Discover Top Posts Tagged with #phygelius capensis

15 to 21 October 2018

I returned to work this week. Nell let me do office work Monday through Wednesday, which was just what I needed. I am finally on the mend. I feel I made some good progress on outstanding database work.

There wasn’t a medicinal plant this week. I pulled together this week’s plant ident, autumnal interest:

Celastraceae Euonymus alatus

Cornaceae Nyssa sylvatica

Lamiaceae Callicarpa japonica

Leguminosae Senna corymbosa

Lythraceae Punica granatum

Pinaceae Pseudolarix amabilis

Rosaceae Amelanchier canadensis

Rosaceae Eriolobus trilobatus

Rosaceae Rosa brunonii

Vitaceae Vitis coignetiae

Mike, who works at Kew, gave us a very interesting talk Tuesday afternoon all about Welwitschia. They play an interesting roll in plant evolution. Here is a photo of a male cone in our collection:

Wednesday was quite damp and misty all day. There were lots of beautiful spider webs around the garden, glistening with water droplets.

Thursday, I spent the day mowing; it was a good first outdoor assignment since I was still recovering from a nasty cold. Friday we started moving plants indoors for the winter. We move or protect around 200 individual plants each winter. I am working this weekend, then not again until December. It is a cool and quiet weekend.

We finally hired someone to fill the one last vacant post, Propagation Manager. It will be very nice to be operating with a full staff before the end of the year.

Tuesday Susyn will make her monthly visit to the garden and Wednesday I will go to Casa Luciano for my annual olive harvest. It is always a great working holiday.

Plant of the week

Scrophulariaceae Phygelius capensis E. Mey. ex Benth.

common name(s) - cape figwort, cape fuchsia, Kaapse rivierklokkie (Afrikaanse) synonym(s) - none found conservation rating - none native to - Lesotho, South Africa location - South Africa east, accession 1980-0032 leaves - triangular-ovate flowers - nodding, tubular, bright orange-red, 30mm in length in large open terminal panicles habit - a vigorous semi-evergreen small shrub to 1.5m tall and wide habitat - riverine pests - capsid bug disease - generally disease-free hardiness - to -10ºC (H4) soil - moist and well-drained, wet and damp areas as well as normal garden conditions sun - full sun, sheltered propagation - seed sown in containers in a cold frame in spring or softwood cuttings in late spring; suckers may be detached and rooted in spring pruning - cut back to base in late spring nomenclature - Scrophulariaceae - from the idea that it cured Scrofula (the term used for lymphadenopathy of the neck, usually as a result of an infection in the lymph nodes, known as lymphadenitis); Phygelius - flight or refuge from the sun; capensis - of or from the cape NB - This genus has two species, Phygelius capensis and P. aequalis, the main difference being P. capensis has flowers evenly spaced around the stem, whereas P. aequalis has flowers hanging to one side. Medicines made with Ledebouria cooperi and P. capensis are used to inebriate boys during initiation ceremonies. Because of this, P. capensis is considered to have ritual qualities.

#Phygelius capensis #Welwitschia mirabilis