these devious devices, but have since abandoned the ploy. I was ignored! Any error these days is unintentional. Ian Coates, in his comprehensive article refers to "psuedobulbs" which as we all know are devices employed by orchids. I did not correct this as I felt it was obvious and merely a descriptive usage. The Bodnant Clivia paper gives Natal as the sole source of Clivia. Again, I do not feel a need to correct this as the situation is obvious to everyone. Ron May refers to a "leaf scale". Here I am uncertain. I feel the first little leaf that comes out of the radicle is indeed a leaf, and not a bract or a leaf scale. Perhaps one of our learned members would like to enlighten us on this, and any other point. I am glad that Ken Smith's article informed me that Col. Pitman was Colin Pitman, and not as I believed Colonel Pitman! I must issue an urgent appeal to you all not to kill your club with
8 neglect. Do not neglect to write in to the newsletter. We are interested in how anyone grows their clivia and what happens to them. Please!
May all your Clivia thrive, Best regards, Nick Primich.(ed.)
9 Index of Clivia Information in Plant Life - Herbertia 1935-1990 Compiled by Les Larsson.
1935 p136 Naturalising Eucharis & Clivia. Wyndham Hayward. 1935 p142-143 Culture of hybrid Clivias. E. P. Zimmerman. California. 1936 p115 Amaryllis propagation by terminal bud destruction. J.W. Heaton. 1936 p117-118 Notes on the Vegetative Propagation of Amaryllids. J.W. Heaton 1937 p222-223 Amaryllids at Kirstenbosch. L.B. Creasey. 1938 p156 & 205 Vegetative Propagation of Amaryllids. J.W. Heaton. 1939 p190-193 Clivia breeding. Gladys I. Blackbeard. 1940 p166-167 Chromosomes of Clivia Cyrtanthifolra. Edith Hendrix 1943 p117-123 Chromosome Numbers. W.S. Flory, Jr. 1948 p 3-21 South African Amaryllids. R.A. Dyer. p 59-63 Clivias at Scott's Farm. Cythna Forssman. 1949 p57-60 Clivia chromosomes. J. B. Gouws. University of Pretoria. 1949 p73 Illustation of C. caulescens rootstock. 1963 p54 Cryptostephanus vansonii. Gordon McNeil. 1971 p122 Storage of Clivia seed. W. Quinn Buck. 1976 p107-108 Clivia culture .Randell K. Bennet. 1981 p151-154 My Experiences with Clivias. Shuichi Hirao. 1984 p102-105 Clivia hybrids . L.S. Hannibal. 1985 p24-29. Hybridising Clivia. P. Gordon McNeil. 1985 p30-31. Consideration of Clivia. W. J. Glover. 1988 p 29-32 Clivias. Kevin Walters 1990 E. P. Zimmerman. Clivia hybridist. William Drysdale.
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The following article is a condensation performed by me on a report on an experimental project by Ron May. I am, with the graphics at my command, unable to reproduce the excellent layout and tabulation produced by Ron.(ed.)
Synopsis This project was undertaken to experiment with the germination rate of Clivia miniata. As a prelude to my major assignment, on hardy container stock, I chose the above species of Clivia. The depths at which a seed would germinate has always fascinated me, hence this project.
Introduction
1 Prior Knowledge Past experience has shown that by planting clivia seed at a depth of 12.5mm in an open medium 0f one part sand, one part peat moss, one part compost, the germination was erratic and had taken about three months. The months were July to October, not exactly warm weather.The seed was under 50% shade cloth, and was watered twice weekly. Germination was 70%-80%
2 Expectations One would expect that by having controlled bottom heat and misting, that the percentage of germination would be increased.
3 Seed Viability A Clivia breeder from America, Mr. Wally Lane, has germinated seed in six weeks provided that they are sown fresh, He uses one part sand, one part soil, and one part peat moss in a warm, humid
10 atmosphere. As the seeds for this trial were extracted from the berries three weeks prior to sowing, they may have dried out a little.
Progress Report
Week One. Wednesday,16-09-92 A standard propagation mix of one part coarse sand, one part perlite, and one part peat moss was prepared for the germination of the seeds. Four 100mm black plastic pots were used with five seeds in each pot. No.1 pot- the seeds were placed on the suface of the medium. No.2 pot- the seeds were at a depth of 12.5mm. No.3 pot- the seeds were at a depth of 25mm. No.4 pot- the seeds were at a depth of 50mm.
The four pots were then placed in the propagation house on the hot bed.
Week Four. Wed. 07-10-92 Seeds on the surface of pot 1 are starting to swell. Germination imminent?
Week Five. Mon.12-10-92. The radicle has emerged from one seed in pot 1. Wed.14-10-92: The radicle has started to lengthen, with the root cap very prominent.
Week Six. Wed.21-10-93 Two seeds in pot one now have radicles.
Week Seven Wed.28.10.92 Pot 2 now shows activity above medium level as two plantlets emerge.
Week Eight Wed. 04-11-92 Pot 3 - one seedling emerges.
Week Nine Tues. 10-11-92 As the semester is now ending and the experiment will not go the full course in this time, the pots were all emptied and the roots measured. After inspection all the material was replanted. Pot 1: Seed 1. The leaf scale is opening to reveal the apex of a leaf. No penetration into the media by the radicle at this point. Seed 2. The apex of a leaf is now exposed to light.The radicle is just penetrating the medium. Seed 3. Swelling has taken place. No sign of the radicle. Seed 4. As above. Seed 5. Ditto.
Pot 2. Seed 1. The second leaf is showing. Seed 2. Has grown 5mm in a week. Seed 3. Seedling is 5mm high and has two leaves. Seed 4. The seedling emerged this week and measured 5mm. Seed 5. As above, but 2mm high.
Pot 3. Seed 1. The seedling gained 5mm in height this week. Seed 2. Has germinated this week. Seed 3. Just below the surface. The leaf is at right angles suggesting it was obstructed by a small stone in the growing medium.
11 Seed 4. Swelling has taken place. It is firm and discoloured, but no germination. Seed 5. As above. I disected this seed. It appears healthy and given time may have germinated.
Pot 4. Seeds 1-4 have all germinated below medium level. I am surprised that they have germinated at a depth of 50mm! Seed 5. This was dissected and found to be in good condition and would probably have germinated as well.
Conclusion Pot 2 took nine weeks to get 100% germination rate. I did a similar experiment without bottom heat at the hospital greenhouse. It was begun two weeks before this experiment, and will take another week to reach the stage of growth here. This suggests that planting seed at 12.5mm in open media with controlled bottom heat is the way to go.
Ron May
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Members
Connie Abel, 89 Brampton Road, Lynwood Manor, 0081(012)476456 Mrs. W.E. Allison, 10 Vestness Road, Valhalla,0185. General. C. Barker, P.O.Box 154, Knysna, 6570. Growing & selling. Wants yellows. Mrs. A. Cloete,14 Greenway, Pinelands, 7405. Denise Currie,303 Cromwell Road,Lombardy East, 2090. General. E T Davies, P O Box 92, St Francis Bay, 6312. Mej. M. de Bruyn, Bel Monte 43, Maianalaan, Brummeria, 0184 General Graham Duncan,Kirstenbosch Gardens, Pvt. Bag X7,Claremont,7735. Johan Fourie,7, Saffran St.,Loewenstein,59ellville. 7530. M.G.N.Goodwin.P.O.Box 453,Plettenberg Bay.6600. Mr. A. Gibello, P.O.Box 378,Great Brak River, 6503. General. Mrs. Cynthia Giddy, Giddy's Nursery, P.O.Box 45,Umlaas Road,3730. Mrs. N.E. Gilson,P.O.Box 6,Swartberg,4710. General. A.J. Hankey P.O. Box 2194,Wilro Park,1731.General. Mrs. C. Howie,7 Ripple Close,Newlands,7700. General. J. L. Holmes,P.O.Box 4063,Idas Valley,7609.(02231)79418 Engelina Joubert,P.O.Box 16,Settlers,0430. General. Penny Lennox,2 Ascot road, Milnerton, 7441. General. Richard Liebnitz,57 Collins Road,PMaritzburg.3201 Mrs. Sumia Lombard,349 Elizabeth Grove, Lynwood,0081. Mrs. M.L.A. Lubke,Waterloo Farm,P.O. Box 83,Grahamstown,6140. Gen. Dr. K.C. Mconie,38 Ringwood Road,Lynwood Manor,0081.(012)474365. Mr. M.D. Mey, 55 Black St., Parkdene,1460. General. Lukas Otto,P.O.Box 309, Muldersdrif, 1734 Prof. Kristo Pienaar,18 Allen Drive, Loevenstein, Bellville,7530 Mrs. P. Quin, Winterglen, P.O. Box 948,Winterglen, Hilton,3245. Mrs. L. Robertson, 59 Harewood Drive, Nahoon, 5241. General. Mr. A.V.V.R. Schweizer, 14B Pioneer Rd., Irene, 1675. General Me. A.J.Smith,Posbus 285,Uitenhage,6230. Chloe Stuart, P.O.Box 390,Knysna, 6570. Mev. A. Theron,Tarantaalstraat, Brits,0250.
12 Ms. D. van der Merwe,P.O.Box 651006, Benmore, 2010. General. Willem H.J.van Deventer,Pirokseenstraat 672, Elarduspark X6, 0181. Pretoria. General. Laila van Heerden, P.O.Box 15766, Lynn East,0039. General. Mev. E. van Rensburg,Posbus 383, Swellendam,6740. Mev.c. van Schalkwyk, Posbus 25, Saldanha,7395. Mrs. C. van Vuuren, P.O.Box 6292, Homestead,1401. Paul von Stein,3,The Bend, Edgemead,7441. P.Vorster, Botany Department, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X5018, Stellenbosch,7599. Hybrids & Cultivars. Mr. G. J. Wiese, 12 van der Westhuizen Ave, Durbanville, 7550
Australia Milton Edwards, P.O. Box 499, Belgrave , Victoria 3160.General. C.J. Grove, 39 Pandora Drive, City Beach, 6015, Western Australia. Breeder Ruith Hoskins,6 tomlinson Place, Armadale,Western Australia,6112.Gen. Coral Larsen,50 Morland St.,Mount Gravatt,Queensland,4122,Australia. Les Larsson, 31 Solomon Street, Palmyra, 6157. Western Australia. General. Ron May,11 Loch Street,Toowoomba,Queensland,4350.Breeder, fancier. W. Morris, 37 Brocklesby Road, Medowie, NSW.2301 Breeder. John Roper,11 Kianga Street, Graceville, Queensland. 4075. Ken Smith, 593 Hawkesbury Road, Winmalee, NSW.2777. Breeder. Kevin Walters, 20 Wyalla Street, Toowoomba, Queensland.4350
Japan Yoshikazu Nakamura. Clivia Breeding Plantation, 4-28, Kurodo Mobara-city, 297 Chiba Prefecture. Japan.Breeder.
New Zealand David J Brundell, P O Box 8,Waiuku,New Zealand. General. Dr. K.W.R.Hammet,488c Don Buck Road,Massey,Auckland 8.General.
Sweden Borje Svensson (Mr.) Studentstaden 4, S-75233, Uppsala. General. M. Edquist, Syreng 19, 57139 Nassjo,Sweden. General.
Switzerland Sir Peter Smithers, 6921-Vico Morcote, Switzerland.
United Kingdom C.M.Atkinson,7 Leafy Way,Locking, Weston Super Mare,Avon BS24 8BD Mr. Ian Coates,linden,Hall Lane,Mobberley,Cheshire,WA16 7AE A.F.Gosden,12 Maes-y-felin,Penrhyncoch,Aberystwyth,Dyfed,SY23 3EN B&T World Seeds, D.Sleigh,WhitnellHouse,Fiddington,Bridgwater,Somerset, TA5 1JE.
USA D.S.Casebier,Brown University,Box H,Providence,R I 02912, Dr. R.L. Doutt, 1781 Glen Oaks Drive, Santa Barbara, California 93108. Lester Hannibal,4008 Villa Ct,Fair Oaks,California,95628. Colman Rutkin,129 Tysen Street,Staten Island,N.Y.10301.
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13 Dear Sir/ Madam,
I am writing to you after reading one of your newsletters. I wish to join your Clivia Club. To tell you a little of what we do here, we have, and are slowly enlarging a bulb nursery for tropical, and subtropical bulbs.
I have been growing Clivia miniata "Mammoth", and C. miniata "Twins" over a period of years, from seed imported from Holland and Germany. We have found this most rewarding and challenging. We have found that there is great varience when growing from seed. This has included the cream and the white varigation forms.
I would like you to forward us your quarterly newsletter.I have found the information most interesting. We are growers and sellers, and puddle a little in breeding.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Yours faithfully Coral V. Larsen *****
Geagte Sekretaris,
Ek wil graag lid word van u klub en stuur hiermee my jaargeld van R10.00, volgens mnr. A. Gibello van Groot Brakrivier. Ek spog darem self met plante van Clivia miniata, C, nobilis, C. caulescens, en ook die geel C. miniata var. citrina. Ek hoor graag van u.
Beste wense Kristo Pienaar *****
Geagte heer/dame
Hiermee my aansoek en ledegeld vir lidmaatskap van die Clivia Club. Ek kweek clivias vir meer as 15 jaar o.a. van saad uit die Stellenbosch Botaniese Tuin. Meestal C. miniata,en C. nobilis (?) wat nou in volle blom is. Ook ander inheemse bolle.
Ek was nie bewus van u vereeniging nie en sal graag deelneem aan u aktiwiteite. Volgens die Veld en Flora van Junie 1992, bied u 'n geel clivia aan nuwe lede. Geld dit nog? Ek soek al lank vir ;n "Natal Yellow"
Coen Calitz. *****
Angeheg vind u my tjek van R10.00 as jaargeld. Ek was baie bly toe ek in " Die Burger" van 5de Junie die adres gesien het wat Prof. Kristo Pienaar geplaas het. Ek hoop van harte dat ek nog April se nuusbrief sal ontvang.
Vriendelike groete Mev. C. van Schalkwyk *****
14 On the Compost Heap
Boy, am I in trouble. Some of my sisters were caught in the Editors glasshouse. Am I lying LOW!
I have heard through the grapevine(terrible stuff) that there will probably be a few yellow seeds available.Don't forget your postage.
Lily Borer
15
Clivia Club
PO Box 6240 Westgate 1734 RSA
US$10.00 (or equivalent) p.a. overseas R20.00 p.a. RSA
Volume 2 Number Four August 1993
AMARYLLIDS IN AUSTRALIA
To those who are interested in the varied ways in which man perceives and categorizes his complex world may I recommend "The Savage Mind" by Claude Levi-Strauss, in particular the section on ethno-botany. Herein we are reminded that not all people look at the plant kingdom with the eyes of western botanists. In fact, far more people see with an eye to utility (food, medicine, building materials, poisons, etc.) as well as magical and religious associations. Consequently what may be viewed by a western scientist as a single entity, viz. a species, may be called by a hunter-gatherer or grass-roots farmer by three or four different names depending on its stage of growth, degree of maturity, or how he intends to use it. This should not come as a surprise to us or be especially hard to accept when we remember that as gardeners and horticulturists we have our own particular dialects in the language of botany.
When I speak to my bulb-fancying friends of Amaryllids you can be fairly sure that the main conversation will not take consideration of Narcissus, Brodiae, Leucojum, Ipheon, or Tulbaghia, although all are entitled to inclusion. Clivia, Crinum, and Amaryllis itself will probably escape mention unless insinuating themselves in the form of rare species or cultivars. In Australian bulb circles, or at least in my circle within circles, the term Amaryllid is almost sure to herald discussion (with a goodly component of one-upmanship) primarily of rare and/or difficult and invariably expensive South African genera such as Boophane, Cybistetes, Hesssea, Haemanthus, etc. From this perspective Cyrtanthus obliquus and Nerine filamentosa are Amaryllids, Cyrtanthus mackenii and Nerine sarniensis aren't!
Such genera as Chlidanthus, Eucharis, Habranthus, Hymenocallis, Stenomesson and Zephranthes may also rate no mention in Amaryllid talk or else bring up the tail end of the discussion following the query " and what about South Americans@ Here again we have the dichotomy of Zephranthes primulina being an Amaryllid, or more exactly a South American, while Zephyranthes citrina is just a bulb. Northern hemisphere species will creep in if they are sufficiently rare or spectacular, also our limited range of Native Australians (Crinum, Calostemma and Proiphys).
To show how tenuous are those divisions which we tend to take as god-given immutable laws (and use in interminable and inconclusive arguments with fellow collectors), the botanist Cronquist, whose line is now followed in official Australian botanical classification, has scrapped the family Amaryllidaceae completely, lumping it in with the Liliaceae. Which leaves US where? I know few bulb buffs who are prepared to drop' Amaryllid' from their language.
1 You may have noticed above that I was rather cautious in generalizing about this use of the term Amaryllid in Australia, limiting it eventually to my own circle of associates. If I have learned one thing with age it is that as soon as you make a sweeping statement, twenty people will pipe up to demolish it! Say that Crinum flaccidum is hard to flower on the east coast and someone will tell you of their forty scapes a year; say that Cyrtanthus falcatus is rare and someone knows of a nursery that has hundreds (please let me know where!). If this is the case in my own country, then how peculiar may this concept of Amaryllid appear to growers overseas. Let me therefore paint the picture, as I see it, with my Australia's Amaryllid Alphabet:
Amaryllis belladonna -long popular and very common, it rarely rates a mention unless one has a striking and uncommon cultivar. Distribution is usually from neighbour to neighbour over the back fence and each town seems to have its distinct form. Beginners try to slot their plants into cultivar names such as those listed by the American Plant Life Society but soon realize that this is a complete waste of time (ditto for Agapanthus cultivars). There have been brief outbursts of interest in selection and hybridization within Australia but few reliably named or documented plants exist. Furious and futile arguments occurs as to whether our large form of belladonna (20 + florets on stems to 90cm) are intraspecific hybrids or x Amarygias. Hybrids with Crinum and Nerine occur but are not common. Prices, for Belladonna $2- $12, for Crinodonna $5- $15.
Ammocharis coranica -may be in cultivation here but all plants that I have seen in flower have been Cybistetes.
Brunsvigia -the so-called "Australian josephinae", a sterile clone or hybrid, is moderately common, usually riddled with virus and sells for about $45 a mature bulb. Seedlings of various species, most commonly B, orientalis, are sometimes available at $10 -$20. No one seems to have raised them to maturity or if so they are surprisingly quite about it. I have heard mention that B.orientalis 'flowers once and then dies', presumably why its seedlings are comparatively common.
Clivia - sorry , folks, but these don't really qualify as Amaryllids unless they happen to be a good form of citrina or C.caulescens! However, you can console yourselves with the fact that any citrina type, no matter how wishy-washy, can fetch up to $35 an offset. You can also have arguments on a par with Amaryllid growers as to whether C.gardenii really exists and if so, how it differs from C.nobilis. Gain points and prestige also by claiming to know someone who knows someone who has a pure white. Clivia miniata is very common, a weed of old gardens, but relatively expensive none the less -it is heavy to post, only sells in nurseries when in flower and then only to people who are so unlovable that they haven't anyone to give them a barrow load of the damn things for free.
Crinum - other than C.asiaticum, bulbispermum, mooreii, x powellii, pedunculatum and the cultivar known as "Probably Ellen Bosanquet," all Crinums may be considered Amaryllids. Nurseries tend not to stock them too often because of their pot- splitting growth rate but with not too much trouble you can acquire the above named for $5 -$20 each, price mainly determined by bulb size. Of native species we have, according to the botanists, about five or, according to the horticulturists, about ten or twelve. We do not have the extensive though still expensive range of hybrids such as they have in the USA but this lack has had some benefit as a number of growers are at work breeding their own.
Cybistetes longifolia -occasional offers of seedlings at $10 -$15. Contrary to rumour, owners of mature plants find that given the right conditions it is a regular and reliable bloomer .
2 Cyrtanthus - were all the rage but seem to have gone out of fashion. None the less conversations can be built on how C.obliquus drops dead just before reaching maturity or how C.labiatus produces millions of bulbils but not a single bloom. C.mackenii has been joined by C.brachyscyphus and C.obrienii as non-Amaryllids, as have their many coloured hybrids. The beautiful hybrids between C. elatus and C.sanguineus or C.eucallus still rate a mention and sell at $5 -$10. Selection needs to be done to overcome the weak stem which often mars these crosses. Gethyllis, Hessea and Strumaria- typical Amaryllids in that they did not exist in Australia until I had imported some extremely expensive seed, whereupon numerous people gleefully informed me that they had in fact been growing them for years! Haemanthus and Scadoxus - H. coccineus, H.albiflos, S.multiflorus and S.puniceus are fairly widely grown but still manage to qualify as Arnaryllids as they sell at $10- $20 a mature bulb. Other species fall in the name-your-own-price category and a few not-for-sale hybrids.
Nerine-species, named cultivars and Australian bred hybrids are, I believe, reasonably common and popular but I am not qualified to speak of these -my friends do not mention them when I am around as I tend to launch into a long and vehement monologue regarding their refusal to flower for me.
Paramongaia -although strictly a South American and therefore not a proper Amaryllid it is invariably classified with the latter because we all feel obliged to mention that we have, or had, or want to have a seedling thereof.
As an Amaryllid fancier I feel that I belong to a horticultural elite. At the same time I hope that one day they will all become as common as belladonnas, thus ensuring the future of these beautiful and all too often rare and endangered plants.
Elitism plays a large part at the moment in introducing and establishing Amaryllids in Australia but elitism could threaten their survival. I refer to the almost Scroogelike possessiveness that overcomes some collectors, including some Botanic Gardens, so that not one seed or offset will they sell or give away -interests may change and their treasures languish away for lack of proper care or their custodian passes on they must perforce leave them to those who don't care or know how to care. It is an old homily but true that "your never lose the plant you give away"- or sell!!
Bruce J. Knight *****
Mr. Nakamura's visit to Australia.
During the clivia flowering season of September-October, 1992, I had the pleasure of hosting a visit to Australia by Mr. Yoshikazu Nakamura. This was a valuable learning experience for me. The aim was to view and discuss as many different clivias as possible. The organisation of the visit proved to be a real communications exercise that involved a lot of thinking about Clivia. I was able to include visits to the Botanic Gardens in Sydney, private gardens, nurseries and other points of interest. Mr. Kevin Walters in Queensland, and Mr. Cliff Grove in Western Australia were able to help also by allowing Mr. Nakamura to view their collections as part of his trip.
I was fortunate in having the help of two people who aided me in Japanese correspondence. A long-time friend of mine, Mrs. Megumi Bennet, was able to translate incoming letters and also rewrote the itinerary in Japanese so that we could forward it to Mr. Nakamura. This proved
3 invaluable. To help me cross the language barrier 1 was fortunate in obtaining the help of a Japanese student staying at Springwood. Mr. Kozumi Yamashita agreed to act as translator during the time that Mr. Nakamura stayed with my family. Kozumi was an extremely important link for those involved with Mr. Nakamura's visit. We were all able to discuss Clivia breeding and culture, often quite in depth.
The first few days were spent viewing the plantings at the Royal Botanic Gardens, city parks and suburban gardens. Our "common" miniata was in full bloom and put on a beautiful show. The large flowered selections were located in the newer plantings compared to the well-established mass display of the "common" type in the Gardens. Unfortunately, the large planting of C.gardenii was not flowering at the time of Mr. Nakamura's visit. He favoured the smaller flowered "common" miniata and would have liked to see the gardenii in bloom as well.
We had an interesting visit to the original plantings of the Clivia hybrids made by the late G. Keith Cowlishaw, at St Ives. The depth of colour and the larger florets stand out in the group. It was a pleasure moving around the garden locating and discussing the different blooms with Mr. Nakamura. He is a keen observer and would note the smallest difference in the flowers. Some of the choicest Cowlishaw plants were taken to a nearby retirement village, where Mrs. Cowlishaw now resides. As we discussed the merits of each one, Mr. Nakamura could already see appropriate lines of potential crosses.
Whilst our main aim was to view and discuss Clivia we did visit the Bonsai nursery run by Brian and Megumi Bennet. The variety of plant material there, and at the adjacent palm nursery, gave Mr. Nakamura a chance to view a wider range of plants growing in our nurseries. Several other nurseries were visited during our travels. Points of interest were included in the itinerary. We saw a fantastic display of Australian fauna at Featherdale Wildlife Park, and some spectacular scenery at lookouts in the Blue Mountains. 1 am sure these few trips proved interesting for Mr. Nakamura, as we were able to see a diverse range of vegetation. Mr. Bill Morris took the time to visit my place for a discussion about Clivia with Mr. Nakamura. The difference in growing areas between Bill's place and mine saw his flowering finish before Mr. Nakamura's visit. Bill brought some photographs and we spent the afternoon exchanging ideas regarding Clivia. We also visited the nursery of Mr. Malcolm Cumming at Berrima, in the Southern Highlands of NSW, and saw plants at his Sydney home. Mr. Nakamura was able to select some seedlings that were of particular interest to him. An early drive to the airport on the Monday of week two saw Mr. Nakamura off to Queensland and Western Australia over the next few days. Having Mr. Nakamura stay with me for two weeks was certainly an honour. I learnt from his experience and was very happy to share my knowledge with him. The help that I got from my friends in Australia made the visit a memorable one. The links that I have made through study of Clivia continue to expand into a pastime that is most satisfying. I know that the experience was a real treat for my two children and played an important role in showing them how different people can get on with one another. It really is a small world. It just goes to show what a bond there is between Clivia enthusiasts. I recall a comment made by Nick Primich in a past newsletter, "sometimes 1 have found that my friends have taught me more in a minute that what I have found in years of battling".
Ken Smith Australia. *****
CLIVIA NOTES
4 Several items have been mentioned in past issues of the Clivia Bulletin which 1 deem need some clarification:- Clivia plants often obtained from the wild may be quite self sterile, but outcross readily. This behaviour is due to their having grown in one area many millennium without major climatic changes or the natural introduction of new breeding stock. As a consequence members of such colonies are so inbred that the chromosome compliments in all plants are near monozygous, practically clonal in composition. They are in need of genetically differing pollens from other plant colonies, or from genetic mutations to provide some diversity. New genes often, but not always, provide hybrid vigour (heterosis).
This is why a number of the yellow flowered clones have been found so exasperatingly self sterile. One has to outcross to gain fertility, and then backcross to exclude the orange coloured genes. I have experienced the same behaviour with an attractive Clivia striata which had foliage with numerous gold stripes. The plant would not self and its offsets usually reverted to a non-variegated form with normal green foliage.
So I cross this C.striata with pollens from my yellow form, several C. x cyrtanthiflora forms and a nobilis hybrid. Much to my surprise near half of the resulting seedlings showed the striata pattern, but not the typical golden yellow. These seedlings were with pale green stripes or striata. Intercrossing and selfmg these seedling plants did not intensify the striata significantly. The golden hue was not regained. Mixed seed was distributed to Bill Morris in NSW, Wally Lane and several collectors near Santa Barbara. All have commented on the hybrid behaviour of their semi-striata mixtures. Some bear ycllow blossoms with the usual slender tepals. I lost my c. striata in our big 1990-91 freeze which dropped below minus 10 C. for near two weeks. The original C.striata and a poor replacement were never as hardy as normal hybrid stock. Both require more shade in order to avoid sunburn. But the strange thing was, while the plants froze, the seed survived and much of it germinated.
I have encountered self sterility in numerous Crinum and Amaryllis belladonna variants. These plants often yield parthenogenetic (Apomictic) maternal seed, but I have never found evidence of such seed development amongst the Clivia.
I have turned in a brief report to the IBSA concerning the use of the Neem Tree (Azadirachta indica) extract as an insecticide which is made from the seed. This water extract is ideal for the treatment of mealy bug, chewing insects, ants, fungal attacks and mosquitoes which plague the usual Clivia plantings. It is an outstanding control item and simple to prepare if one has a Neem tree handy, yet practically non-toxic to Man and animals. It’s a long used medicinal plant in India.
Finally, has anyone developed a tetraploid hybrid Clivia
Sincerely Les Hannibal
(The Neem Tree in South Africa is known variously as Melia azedarach, Sering, Persian lilac or syringa. Some authorities consider all the parts of the tree are poisonous to man. ed. )
*****
Dear Nick
I have received your two letters. I was glad to hear you got the Lycoris. You will experience very soon what it is to grow them. They are so through and through lousy, I can't part with them any-
5 more. It has become a real challenge where I always lose. I wish you also a lot of luck with your Clivia Club, and most of all a lot of strength. You will certainly need it once your members have produced their little article and you stand alone to make the next number of your bulletin. After ten years as treasurer in the Vlaamse Iris Vereniging I know the cinema! I have in all 14 yellow clivias, but only one with the larger petal. The photo is this springs flower, the colour is really a little darker (than the photograph).
0n the Easter week-end, we made a five day trip to Berlin, with a day spent in their really wonderful botanical garden. A lot of Hymenocallis and Crinum, but being Easter Sunday no staff member was attainable for you know what!
Every time the US dollar plunged under 30 Belgian franc, I ordered ten old issues of Herbertia etc. at the A.P .L.S.(The American Plant life Society). So now I have the complete collection, which is by far the best help for amaryllid growers that I know. If you ever need something out of it I will make you a Xerox. Thanks for the hippeastrum offer. I am just straightening out the mess, but you can expect my list next time. I have noticed that Europe is very shabbily represented in your Clivia Club. You know I am not the greatest clivia enthusiast, but if you want someone out of Belgium in your clan, you can put me on your list. Just let me know the conditions.
Willem Reuter *****
Dear Mr. Primich
Enclosed is a check for $2.00 to cover the packing and postage of the clivia seeds.1 enjoyed the last newsletter. Les Hannibal's letter in which he explained how by notching Clivia roots you can produce offsets, is the first time I have seen in print what I have done by accident several times. Cynthia Giddy's article was well written, and very complete in a general way. Her article has led me to wonder if there has been any research that has scientifically scrutinised bud formation in clivias with emphasis on the inter-relationships between drought, temperature, fertiliser, and being root-bound. All the information available to me is very specific in principle and very general in application. Can it be said that a period of drought alone, independent of all other factors, initiates bud formation; and if it does, exactly how long should that drought last1
I have enclosed two other items. One is a copy of an article from a commercial plant-trade magazine of the 1930's.lt features the work of a plant breeder, an E.P. Zimmerman and the hybrid clivias he bred in Carlsbad, California. I would like to know if you or any of the Clivia Club membership may be familiar with his work. His hybrids were the result of his crosses with C.nobilis and C. lindeni. I have been told that C. lindeni is likely a C. miniata selection of the Victorians. It would be nice to find C. lindeni which has been described as'' a large conservatory plant". It is my hope that C. lindeni or some of the progeny of the crosses between it and C. nobilis still survive in a garden or an approachable institution somewhere in the world.
The second item is a photograph of a C. flava hybrid. I would appreciate knowing how similar it may be in leaf and flower to yellow clivias available in South Africa. As I am just beginning to explore clivias, I am collecting the species and all the variations I can find here of C. miniata, and C. miniata "flava". Your newsletter certainly allows a view as to what activity may be taking place.
Sincerely yours Colman Rutkin
6 ***** Dear Sir
I am enclosing cheque to the valueof R10.00 and would like to become a member of your club. I am not a very clued-up gardener, but am learning. Love the garden and in particular the clivia. Have two of them in my garden, one flowered last year- hopefully the other will also flower this year. I believe you put out a very good newsletter in April, and would love to receive a copy of it if still available.
Many Thanks Audrey Cloete *****
Dear Mr. Primich
Your kind offer regarding seed for distribution in July is appreciated. Enclosed please find my cheque to cover postage and package costs. I have taken the liberty of sending the April newsletter to Prof. Kristo Pienaar, well-known botanist, author of numerous books on indigenous flora, and Radio and T .V. personality who writes a weekly article in the magazine section of" Die Burger" called "Vra vir Kristo", with a request that he asks Clivia lovers to join the club.
As you will observe from the attached article from "Die Burger", 05.06.93., he has responded magnificently. "Die Burger" has a large and wide circulation in the Cape Province. I daresay this publicity and the fact that he has also joined our club will stand us in good stead. I support Mr. Vorster"s suggestion (Vol.l No.3. Nov .93) regarding a joint order. I have also been thinking of exchanging plants with our friends in Australia and Japan. Would this be possible, and if so what are the requirements? Please amend your list of addresses in the newsletter which still reflects my previous box number.
Kind regards A.Gibello
P.S. I have lots of other news. Hope to meet you when next I visit the Transvaal, hopefully in August.
*****
Clivia Breeding Plantation Hybrid Seeds for Sale Cost per 1 seed US$ 1 (C.m. x Y) x Y (green stem 30%) (red stem good 2.00 flower) 2 yellow 100% 5.00 3 yellow x Vico yellow 8.00 4 C.m. (Daruma) wide short leaves 2.00 5 C.m. variegated 2.00
7 6 C.m. (Daruma) variegated 5.00 7 C.m. x C.g 2.00 8 C.m. variegated x C. 9 3.00
For shipment in December - if sold out will substitute. Payment to Yoshikazu Nakamura, savings account #540-623619, at the Asahi Bank, Mobara branch, 1-4-1 Chyoda-chyo Mobara city Chiba prefecture Japan
*****
Dear Mrs. Amos My husband Michael is actually the Clivia-mad one in our home. We have two areas in our garden especially set out for clivias. The one contains fifty-six Clivia miniata (including some hybrids). The other has in it nine caulescens, eight gardenii, and nine nobilis. We also have a pot with six yellow miniata in it, which we are waiting to flower. We bought the one plant in 1990 (December), from a Mrs. Watkins in Natal for R75.00. Five smaller plants have grown, but no flowers as yet. We do believe that this may be as the result of our move eighteen months ago to the Transvaal. We estimate that the original plant to be about four to five years old now.
Through discussion and research we have found that people commented that the yellows from Mrs. Watkins were genuine yellow, bearing yellow seed pods, and therefore producing yellow-flowering plants. It appears that the yellows available from Mrs. Giddy (also in Natal) may not always produce yellow plants from seed, but rather revert back to the orange.(It would seem Mrs. Giddy's yellow may have been self-sterile and Mrs. Watkins' was not. A. lot of people fall into this trap and think that the self-sterile yellow reverts to orange when there is not another yellow to pollinate it. Would Mrs. Giddy care to comment? ed.)
Apart from the plants mentioned above, which are already in the garden, we have collected seed from the plants that flowered, and collected seed from various plants throughout the country. To date we have potted:- miniata 218, gardenii 25, and three of unknown variety. We still have miniata and gardenii seeds awaiting planting.
My husband and I have been to various libraries, antique bookshops, and institutes to read up and research information relating to Clivia. There certainly appears to be much discrepancy about identification of clivias, other than miniata. This has also manifested itself in the retail selling of the plants. So a word of warning to buyers- the clivia you buy may not be what you think it is.
We have recently found that the Allensnek Nursery in Constantia Kloof is selling clivias of all varieties as Clivia x cyrtanthiflora. Undoubtedly many an unsuspecting customer will fall on these thinking them to be a new species and paying R25.95 per plant!!
In our investigations we established that there is a gentleman doing research into crossing the Clivia miniata with the cyrtanthus in order to get a more tubular flower ala nobilis for the miniata, but with an open "mouth".
8 Apparently the resultant flower is now being crossed back onto miniata to try and obtain the desired result in shape and also to attempt to get a far redder colour to the flower. As yet there are no Clivia x cyrtanthiflora on the market as none exist. (? ed)
From our experience, unscientific and limited as it may be, we differentiate between the Clivias as follows:-
Cyrtanthiflora miniata nobilis, gardenii, caulescens
Clivia miniata- only in the flower, Hybrids have fat (wide) leaves, whilst true miniata have the narrow spear-like leaves, whose tips are acute or acuminate.
Clivia nobilis - in the flower, a yellow colour,where the seed will form changing to a red- orange for the mid-section of the flower and a green tip. The leaf has a notable difference in the tip shape from the other species, namely a slight indent at the end or retuse shape. When in flower the umbel also appears more closely bunched than either the caulescens or the gardenii.
Clivia caulescens - in the flower, a redder colour, than the nobilis. The colour being from the seed, forming area through the mid-section, with a green tip.
Clivia gardenii- in the flower, the umbel appears more spread out than nobilis or caulescens. Regarding the leaf formation at the base of the plants the following is noticeable.
miniata & caulescens gardenii & nobilis
N .B. the differences by which my husband and I tell the clivia species apart are the result of our own observations, and at the end of the day may hold no water. We will however, be keeping an ongoing record of how these plants progress. Perhaps some other club members can shed more light on the subject, or check on our observations.
9 A note to serious clivia collectors, or those just starting. Buy the clivia species from the area in which they occur naturally, they are much cheaper. By doing this my husband and I have found mature flowering plants (sometimes with up to eight smaller plants growing in the same container!) for three to four rands!! Also try buying from suppliers/nurseries outside of the city/ suburban environment. These places have just as good a stock at far more realistic prices.
Further, try the indigenous nurseries, join the Botanical Society which enables you to buy plants from any of their branches, and visit nurseries (especially on the outskirts) who do their own propagation. At these places the staff, often owners, are most helpful and eager to share knowledge or keep plants aside for you. Be warned though, these are not places of great architectural features but rather out in the open under natures canopy of trees. What a pleasure!
While we are continuing our research into clivias, we are also collecting as far as possible, the entire indigenous range of Crinum (20 different species), Cyrtanthus(48 different species), Nerine (30 different species) (we have the four clivia species.)
So who knows what may happen in crossing the clivia to some of the above. Any suggestions?
Yours sincerely, Michael & Renee Stevenson.
***** WANTED
Field-collected plants of Clivia nobilis and C. gardenii from as many localities as possible.
I have been doing research on the taxonomy of Clivia, and recently submitted a manuscript on the subject for publication in Flowering Plants of Africa. In the course of this study, it became clear that C. nobilis & C. gardenii have never been properly circumscribed. In other words, although there are people who claim that they can adequately distinguish between these species, their opinions rest on one or two specimens, and I am not sure that the criteria used to distinguish them, hold water.
I therefore wish to grow a selection of field-collected material in order to solve this problem. Seed would be welcome, but plants of flowering size would enable me to reach a conclusion so much sooner.
P. Vorster Botany Department, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X5018, 7599 Stellenbosch
***** Dear Friends,
A little earlier, but perhaps we will have a fifth issue in December. Just remember that will depend more upon you than upon me. Bruce Knight is an old friend of mine, but he is still a young person and an excellent and knowledgeable writer on many aspects of botany and horticulture. His superb article continues the .fine Australian tradition that has been established in our little newsletter. Some people take us at our masthead's value and think that we only consider articles on Clivia. True, we are centred on Clivia, but which of us does not have an interest in other plants? Most clivia fanciers have an interest in the amaryllid family .1 will certainly publish any
10 worthwhile contribution that comes into my letter box, although it would have to be a really remarkable article about daisies!
Excellent letters from Colman Rutkin and Michael and Renee Stevenson. Let us have some comment from the members about these matters which are discussed in the letters, Please, if there is anything which you don't understand, or disagree with, please let us hear from you. It is not a crime to have a different opinion, and we would like you to air it. What about Professor Kristo Pienaar, and the twenty-odd new members who joined on his recommendation? A hearty welcome to you, and please make your presence felt. Let us hear what you have to say. Write in Afrikaans by all means. We will of course have to supply a translation for our overseas friends, and you can do it yourselves or leave it up to me.
I have repeated Dr. Vorster's request for wild-collected specimens. This is important to Clivia people, because surely we would like the mystery and the mistiness cleared up about the differences between nobilis and gardenii? I will go even further, and ask anyone with knowledge of Clivia of any species growing in the wild to report these as fully as possible either to Dr. Vorster, or to myself Are there any clivia growing wild outside of any Reserve?. A gentle reminder, Clivia is a protected genus, and may not be gathered without a permit.
About importing plants! A lot of difficulties in the way, that is why I have published Yoshikazu's list of seed available this December. Expensive ?, I suppose so, but infinitely cheaper than plants. Why not lash out and try a few? A lot of people say they do not have the patience to wait for the seed to grow, but if you think about it, you do not have to wait for the seed to grow, you just let it get on with the waiting and you go ahead with your other things. May all your Clivia thrive!
Best regards, Nick Primich (ed)
*****
CRYPTOSTEPHANUS VANSONIl x CLIVIA UPDATE.
No2. March is half over and the fruits are developing nicely on the cross-pollinated inflorescence. The twenty-eight fruits on this first cross (C. miniata as the pollen donor) have changed very little. The second round of cross-pollination has resulted in only nine fruits setting. I used C. x cyrtanthijlora as the pollen source. I don't know why fewer fruits resulted from this second round of cross-pollinating. Perhaps I was not as consistent with the second and third inflorescences as I was with the first. At the time of writing a fourth flower stem is developing on my plant. Here I go again.
Culture. My two plants of Cryptostephanus vansonii are treated the same as my Clivias. I have them potted in terra cotta pots using a very open potting mix. Slow release fertiliser is used and I have topped the pots with white granite chips. The seed I have sown were placed individually in fifty x fifty tree tubes. The same potting mix was used. The small seed was just pressed into the surface. Growth of the seed is very Clivia-like. They are noticeably slender and pale green. They are developing slowly.
No3.
11 It's the middle of June and the fruits on the first inflorescence ( using C. miniata as the pollen donor) are changing colour to the red of the ripened fruit. Fruit diameter did not change over the past six months. I will be leaving them on the plant until spring, unless they decide otherwise. The later-pollinated inflorescences still have green fruits. All things being equal they should ripen by late spring. Then it is a matter of waiting until the seedlings develop and mature enough to flower. I wonder what we will get1 Maybe just Cryptostephanus, or perhaps something different.
No4. Last week in July, and the fruit has decided it is time. Collected the twenty-eight fruits and cleaned the pulp from the small, brown seeds. One hundred and eight seeds were produced, some fruit having only one seed, up to a maximum of nine seeds per fruit. The seed is very clivia-like in shape. The majority are roughly five millimetres in diameter, and some of the larger ones approximately eight millimetres. I will be sowing them in individual seedling tubes to minimise the disturbance to the developing plants. What do I expect? Perhaps some seedlings that show a broader leaf development compared to the C. vansonii seedlings I already have growing. Maybe the purplish pigmentation at the base of the leaf, variation in growth rate indicating some hybrid vigour. It will be interesting watching them develop.
Ken Smith Australia. *****
Members list
Connie Abel, 89 Brampton Road, Lynwood Manor, 0081(012)476456 Mrs W.E. Allison. 10 Vestness Road, Valhalla 0185. General C. Barker, P.O. Box 154, Knysna, 6570. Growing and selling. Looking for yellows Coen Calitz, Waterweg 14, Rozendal, Stellenbosch, 7600. Mrs. A. Cloete, 14, Greenway, Pinelands, 7405. Denise Currie, 303, Cromwell Road, Lombardy East, 2090. General E.T. Davies. P O Box 92. St Francis Bay. 6312. Mej. M. de Bruyn, Bel Monte 43, Maianalaan, Brummeria, 0184 General Graham Duncan. Kirstenbosch Gardens. Pvt. Bag X7, Claremont, 7735. Carel Fouche, Posbus 454, Stellenbosch 7599.(02231)901501 Johan Fourie. 7 Saffran St., Loewenstein, Bellville. 7530. M.G.N.Goodwin. P.O.Box 453, Plettenberg Bay.6600. Mr. A. Gibello. P.O.Box 378, Great Brak River, 6503. General Mrs. Cynthia Giddy. Giddy's Nursery, P.O.Box 45, Umlaas Road, 3730. Mrs. N.E. Gilson, P.O.Box 6, Swartberg, 47l0. General A.J. Hankey P.O. Box 2194, Wilro Park,1731.General Mev. A.M. Haxton, Posbus 977, Gallo Manor, 2052. Mrs. C. Howie, 7 Ripple Close, Newlands, 7700. General, buyer of yellows. J. L. Holmes, P.O.Box 4063, Idas Valley, 7609.(02231)79418 Engelina Joubert, P .O.Box 16, Settlers, 0430. General. Penny Lennox, 2 Ascot road, Milnerton, 7441. General. Prof.I.A.le Roux,Kronendallaan 18, Dalsig, Stellenbosch(02231)72617. Richard Liebnitz, 57 Collins Road, PMaritzburg.3201 Mrs. Sumia Lombard, 349 Elizabeth Grove, Lynwood, 0081. Mrs. M.L.A. Lubke, Waterloo Farm, P.O. Box 83, Grahamstown, 6140.General Dr. K.C. Mconie, 38 Ringwood Road, Lynwood Manor, 0081. (012)474365. Mr. M.D. Mey, 55 Black St., Parkdene, 1460. General.
12 D P Myburgh, Rigellaan Noord 222, Waterkloofrif, Pretoria,0181 Natal NBG, P .O.Box 11448, Dorpspruit, 3026. Lukas Otto, P.O.Box 309, Muldersdrif, 1734 Prof. Kristo Pienaar,18 Allen Drive, Loevenstein, Bellville,7530 Mrs. P. Quin, Winterglen, P.O. Box 948, Winterglen, Hilton,3245 Mrs. Jean Retief, Van Loveren Wynland, Robertson, 6705. Mrs. L. Robertson, 59 Harewood Drive, Nahoon, 5241. General. Mr. A.V.V.R. Schweizer, 14B Pioneer Rd., Irene, 1675. General P .E. Shanahan, 27 Pat Newson Road, Epworth, Pietennaritzburg,3201 Mev. A.J.Smith, Posbus 285, Uitenhage, 6230. Mrs. Mary Spies, P.O.Box 218, Swellendam 6740. M.& R.Stevenson, 4 Karee St., Randpark Ridge XI, 2194. Chloe Stuart, P.O.Box 390, Knysna, 6570. Mev. Alice Theron,Tarantaalstraat 5, Brits,0250.(01211-21178) Ms. D. van der Merwe, P.O.Box 651006, Benmore, 2010. General. Willem H .J .van Deventer, Pirokseenstraat 672, Elarduspark X6 0181. Pretoria. General. Laila van Heerden, P.O.Box 15766, Lynn East, 0039. General. Mev. E. van Rensburg, Posbus 383, Swellendam,6740. Mev .C. van Schalkwyk, Posbus 25, Saldanha, 7395. Mrs. C. van Vuuren, P.O.Box 6292, Homestead,1401. J.G.van Wyk, Sarel Cilliersstraat 25, Parow,7500. Paul von Stein, 3 The Bend, Edgemead, 7441. P.Vorster, Botany Dept, Univ.of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X5018, Stellenbosch, 7599. Hybrids & Cultivars. Mr. G. J. Wiese, 12 van der Westhuizen Ave, Durbanville, 7550 Milton Edwards, P.O. Box 499, Belgrave , Victoria 3160.General.Australia C.J. Grove, 39 Pandora Drive, City Beach, 6015, Western Australia. Breeder Ruith Hoskins, 6 Tomlinson Place, Annadale, Western Australia, 6112.General. Coral Larsen, 50 Morland St., Mount Gravatt, Queensland,4122, Australia. Les Larsson, 31 Solomon Street, Palmyra, 6157. Western Australia. General. Ron May,11 Loch Street, Toowoomba,Queensland, 4350. Breeder, fancier. W. Morris, 37 Brocklesby Road, Medowie, NSW.2301 Breeder. John Roper,11 Kianga Street, Graceville, Queensland. 4075 Ken Smith, 593 Hawkesbury Road, Winmalee, NSW.2777. Breeder. Kevin WaIters, 20 Wyalla Street, Toowoomba, Queensland.4350
Japan Yoshikazu Nakamura. Clivia Breeding Plantation, 4-28, Kurodo Mobara-city, 297 Chiba Prefecture. Japan.Breeder.
New Zealand
David J Brundell, P O Box 8,Waiuku, New Zealand. General. Dr. K.R.W.Hammett, 488c Don Buck Road, Massey,Auckland 8.Breeder.
Sweden Borje Svensson (Mr .) Studentstaden 4, S- 75233, Uppsala. General. M. Edquist, Syreng 19, 57139 Nassjo,Sweden. General. M Edquist, Syreng 19, 57139 Nassjo, Sweden. General.
Switzerland Sir Peter Smithers, 6921-Vico Morcote, Switzerland.
13 United Kingdom C.M.Atkinson,7 Leafy Way, Locking, Weston Super Mare, Avon BS24 8BD Mr. Ian Coates, Linden, Hall Lane, Mobberley ,Cheshire, W A16 7 AB A.F .Gosden, 12 Maes-y-felin, Penrhyncoch, Aberystwyth, Dyfed,SY23 3EN B&T World Seeds, David Sleigh, Whitnel1House, Fiddington, Bridgwater, Somerset, T AS 1JE.
USA D.S.Casebier, Brown University, Box H, Providence, R 102912, Dr. R.L. Doutt, 1781 Glen Oaks Drive, Santa Barbara, California 93108. Lester Hannibal, 4008 Villa Ct, Fair Oaks, California, 95628. P V Heftler,1265 Buckingham Road, Grosse Pointe, MI 48230. Colman Rutkin,129 Tysen Street, Staten Island, N. Y .10301.
ON THE COMPOST HEAP
Being a worm, or a caterpillar, has its compensations. You know, although we start around the edges, we always get to the heart of the matter. We also have impeccable judgement. We know instinctively that clivia are the best of the amaryllids. We know the miniata is better than the pendulous species, and we know that var. citrina is the best of the best. Who taught us? Nature! It is wound into the convolutions of our chromosomes. We will, in times of need, nibble at nerine, or make a hash out of your amaryllis. We will even demolish your hippeastrum for you, and in times of great stress will eat up the Chlidanthus fragrans. All in all we are a pretty obliging and accommodating lot.
Lily Borer.
THE VALUE OF A FLOWER
On a grave, in a church, for weddings or for funerals, in our highest or our lowest moments we turn to flowers to say what we cannot otherwise express. Nations, states, provinces, and cities have floral emblems chosen to display some aspect that we feel is best put over by a floral emblem. Zantedeschia aethiopica has the dubious distinction of being known world-wide as the "funeral lily". In spite of this sombre connotation, it is still used for many other purposes, including stockfeed. Moral comforter, medicine, decoration, many are the uses put to our flowers.
*****
Dear Nick.
Thank you for your letter of 6th May and for Clivia Club Newsletters. 2; 1 and 2; 2, I look forward to a copy of 1; 1 when your reprint this or have extra copies made a ~ indicated. A simple photocopy would be quite acceptable to me.
I did not receive a copy of the ready-printed article from Cynthia Giddy, which went with 2; 2 I would welcome this.
14 I find the newsletter to be very useful and I will try to contribute. I found Les Larsson's bibliography of Clivia references from Plant Life - Herbertia in 2; 3 to be especially helpful.
I trust the order of my initials and loss of a T from my name was not one of your deliberate mistakes to make sure we were reading the publication with due diligence. I would however, like to appear as Dr. K.R.W. Hammett and to be listed as a breeder (of Clivias). This list is important for direct member to member contact. It will enable me to alert other people who may wish to join the Clivia Club.
Carl Atkinsons's suggestion of compiling a list of all known plants is important as is the compilation of all published names. This should be a great deal easier for Clivia than for a gcnus like Dahlia where several hundred thousand names have been published over the last two centuries.
What does the abbreviation IBSA stand for? Coates' article 2; 3 p 2-4
Have you had any success in finding a source of C.caulescens?
I enclose a photocopy of the entry on Clivia from John Weathers' "The Bulb Book" published in 1911. It is possible that not all members are aware of this work. Weather is recorded as having been born at Newmarket, County Cork on 17th June 1867 and having died at Islesworth, Middlesex on lOth March 1928. He was a gardener at Kew in 1888 and became Assistant Secretary to the Royal Horticultural Society. He also ran a market garden at Isleworth. He wrote a number of horticultural books during the early years of this century. "The Bulb Book" is a highly regarded work.
It is interesting to note the early widespread use of the name Imantophyllum for what we now call Clivia. It is also interesting to note the variety of forms given names which indicate yellow flower colour, namely aurantiaca, sulphurea and citrina.
Best wishes, Keith Hammett
15 Clivia Club
PO Box 6240 Westgate 1734 RSA
US$10.00 (or equivalent) p.a. overseas R20.00 p.a. RSA
Volume 2 Number Five October 1993
AMARYLLIDACEAE
Clivia nobilis Lindl.
The genus was named in the honour of the Duchess of Northumberland whose family name was Clive, and whose garden at Syon House just across the river from Kew was famous at that time.
When the botanist J.Lindley described Clivia in Botanical Register, table 1182 in 1828, he based the species on Clivia nobilis which makes this the "type species" of the genus. In other words, the original description of the genus would have been identical to the description for the species. As more species were discovered, the generic description expanded to accommodate them so the description of Clivia nobilis remains the first and most essential concept of the genus.
J.G. Baker in Handbook of the Amaryllidaceae (1888) has followed the original description closely:-
Leaves: bright green, lorate (strap-shaped), 1-11/2ft long, 11/4-1 inch broad, about a dozen in a tuft. Leaf-tip: very obtuse. Leaf-edges: scabrous. Inflorescence: an umbel of 40-60 flowers. Peduncle: about 1 ft long Spathe valves: several, unequal, greenish Perianth: curved, reddish yellow; Perianth-tube: narrowy funnel-shaped. 1/4 to 1/3 inch long. Perianth-segments (i.e. limb): oblanceolate, tipped with green, about one inch long. Stamens: inserted at the throat of the tube, as long as the segments. Style: a little longer than the stamens, exserted
The curved, narrowly funnel-shaped flowers are used here (and later by Baker in Flora Capensis vol. 6 of 1896) as a key distinction from other species and, in this latter publication, Baker also uses the obtuse leaf apex to distinguish C. nobilis from a later species, c. gardenii.
Clivia nobilis has been in cultivation for 165 years since Bowie first planted it in 1828 and many horticultural forms, sports and varieties have been produced. These remain just that. i.e. horticultural forms of interest to the gardener but not botanically significant in a taxonomic sense.
1 While true C. nobilis is also no doubt cultivated, its status as a species is based on the fact that it still occurs naturally in wild habitats. Estelle Brink Selmar Schonland Herbarium
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Dear Nick,
Spring is fast approaching, and I have harvested the Clivia seed. I must send you some of the strains... Midget and Mammoth..also some jottings for publication, and a cutting from the local paper about a club member. (Ron May.)
Midget, Mammoth and Twins can sometimes be similar, though I do have a very tiny Midget- about six leaves, each about 15cm long- this is flowering size as it is in flower at present (August). Not the usual umbel, but only two to three flowers out at any one time. I have yet to count the total number of florets produced. I am also sending a hundred seeds from my hybrids for distribution where you think fit.
It has been a dreadful year for clivia. The worst summer drought on record. No rain from December 92 until May 93. Remember this is summer rainfall area, so perhaps a good year for belladonnas and brunsvigias. So mealy-bug went rampant, causing a lot of damage to new leaves emerging from the plant centres. I am unsure of the cause of stem-rot, but it was rampant in the dry too! It occurred in potted plants and in plants in the ground. There seemed to be no pattern. Some clivia in the ground were watered manually each week, but others were left to rely on the rain which never came. It had become impossible to water all the garden by hand or with sprinklers.
Friends with an arboretum underplanted with camelias, clivia and begonias, lost over a hundred camelias in the dry, plus lines of conifer wind-breaks. Luckily they had no clivia stem-rot. I visited Bill Morris in March, and it was sad and shocking to see the extent of stem-rot on his clivia. Big, lush plants laid low on the ground. Clivia are tough plants and must store lots of energy in the leaves, as I left rotted-off plants for weeks and weeks to dry the stems, and they sprouted roots readily when replanted. This was in the heat of summer. Going by the illustrations in the garden magazines that Mr. Nakamura has sent, stem-rot is a problem in Japan too.
I'll be sowing a small quantity of my own seed this Spring. I just squeeze the seed out of the berry , and allow to dry for a few days on paper. The dried material is then peeled off. I used to sow in sphagnum moss over mattress fibre. For years I did not know what the mattress fibre was, but eventually found that it was coconut fibre. This gives instant drainage, filling at least half of the pot with it, and very good aeration which promotes root growth. The quality of sphagnum has gone off in recent times, so I do not use it for seed- raising clivia any more. I find that I get just as good a result using a mix of equal parts of commercial potting mix and coarse sand.
Mr. Nakamura said "Too close!" when he saw my seedling pots. I would plant thirty or so seeds in a six inch pot. They grew O.K. always, but I think now that the crowding does not allow a full complement of roots to develop from the base plate, and so a less sturdy seedling is produced which may take longer to recover from transplant shock. I now sow in boxes, placing the seeds one inch apart. Naturally this takes up more space, but I'm sure I'll have stronger seedlings which will be able to be left in the boxes for years if necessary .
2 Earlier this year I read "Secrets of the Soil", by Zomphens and Bird. Among other things I learned of how to increase the soil fertility with rock dust. This magic ingredient supplies minerals. I have been using the local basalt in the form of crusher dust. This is the finest grade of what is called locally "blue metal". My new pot mix is two parts fine grade bark, two parts coarse sand, and one part crusher dust. Clivia seem to love it. It promotes root growth, and the leaves appear much healthier. For plants with finer roots I use commercial potting-mix in place of the bark.
Another material I am experimenting with is decomposed granite, commonly called "deco" .It seems to be as good as crusher dust. I have yet to try pulverised sandstone, which is readily available from the local sandstone quarries which produce the noted "Wagner Stone", as it has become to be known in countries where it is exported to.
Letter 2 It seems we passed in the post almost. I posted a package off to you yesterday, and your letter was here when I got home last night.
I was a bit tardy writing to you, but it was such a depressing time clivia-wise, with all the stem-rot and mealy-bug, AND the drought. And I was not sure where to continue on from last time. Anyway, I am sure you will have something to go on with, from what I sent yesterday.
To answer your questions:- the German Orange that I have were grown from seed imported from Germany. The two firms involved were Schenhel and Blossfeld. It has been a long association with Schenhel. Seed has always been fresh, and one can buy a hundred seeds. There was no minimum of two hundred, as with Blossfeld. I no longer deal with Blossfeld. One lot of seed was well past it on arrival, but I did get twenty out of two hundred to grow. A very expensive batch this, but these were "RED"
Mr. Nakamura called them red when he was here. To me they are a very dark orange, really not orange and not what one would call red either. Perhaps a blend of the two. The final blow with Blossfeld was when I sent a draft for seed (early flowering minis) which never arrived. They did not answer any further letters, and it cost me more money just to verify that the draft had been banked over there.
I have not been successful in obtaining seed from Sahin in Holland, of the pastel colour range, although I have bought plants of these here. These are yet to flower. A friend's have grown more quickly than mine. Hers are in bud now.
"Twins" is the strain developed by Sahin. My seed came from Jerd a few years ago. I have also bought plants. "Twins" is by no means a rarity here. The Larsens (Clivia Club) specialise in this strain, and "Mammoth" , at their tropical/sub-tropical bulb nursery . "Midget" is not as common. I had to have mine sent up from Victoria. I am not sure that I like these strains. I have been told that "Twins" seed will be coming in at A$l.80 each, from Holland later this year.
When did I first see short wide leaves on a clivia? I can't say for sure. Of course I have been seeing long, wide leaves for decades. I suppose the first time for the latter was that very first hybrid I planted in 1964 from seed. As for short wide leaves I imagine it would have to be my first "Twins", a few years ago now. I don't date tags put on bought plants, only on seedlings I raise. Perhaps I should start. I don't buy many plants, I am usually given more than I buy.
As far as seeds go, John Roper has been buying in a lot from all over, USA, New Zealand, Japan. Some local seed was a fizzer-.. 99% dead, I think he has also had some in from
3 Schenhel. He sends me some from each batch. I think I am going to concentrate on growing yellows from seeds now as I don't have room to expand the orange ones, and of course the pastels, when and if they become available here. Then there are the Japanese types too. Mr. Nakamura has sent quite a lot of seed to Clivia Club members here. One batch produced 100% albinos which, of course, died off. Others with variegated leaves show promise. Variegation here so far is a yellow one -not a desirable white or near-white. And the variegation does not have a consistent pattern to it, each leaf being different.
Are you thinking of coming to Oz? This would be an interesting trip if you came in Clivia season. Depending on which way you look at it. Its either a disadvantage or advantage or both to have Clivia Club members so spread out over the country .But then there are other things in Oz apart from Clivia.
I am enclosing a copy of a Clivia article from PACIFIC HORTICULTURE which you might be able to use in the Newsletter.
Best wishes Kevin
P .S. almost forgot the Belladonnas. Mine were just idling along when I was contacted by (Mrs) Marjut Rantanen-Burman who found a strange bulb at a tip. Marjut lives at Pinnaroo in South Australia, directly east of Adelaide. It is not on any of the main highways out of Adelaide, e.g. the one to Melbourne. Marjut's bulb produces a stem four feet high, the stem being a few inches thick. Atop of this is an umbel nineteen inches across, with up to sixty scented white, yellow-throated florets, some being double. Marjut collects Belladonnas and Brunsvigias, and in her climate grows them quite easily. She has sent me a flowering size Brunsvigia, also some Belladonnas. So I have a renewed interest in Belladonnas. I am looking after them rather than letting them look after themselves. Les Hannibal thinks the mystery amaryllid is a Cybistetes -Brunsvigia cross. So I am also interested in x Amacrinum, x amarine, and x Crinodonna (the last impossible to find. x Crinodonna that are available are x Amacrinum). I saw an amarine in flower at Bill Morris'. Made me realize my bulbs are far from flowering size.
K. Walters *****
CHANGING IMAGE ON KUNSHI-RAN
Almost every garden lover has at least one pot of Kunshi-ran as the essential flower in winter .
This flower, generally called Kunshi-ran in Japan, is botanically speaking, Clivia miniata. This Clivia miniata is originally from RSA and was cultivated in Europe, It has been known as Kunshi-ran in Japan.
However, in this Clivia family(genus), besides miniata, there are other species such as gardenii, nobilis, and caulescens, each of which has specific genetical characteristics. Presently, these species have been hybridised word-wide. For instance, yellow Kunshi-ran is a result of these trials.
Besides yellow Kunshi-ran, there are so many possibilities in respect of the colour of the flowers, flowering season, variation of leaves, etc. Therefore it is not realistic to call them with the single
4 name of Kunshi-ran. As a matter of fact, there are so many varieties being developed in this family.
Now I would like to introduce our readers to the results of some of these developments. Yellow Kunshi-ran is easy to raise. This yellow kunshi-ran, botanically Clivia miniata var. citrina or aurea in some countries, achieved wide popularity in this country shortly after its introduction.
Since its discovery in RSA, clivia lovers all over the world have been vying to produce the citrina variation. However, it is still far from perfect, which may be partly due to the fact that hybridising between two yellows does not always produce all yellows.
The ones presently on the market are mainly the result of offsets, which makes things expensive. On the other hand, some of the yellows have been imported directly from RSA, but the probability of them flowering is as low as thirty to forty percent, which is not very satisfactory .
After sowing this species, if the base of the new leaflets is green, without any red colour , then it will most likely have a yellow flower. However, if the base is red do not be discouraged, there are many possibilities of creating new types of flowers from yellow hybridising.
To-day's highly-valued Smither's yellow (Vico Yellow), which was bred by Sir Peter Smithers, was produced by hybridising between yellow and orange. Thus it may be possible to create your own species of 90% flowering, by interbreeding between species with a lower percentage of flowering. After a few generations, this could be improved to 100%
Before breeding, it is better to know the history of the plants, are they raised from offsets, or grown from seed? What are the flowering percentages of each plant. There are many unknown genetic characteristics with clivia, one must plant some seeds and find out.
Unlimited possibilities -breeding with original species.
Of the original species, gardenii has some particularly good characteristics. Gardenii has green-tipped flowers, and its leaves are long and slender. The fruits are cherry pink when ripe, it flowers early in November, and it is reliable.
When gardenii is crossed with miniata, we get a plant that flowers in early December . Now you can enjoy flowers from Autumn. Gardenii is compatible with all the other species. You can take advantage of this by crossing gardenii with variegated clivias to produce a plant with highly regarded leaves, and a better fertility and growth rate.
Clivias' slender shape lets you raise twenty plants in one tray. Last year, precisely on the 20th of November, they all started their flower stems. I repeat, gardenii has many genetic characteristics which are not fully explored, and differ markedly from miniata.
After gardenii, we can also consider nobilis, caulescens, and var. Citrina for different breeding possibilities.
New breeding prospects for Clivia. Before starting any breeding program it is necessary to collect as wide a band of genetic diversity as possible. It is important to communicate with the botanical societies of other countries. Double dotted species of Japanese origin are also promising.
5 It is better to obtain original species, and seed from a known source, as there are many poor plants in the market place. Some of the better plants are very expensive, but are worthwhile. The best way for you to start is to try your own ideas out. You may come up with an unexpected beauty.
Speaking of my own experience with crossing the original yellow and miniata, the usual result was a middle of the road plant, half-way between the two parents. However, one percent of the progeny had pastel pink flowers, and only one plant of all the crossings had giant flowers with very narrow leaves. Of course, if I proceed to mate this plant again with a yellow, I am sure I could produce another wonderful hybrid. Each clivia has thousands of rice-grain shaped pollen. Some of these must have specific genetical properties. With the right combination it must be possible to produce beautiful flowers. It takes four to five years for each seed to produce its flowers, but if you continue on each year, there is always something new to look forward to.
It is said that the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture is now preparing a registry for the different varieties of Clivia. Why not join us!
Yoshikazu Nakamura
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Les Trois Mousquetaires L.to R. Yoshikazu Nakamura, Bill Morris, Ken Smith
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Dear Mr. Primich
At long last a reply to your letter of 25.06.93. I have been away for some weeks, hence the delay. As you see, herewith is enclosed a description of Clivia nobilis as per Estelle Brink of the Schonland Herbarium. As I am very much the amateur, your question was referred to her. I hope this will be of some use.
The article published from Australia was very much on these lines, and makes description rather confusing.
The answer to your second question is no, I do not know of this large colony of Clivia nobilis in the Grahamstown region. If I did know of it I would be careful of disclosing such information. One only has to visit under the Southern Bypass in Johannesburg, where the herbalists operate to become concerned as to what is actually happening to our indigenous plants.
I do enjoy the newsletters, and find the discussion becoming more interesting with each issue.
Mary Lynn Lubke.
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6 To My Overseas Correspondents
Please forgive my lack of reply, as well as this Xeroxed letter. I apologise for both, and am aware I have neglected writing and replying. I have moved to a house I have purchased this month, and I offer that by way of excuse/explanation etc. I promise to be more faithful from this point, as I have now begun to settle in. My new address is:
David Casebier 45 Priest Street Hudson MA 01749 USA My phone # is (508) 562-4530
Again my apologies for the" form letter", and I will write proper replies as soon as possible.
{Dear Nick, could you please relay this to the Clivia Club bulletin? Also in that move I lost my only seedlings of C. caulescens, and C. x cyrtanthiflora. Could someone please help me out with them. Thank you, Dave}
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Dear Nick,
I am so pleased that the Clivia flowering season is happening again in earnest. Looks like a good year for me this season, as a lot of seedlings from the start of my studies will be flowering though I have fruit still to be picked off some plants. I am aleady pollinating the new batch of flowers.. Will have quite a few yellow flowerheads this season.
I am chasing up a yellow flowered TWINS, which makes me wonder how many more yellows are about to appear as 1000's were sold on the Australian market. I am scrutinizing my TWINS for any sign of pale flowers.
Whilst buying a Clivia via a backyard sale the other day, I chanced upon a beautifully formed 10 petal flower. There was a 7 petal on the same head. Pollen has been stored away in readiness for crossing onto another like flower. I have already segregated several plants with ridged petal flowers, and will be continuing the search for unusual petal shapes and formations.
Had the chance to discuss my Clivia work with one of my lecturers from University recently. He wants me to do my Masters/PhD on Colour Breeding Clivia. This can be done by research work and it appears that the University has acquired some much needed equipment, including an electron microscope. He has me thinking hard about it, so who knows what 1994 will have in store?
With any luck a trip to Japan or South Africa could be worked in as part of the University study. As you know Nick, the learning just keeps on going. I am always finding out something new about Clivia. By the way, I have finished my Clivia only bushhouse! Starting to fill it with the choice plants first. I am sure I will run out of room. Your collection must be expanding nicely. Do you expect "Relly Williams" to flower this year. Cross it to yellow first chance you get. I am interested to learn how your Kew seedlings turn out. The green seedlings. Wonder if they will have smaller flowers than the hybrid yellow?
Hope to have an article on "Clivia as House Plants" and a brief rundown on the "Cowlishaw Hybrids" for the end of year newsletter. How is it going for other submissions.
7 Good luck with the coming season. Regards Ken
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Dear Nick
I am particularly concerned. The India 'China Berry' (melia azedarach) and the Neem Tree (Azadirachta indica) are very much alike in characteristics and spelling of the names, but the China Berry should be avoided as it is toxic to man and animals. Both trees belong to the mahogany family, but Melia does not have the some of the potent insecticidal properties of the Neem, and it certainly isn't suggested for internal use or forage for stock. We enclose xeroxes showing the China Berry and Neem foliage, the latter on the reverse of this page, and is quite a double compound leaf in comparison to the Neem.
The China Berry is fairly cold hardy; Neem is tropical and frost sensitive. Neem seed does not remain viable for more than two or three months. The best way to grow Neem is to carefully remove the kernel from the outer husk, place the kernel in a humidifier at 300c for several days and then plant it in a sand-pearlite-peat moss mix with bottom heat using deep slender planting pots as the Neem has a long tap root. The seed and small plants need ample moisture. Good seed will sprout in 10 days to two weeks. The neem oil is extracted from crushed seeds using an alcohol-water mix. Soak for 24 hours or more. Then separate out the solution and allow the alcohol to evaporate. The neem compounds deteriorate in light. The seed pulp can be retreated for a second extraction.
Neem solutions can be used as a spray, a drench or even for saturating potted plants to eliminate soil fungi and root pests. Neem tea from the leaves is commonly used as and internal medicine in India as well as externally for skin parasites and fungi.
Les Hannibal
P.S.: Could you furnish me with Bruce Knights address. His report was excellent, but we have recently found that the Bidwell Amaryllis x 'Multiflora ' hybrids are not Brunsvigia crosses but Amaryllis belladonna x Cybistetes longifolia. I have been raising the plants for 50 years along with A. x parkerii which is a sibling cross. I specialize in the white recessive forms and within the next four weeks will have seed available for distribution to several of the Clivia Club members. Bruce Knight would undoubtedly be interested in my findings. Just at present I have about 800 hybrid bulbs in flower, as well as numerous forms of A. belladonna which seems quite diversified.
Sincerely, Les Hannibal.
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Dear Nick
Because of family commitments, and the distance between home and the nursery , I have found it impracticable to conduct the business in the manner which it warrants, or to anywhere near its potential. As a result I have sold to Mr.R.J. & Mrs.P. Henry of 120 Caporo Street, Wanneroo W.A. 6065. They will trade as Clivia Gardens, plant & seed specialists. It will take them a year to get
8 organised, and harvest their first crop of seed, but when they do, they should have a good selection including a yellow x yellow 100% yellow seedlings.
Their nursery will be the only specialist clivia nursery in Western Australia. I wish them well with the venture, as I am sure all other club members will do likewise. Naturally, I will remain a club member as an enthusiast, and will continue to correspond with the other enthusiast friends I have made over the years. Trust this finds you well.
Kind regards Cliff Grove
*****A VISIT TO PRETORIA
Mr. & Mrs. Mey, Celia van Vuuren, and yours truly journeyed to Pretoria where we met at the garden of Mrs. Allison. There we were joined by Mr. & Mrs. Abel. Mrs. Allison is fortunate in having a son who is a horticulturist with the Pretoria Parks department. This was evident in her garden, where amid a plethora of other plants he has begun to establish a good mixture of available hybrids. My only criticism was that the plants were not perhaps ten years on, so we could see them in their glory .I'm not so certain that I will be around then.
We all then embarked on a further journey to the home of Mrs. Laila van Heerden. Here, Celia immediately began a count of the clivias to see if there were indeed a thousand, or was it two thousand plants. The rest of us were content to accept.
Mrs. van Heerden's estimate, and stood back to admire the view. It was indeed edifying to look at the natural increase from two original plants. The range was indeed limited, but here one could collect seed with a fair predictability of outcome.
Gathering numbers like a rolling snowball, we then proceeded to the Abel's home. Here we could see just about every type of clivia. Mrs. Abel even has this " sport" which was just then coming into flower. I shall try to get an illustration of it that I can print at a later stage. Mr. Abel had an imposing collection of epiphytic orchids as a sideshow. I noticed that there was a goodly amount of trading going on, and this is what it is all about. Do get out and meet your fellow cliviers (sorry). You will be able to get your hands on all sorts of wonders that the nurseries do not carry. Mrs. van Vuuren kindly handed me a lot of yellow seeds for distribution to members.
Nick Primich. *****
Dear Sir
I am keen to belong to the Clivia Club. I am a senior citizen due for retirement very soon now, and have an interest in Clivia miniata. My father, who died in 1964, had clivias in cut-off oil drums under a loquat tree for many years. On rare occasions, these "Natal Lilies" as he called them, flowered. On his death I moved the plants to my home, always in Bloemfontein, and have had more success with the flowers.
I have succeeded in producing numerous plants from seed, and the first ones flowered last year, and now the new flowers are starting to appear .
9 I always thought that the plants were not attacked by any pests, but last year the plants suffered a setback when some were destroyed by Amaryllis (?) beetle. They get black where the leaves sprout from the stem and die. As far as I can tell the original plants must still be alive, as no large plants have ever died.
Due to a lack of drums, I have planted some of the plants under the shade of Cedrus deodara trees. In winter they are covered with a plastic, Uvidek, which does prevent frost damage. I have one plant of Clivia caulescens, which is flowering now (Aug.),and one Clivia nobilis which I bought from a nursery in Cape Town lingered for many years before it died.
After seeing the white\yellow Clivia miniata of Mr. Holmes of Stellenbosch at the Flora 87 exhibition, I eventually bought one which is doing well and flowering. It has a few seeds from last year which I am waiting for to ripen, when I hope to plant them.
Trusting to hear from you, I am especially interested in being a successful grower of flowering clivia in Bloemfontein.
Yours sincerely S. V. Potgieter
Mr. Potgieter subsequently sent me a leaf which showed heavy infection of Stagonospora curtisii (Red Fire). In general, I would think this disease can be considered endemic for RSA. Benlate will reduce the internal infection, and copper will abate the outside infection for a while, but it is usually better to reduce the ambient moisture level in the area, or to move the plants to a drier area. The Amaryllis caterpillar (Brithys pancratti) causes physical damage to the plant by eating out large parts. It is easily seen and identified by its yellow and black stripes. (ed)
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ON THE COMPOST HEAP
I always thought I could do it. The idiot editor forgot to so I will. I will write the editorial. Besides, who will miss it when I can bring you inside information. Brythis pancrattii indeed. I feel like telling you the name I call him! Even Hannibal has him up a tree. Might be worth a visit there. Wonder what the Californian hybrids taste like? Did you note the use of the "Royal" We!
Mr. Gibello, who is our agent provocateur in the Cape, has asked if any members can let him have any of the following: Clivia gardenii, Clivia caulescens, Veltheimia bracteata var. Lemon Flame and Agapanthus inapertus ssp. inapertus white.
He offers in exchange, cash or a wide selection of Cape bulbs. Some of his requirements do not taste so good, but then. ..to each his own.
We would like to start a seed pool, so anyone with excess seed can send it to us with a short description of what it is. I promise not to eat them.
Also anyone who is looking for something else is welcome to enquire what we have available.
How about that!
10 Lily Borer
St Vincent's blooms for 1993 Carnival
St Vincent's Hospital will enter its gardens in this years Carnival of Flowers.
Winner of the 1988 Hospitals and Institutions Section of the carnival Gardens competition. St. Vincents garden have not been entered for five years. St. Vincents horticulturist Mr. Ron May (pictured) has revitalised the gardens and aims to restore them to their former glory.
Mr May is one of the first graduating group in the Certificate in Horticultural Practices course offered by TAFE. His resent studies have inspired him for this years competition. He has planted between 2500 and 3000 annuals and the maternity traffic island will be the main feature.
This year he has included alyssum, violas and valerian. He would not give away too many trade secrets, though he said planting had gone well and .with the help of Lucerne mulch he had been able to maintain moisture content during the dry spell.
Mr May said the garden was a popular spot with mothers waiting to have babies. He felt sure it had a therapeutic effect in the healing and caring carried out throughout the hospital.
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