Ferraria uncinata

I have a Ferraria about to flower, which I received from my friend as dormant corms stated to be Ferraria uncinata—they were very dormant with corms like devil's toenails (light brown, flattish, thick and solid) and required three seasons of hot water watering and hot over-boiler conditions to get really underway - two or three the first season, a few more the second then the majority the third, but now seem to need less direct heat. Some of these don't seem to dry off and become dormant now. I keep them most of the year in a greenhouse which as at min 10°C in winter. So I am quite excited to see what comes out.

The young and non-flowering leaves are thin spear-shaped with longitudinal striation; the flower-stem leaves become flatter and wider; the flower buds are enclosed in pale green leaf-pods shaped like lobster-claws. I'll send photos when the first flower comes out and also report on the smell, as I understand that many Ferraria are malodorous.  I might have to move it from my office if that's the case!

Height approx. 35 cm. Flower photos will follow fairly soon. I'll see if I can get corm photos when I repot.

Colour - stamens pale violet brown on first opening, becoming more violet with age petals, sky blue fading into lime green, opening curled with crinkled edges and tips, getting flatter, then reflexing after a few hours flower size approx 3.5-4 cm.

This may not be uncinata: seems more like the F framesii on the site, I think - let's see what responses there are to identification. NB no smell (though I have got a slight blocked up nose, doesn't seem either rank or sweet.)

Mr Meredith Lloyd-Evans, (Feb 15, 2005)
Managing Director, BioBridge Ltd
45 St Barnabas Road, Cambridge CB1 2BX UK