Boophone
Posted: August 20th, 2013, 8:15 pm
I am not sure how familiar the members are with Boophone, also a plant from RSA. There are 3 species in this family namely Boophone disticha, Boophone haemanthoides and Boophone ernestii-ruschii. The Boophone ernestii-ruschii is extremely hard to find. I have all three species but my Boophone ernestii-ruschii is only about 5 years old so it has not flowered yet. The other two specie flowered earlier in the year. Here are a few photos when they flowered.
This is a Boophone disticha. Look at the detail of the flowers as you get closer.
This is a Boophone haemanthoides. This is a large bulb compared to my cellular phone.
Here we have two B disticha with seeds set and ready to be harvested and a Bhaemanthoides in the middle. Have a close look at the B disticha flower filament length when it is in flower. Now compare the length of the filament in the photo below when the seeds are mature and will see how it has extended. When the seeds are mature the scape braks off at the bulb side and the wind roll the dry flower head with seeds around the area and breaks the dry seed pods and so disperse of the seeds over a wide area. I nature not wonderfull.
This is a Boophone disticha. Look at the detail of the flowers as you get closer.
This is a Boophone haemanthoides. This is a large bulb compared to my cellular phone.
Here we have two B disticha with seeds set and ready to be harvested and a Bhaemanthoides in the middle. Have a close look at the B disticha flower filament length when it is in flower. Now compare the length of the filament in the photo below when the seeds are mature and will see how it has extended. When the seeds are mature the scape braks off at the bulb side and the wind roll the dry flower head with seeds around the area and breaks the dry seed pods and so disperse of the seeds over a wide area. I nature not wonderfull.