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Dracunculus

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John

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Dracunculus
« on: February 02, 2013, 12:30:59 AM »
Here's a picture which I took just after we left Iraklion airport on our visit to Crete last April. It is quite a typically coloured for of Dracunculus vulgaris which is incredibly widespread on Crete. I am working on this genus of two or maybe three species including the other obvious one Dracunculus canariensis and another with twice their chromosomes Helicodiceros muscivorous syn. Dracunculus m.
Back to D. vulgaris. Regarding its distribution. I know that it occurs in Italy but has anyone got observations of it there where it may have been originally introduced or is it native?
To the east I have seen it from our speeding bus in a huge colony near Antalya in SW Turkey. The flora of Turkey maps it around here but no further east. It also seems to be scattered up the western edge of Turkey near to the Aegean. Has anyone got observations of it from Turkey and any further east?
It appear not to have been recorded from Cyprus?
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John
Horticulturist, photographer, author, garden designer and plant breeder; MGS member and RHS committee member. I garden at home in SW London and also at work in South London.
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oron peri

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Re: Dracunculus
« Reply #1 on: February 02, 2013, 07:19:56 AM »
John,

D. vulgaris was never recorded in Cyprus, it doesnt reach this area not even in Syria or Lebanon.
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Garden Designer, Bulb man, Botanical tours guide.
Living and gardening in Tivon, Lower Galilee region, North Israel.
Min temp 5c Max 42c, around 450mm rain.

Joanna Savage

  • Sr. Member
Re: Dracunculus
« Reply #2 on: February 02, 2013, 08:41:37 AM »
John, I have a Dracunculus growing here in Toscana. It derives from seed brought from Halkidiki. The cold winter isn't a problem. Both there and here it grows in extremely well drained conditions.
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MikeHardman

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Re: Dracunculus
« Reply #3 on: February 04, 2013, 07:00:05 AM »
John, I confirm Dranunculus not being in Cyprus - it is not in Meikle (who does mention some introduced plants), not in http://www.flora-of-cyprus.eu, and I have not come across any in the wild or gardens.
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Mike
Geologist by Uni training, IT consultant, Referee for Viola for Botanical Society of the British Isles, commissioned author and photographer on Viola for RHS (Enc. of Perennials, The Garden, The Plantsman).
I garden near Polis, Cyprus, 100m alt., on marl, but have gardened mainly in S.England
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John

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Re: Dracunculus
« Reply #4 on: March 24, 2013, 11:23:34 AM »
Hi all, I have just seen your replies as they didn't show up in my in box. Thanks for this and if anyone else has any comments please let me know. Has anyone had experience of unusual forms such as the white ones on Crete? Or dwarfs?
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John
Horticulturist, photographer, author, garden designer and plant breeder; MGS member and RHS committee member. I garden at home in SW London and also at work in South London.

Jamus

  • Jr. Member
Re: Dracunculus
« Reply #5 on: July 18, 2013, 10:13:23 PM »

I have Dracunculus vulgaris here which I bought with me from the old garden when we moved. It has rewarded me with flowers every year despite being exhumed and moved several times. I just love peoples reaction when they get close to the flowers for the first time. Is that sadistic of me?  ;D
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Long hot summers, mild wet winters. Rainfall approx. 600mm pa.
Summer maximums over 40 degrees, winter minimums occasionally below freezing.
Gardening on neutral clay loam and sandy loam.
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John

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Re: Dracunculus
« Reply #6 on: July 18, 2013, 11:03:48 PM »
Yes it is. But they are so amazing.
They do move very easily when dormant as they completely replace their old tuber each season so they come out without roots just a dormant tuber.
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John
Horticulturist, photographer, author, garden designer and plant breeder; MGS member and RHS committee member. I garden at home in SW London and also at work in South London.

Jamus

  • Jr. Member
Re: Dracunculus
« Reply #7 on: July 18, 2013, 11:39:00 PM »
Now that I didn't realise! Amazing... I was worried last summer because when the plant died down there were these cavernous holes in the ground and slugs crawled in there...  :o  I fished out the slugs and filled in the holes with soil. They are up and growing now and looking really good so I was worried about nothing.
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Long hot summers, mild wet winters. Rainfall approx. 600mm pa.
Summer maximums over 40 degrees, winter minimums occasionally below freezing.
Gardening on neutral clay loam and sandy loam.

Trevor Australis

  • Sr. Member
Re: Dracunculus
« Reply #8 on: July 22, 2013, 02:57:33 AM »
How I'd love to grow the white flowered form with the (almost) black spadix. It looks superb tho' I'm told it still stinks.
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M Land. Arch., B. Sp. Ed. Teacher, traveller and usually climate compatible.
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John

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Re: Dracunculus
« Reply #9 on: July 22, 2013, 07:45:16 AM »
The white form should be well established in cultivation now as I introduced a quantity of seed about 10 years ago. At the time it was on the "pink" sheet of the NCCPG (now Plant Heritage) as either endangered or lost to cultivation though I believe there were always a few in some collections, e.g. Harry Hay's. It does hybridise freely with the dark form and probably would need keeping seperate if you want to produce your own seed.
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John
Horticulturist, photographer, author, garden designer and plant breeder; MGS member and RHS committee member. I garden at home in SW London and also at work in South London.
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Alisdair

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Re: Arum idaeum
« Reply #10 on: July 23, 2013, 06:57:51 PM »
I've moved Trevor's question about this, with John's helpful answer, to the Arum thread.
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Alisdair Aird
Gardens in SE England (Sussex); also coastal Southern Greece, and (in a very small way) South West France; MGS member (and former president); vice chairman RHS Lily Group, past chairman Cyclamen Society
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