Massonias coming into growth

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Liz M
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Massonias coming into growth

Post by Liz M »

My Massonias are coming back into growth! It's just a few weeks since I looked at their pots and saw signs of shoots, so started watering them and bit by bit others followed. It is really quite exciting, especially as some of them I have grown from seed and others I have obtained from members. Here are some pictures.
Massonia pustulata, grown from seed
Massonia pustulata, grown from seed
Another Massonia pustulata, grown from seed
Another Massonia pustulata, grown from seed
Massonia pustulata from Alibaba
Massonia pustulata from Alibaba
Massonia jasminiflora, Alan Hart's collection
Massonia jasminiflora, Alan Hart's collection
Veltheimia bracteata, grown from seed
Veltheimia bracteata, grown from seed
I remember there was quite a long discussion about Massonia pustulata and its identification according to numbers of pustules per square cms. I am still not sure about mine.
I am hoping I get good flowers this time, as last year they were small and not very well formed.
Obsessive Crassulaceae lover, especially Aeoniums but also grow, Aloes, Agaves, Haworthias and a select number of Cacti.
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Aiko
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Re: Massonias coming into growth

Post by Aiko »

Liz M wrote: I remember there was quite a long discussion about Massonia pustulata and its identification according to numbers of pustules per square cms. I am still not sure about mine.
I can imagine you are not certain about it. I also am not certain, although my first thought both M. pustulatas would be M. pustulata and not M. longipes. Flowers should help, when they arrive. Will they flower at all, can you already see the flower emerging from the center between the leaves?
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Astro
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Re: Massonias coming into growth

Post by Astro »

I watered mine the last week of August, figuring it'd take them about a month to get going and show above ground as was my recollection. October is what I was aiming for, as the weather starts to cool down then (and exposure to sun no longer means 30+C, which is definitely not the preferred condition for Massonia).

What do you know, all of them were up just a good week later, so I've been watering them copiously while trying to expose them to morning sun only (afternoon gets too hot).

I've found that they really like their leg room and they'll grow much faster and flower at an earlier age when given a larger pot - we're talking an easy 2-3x in size between a freshly transplanted bulb and its siblings in their old communal pot. They can definitely flower in their third year (and had some aborted flowers the second year). The only issue is space (especially when you grow from seed - no space for that many plants each in its own gallon pot). And they're not much to look at during Summer, so they just live under the staging during that time.

Growing Massonias from seed is a lottery, either there's a lot of genetic variability in the native populations, or that variability is introduced in the greenhouse (or both). You can get plants with green leaves, purple leaves, or purple with green stripes or green with purple stripes all from the same batch.

Daubenyas are similar (more colorful and interesting flowers) but less readily available, and I haven't figured them out yet. Very mixed success with seed, and no flowers yet on my 5-year-old bulbs.

My Lachenalias are up as well, but no flowers showing yet. I expect something in a month or so.

I'll try and post a few pictures when I have the chance.
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Ali Baba
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Re: Massonias coming into growth

Post by Ali Baba »

Nice to see those Liz, here are my potful of Massonia pustulata seedlings, your small ones should look like this next year! :grin:
As you can see the pustules are very variable and some have reached flowering size.
The seed was kindly given to be by a forum member, and was sown about 3 or 4 years ago I think.
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Aiko
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Re: Massonias coming into growth

Post by Aiko »

Ali Baba wrote: The seed was kindly given to be by a forum member, and was sown about 3 or 4 years ago I think.
You got those from me, by any chance?
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Ali Baba
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Re: Massonias coming into growth

Post by Ali Baba »

No they came from Brian Mc :grin:
I guess by their look that they will turn out to be longipes but I dont mind, to my eye that is a better looking Massonia than pustulata.
By the way I never water any of my Massonias until I see the first shoots emerging.
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Aiko
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Re: Massonias coming into growth

Post by Aiko »

Ali Baba wrote: I guess by their look that they will turn out to be longipes but I dont mind, to my eye that is a better looking Massonia than pustulata.
If you want to go for prettyness, then I think you might like Massonia amoena (the pictures online don't do it justice), a very nice blueishgreen colour and also pustules, but a much smaller compact plant than M. longipes or M. pustulata. My two adiult plants I only redently acquired are busy building their flowers, so I hope to be able to have some seeds available next spring.
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Ali Baba
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Re: Massonias coming into growth

Post by Ali Baba »

Nice :grin: That looks very like my pustulate form of jasminiflora, to my eye at least
Liz M
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Re: Massonias coming into growth

Post by Liz M »

How extraordinary. Brian McDonough gave a talk to our branch this evening. He came to my house for a meal then we went on to the branch meeting. I never thought to point out the Massonias. :twisted:
Obsessive Crassulaceae lover, especially Aeoniums but also grow, Aloes, Agaves, Haworthias and a select number of Cacti.
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Astro
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Re: Massonias coming into growth

Post by Astro »

Some Massonias with buds.

M. pustulata. Seedlings range from purple to green. The one imaged starts out durk purple and graduates to dark green as the season progresses.
M. pustulata purple
M. pustulata purple
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Another M. pustulata, different seed vendor (MG if I recall correctly). Nice mottled purple-green.
M. pustulata varieg
M. pustulata varieg
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M. sp (got it as echinata (coll. Addo)) from ADBLPS seeds. Looks very similar to the 'Massonia sp. Addo' pictured on the Pacific Bulb Society page. They've been bonsaied by having been in the same 4" pot for 3 years now (leaves will grow to cover the pot). The leaves in the center are part of the inflorescence.
M. depressa
M. depressa
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M. depressa from ADBLPS seed (Lemoenpoort). Bit more colorful.
M. depressa varieg
M. depressa varieg
IMG_0322.JPG (122.51 KiB) Viewed 2251 times
M. echinata (Plettenberg, from MG seed) in a 5" or 6" pot, just starting to flatten their leaves.
M. echinata
M. echinata
IMG_0317 (1).JPG (126.73 KiB) Viewed 2251 times
Bonus track, Albuca spiralis or closely related.
Albuca cf spiralis
Albuca cf spiralis
IMG_0321.JPG (153.5 KiB) Viewed 2251 times
Last edited by Astro on Wed Oct 11, 2017 6:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
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