sam@hogpc.UUCP (D.LEWAN) (09/24/84)
Three years ago at the modest investment of $.25 on two
unusual small plants. At the time I was told they were
"pregnant onions".
I had never seen another until yesterday. In fact, I had
never been able to identify them properly until then and
still only know the name. The proper name is "ornithogatum
caudatum", if I've remembered correctly, and it is also
known as the "false sea onion".
I'd like to ask anyone with more knowledge about this plant
to pass some on to me.
They have a bulbous base, ranging from a very young 1/2"
across to 2" or 3" when grown. Foliage is green, about the
color of begonia semperflorens, with leaves (by now) up to
4' long and about 1" wide.
Their primary form of reproduction is vegitative by pushing
tiny bulbs out through the skins of the parent bulb and into
the soil. The can flower, though, and do so in the
springtime. Their flowers form in one large sparse and
conical cluster at the end of a stem growing from the center
of the bulb. The stem can also be as long as 4'. Its
flowers are not attractive.*
Even best efforts can't kill it. I left town for two weeks
this summer, height of heat, hadn't watered them for a week
and left them in the sun. Upon return the bulbs had
obviously lost some water but the plants were far from dead.
Overwatering doesn't kill them either.
By the way, I was overjoyed when I found a similar plant at
the botanical gardens in Copenhagen. It had a bulbous base,
similar reproductive habits and a very similar flower
structure. I thought I could certainly find out more now!
I couldn't. That plant was labeled "albucca" (genus, I
believe) and comes from South Africa. I'd also like to
learn more about albucca and how, if at all, it is related
to ornithogatum.
__________
* On the other hand if you cut them off, it takes the stem
forever to die away and it'll still have the energy to
put up another.dnc@clyde.UUCP (Don Corey) (09/26/84)
I just looked up Ornithogalum Caudatum in Wyman's Gardening Encyclopedia by Donald Wyman. He has this to say about Ornithogalum. "There are both hardy and tender species of this group of bulbous plants, members of the Lily Family, valued for their star-shaped (6-segmented) flowers, produced in spikes or umbels, in spring and summer. Easily propagated by offsets. Some of the hardy strains have become naturalized in the U.S. When grown in the green house, the best temperature is about 60 deg. F." Ornithogalum Caudatum (Whiplash Star-of-Bethlehem) "Flowers green and white blooming in spring or summer, about 1 in. across in long racemes. Native to South Africa. Usually for the greenhouse." Wyman doesn't mention albucca, but does list in addition to caudatum; arabicum (Arabian Star-of-Bethlehem), nutans (Nodding Star-of-Bethlehem), pyramidale (Pyramid Star-of-Bethlehem), thyrsoides (Cape Chinkerichee), and umbellatum (Star-of-Bethlehem). I hope this is what you were looking for inspite of the slightly different spelling. Don Corey