Guy Wrinkle

Do a Google search, more sources will come up

BB,
You should put this question also to the members of TGF. There are quite a lot of knowlegable guys and gals at:
http://thegardenforums.org/viewforum.php?f=10

Jordi

Many of my non-imports are from Guy Wrinkle so I know him well....I have been trying very hard to get him to sell me one of his other species, but he has no extras!!

The main seller in the U.K. does not have anything novel either.

I'm a member on the garden forum as well.....not many Boophane geeks there I am afraid!!

I'm after very rare plants....I have anything in Boophane considered even modestly common and a rare one or two....I need ernesti-ruschii....insanely rare and maybe a couple of others.....I'm in contact with some people in South Africa as well.....ya never know when you'll get lucky.

Thanks for the suggestions :o) Dan

send steve hammer an email, he's a leading authority on mesembs and travels often, he definitely has some friends in rsa, it's worth a shot

sphaeroid@juno.com

Thanks, I sent him an e-mail. I should say that I have tried Simply Indigenous, Cameron McMaster, Sheilam Nursery and am waiting to hear from Obesa in South Africa.....the first 3 do not have anything beyond what I already have. None of the standard sellers of Caudiciforms/Succulents/desert-like plants from that part of the world have any....you guys all know the ones....Rare Succulents, Great Petaluma, etc.

As with any genus, once you get past the common sp. the others are tough to track down....thanks again for the help :o) Dan

Dan,
3-4yrs ago GP Desert brought in some huge bulbs, many species including Boophane but they didn't sell like he was hoping they would. As a result he hasn't imported any since.

Hi Keith, I contacted Jerry, but as you said he does not have any bulb at all anymore....shame, I know they are not for everyone, but none of these sorts of plants are.....you can think of them as a caudex with leaves far more fascinating and a flower more stunning than virtually any caudiciform I've ever seen.....peeling bark (the tunic), wavy large leaves that don't grow as an ugly vine like a Dioscorea or Madagascan Cyphostemma and a massive influorescence.......I'm swooning again :o) Dan

I have one but don't know which species. I received it from the Sam Williams. I think mine has set off an extra bulb, they leave slightly twist. And it is not getting full sun. I hope they sold it to me with a label, I'll go out and look now, Yep it has offsets, and the label reads Booophane /Boophane I sure this is not a special species. The bulb is huge. Norma

Hi Norma, I do not know which species of Boophane produce offsets....I was not aware that any did to be honest, but perhaps ernesti-ruschii does....but this is an extremely rare species.....extremely rare!!! I'd love to see a pic of both the plant and the flower....I can surely get you an ID if you have a pic. The bulbs of some species get massive....up to 12" diameter, although my larges is 8" diameter and that one is B. haemanthoides. Is yours a summer or winter grower?? The only summer grower in the trade is B. disticha....all the rest you can normally acquire are winter growers, although Guy Wrinkle tells me there are some other summer growers out there. Is Sam Williams a retailer?? Please post a pic :o) Dan

Mine is putting on growth now, did you know of Mr. Williams? this bulb came in many years ago from his African trip. The flowers hang down, and flower the same time as my Cotyledon. The are rather large, could direct me to a picture of what you want. I will inquire for you at the Huntington Gardens. If we get lucky perhaps we can find a tiny one. Sam Williams has been dead for the past 5 years I think. However, now that I know what you are looking for I never know what I will come across. I may be going to the San Gabriel Show this next weekend to come, I ask around there, mine is only 6 inches across with two offsets, is there more under the soil line that I don't know about, I probably paid too much for mine, but they do have those wonderful flowers. Do you want me to dig it up to see what I have? Norma

Hi Norma, No, I did not know of Mr. Williams!

I found out that both B. haemanthoides and B. .ernesti-ruschii produce offsets. Gosh no, please do not dig up the plant...sounds happy the way it is!! here is a pic of my large B. haemanthoides:
{{gwi:679989}}
And here is a pic of my B. disticha in flower:
{{gwi:679990}}
I should say that the B. haemanthoides flower looks the same but is yellow rather than pink or red.

I'd love to see a pic of your plant and of course, if you can track down a B. ernesti-ruschii for me I would be forever indebted :o) Dan

Hi Norma, As I suspected, there are no Boophane known with what I would refer to as pendant flowers so I'd love to see a pic of your plant. :o) Dan

Okay, that ruled that out though that is what it is labeld. I do think I have another plant of that family, are the flowers like an old fashioned lather brush that barbers used to use? White flowers, pink, red? Do they goi by a different name, where are they grown, I'll track it down, and now I think I know someone that has these plants, Have you tried Bill Baker or Rogers Weld? Artie Chavez? Petra? Norma

Hi Norma,

I'm afriad that I am not as well-connected as you!!! Jerry Wright (from Caudex above) did give me a name in South Africa and I contacted them and they do have the Boophane sp. 'Port Elizabeth' that I am looking for.....he needs to send pics to confirm, but this is one of the species with very frilly, blue glaucous leaves if he and I are on the same page. If it works out I will import a half-dozen of those and he also has some very rare, super dwarf Brunsvigia that I will get for myself. Obviously, if these are of any interest to you I can get some imported for you as well....just let me know off-line and once I find out the prices, etc. I can let you know :o) Dan

bluebonsai101, was wondering if you could identify a plant for me.its in the bulb forum titled plant id, posted nov. 4 I purchased it a few years ago and lost the tag and this summer it finally bloomed. joe

I think I have several plants that have flowers like you show, but not the leaves. The one that has the leaves have those flowers that hang down. Do you have a picture like the species you want. I am going down to Steven Hammer on the 15th, I will also be going to several other nurseries. I will look for you. No one will give up a plant that size. Has this species changed names recently. Is it African or So. American. I have four books froom African and none from So. America. Norma

Hi Norma, I can tell you that Brunsvigia and Ammocharis both have flowers that look similar to these and the leaves can be quite different. These are all South African or from that part of the continent anyway. If you find anything interesting let me know....always looking for something interesting :o) Dan

Okay I have a few of the common ones, but perhaps Out of Africa may have some, Dan, I'm really looking for you, what they are saying here is if Guy Wrinkle doesn't have them no one will. What about The Plant Man San Diego,
Michael Bruckner, just another lead. Norma

Hi Norma,

OOA does not have any that I do not already have. I have gotten many of mine from Guy Wrinkle. He does not have any of the ernesti-ruschii he is willing to sell. When I visit Long Beach in Feb. for the Biophysics meeting I will stop in to see him and maybe get lucky :o) Dan

Okay I think I have located one, I won't get it until March or April. This person says that they do not offset. Dan he is a friend of mine, and I found him at the Show today. Email mail me please. (By the way there has been a name change, that is why it took me so long to find it. In fact they seem to go by several different names at this time.) Crasulady2@dslextreme.com Norma