The MGS Forum
Miscellaneous => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: John J on December 08, 2018, 10:33:04 AM
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Some of you may already know that I have a 'thing' for Cyprus endemics, many of which are threatened and on the Endangered List.
Currently we have 8 in our possession with seeds of another 12 having been sown recently and results are eagerly awaited.
We have:-
Arum sintenisii - first recorded in 1880 and known from very few locations. Classification - Vulnerable.
Centaurea akamantis - first recorded as recently as the 1980s and known from only 2, neighbouring, locations. Classification - Endangered.
Cyclamen cyprium - National Flower of Cyprus and fairly common in the Troodos and Pentadaktylos Ranges.
Euphorbia veneris - fairly common in the Troodos Range.
Bosea cypria - Fairly common and widespread. One of only 3 species in the genus.
Sideritis cypria - restricted to the Pentadaktylos Range and recorded in just 7 locations. Classified - Endangered.
Brassica hilarionis - restricted to the western Pentadaktylos Range and recorded in just 7 locations. Classification - Endangered.
Salvia willeana - restricted to the Troodos Range where it is fairly common.
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That Centaurea is lovely, John. Is there any programme to get it propagated more widely for ex situ conservation?
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Around 12 years ago it was one of 6 endemics that the Agricultural Research Institute were trialing to assess for garden suitability, that's where I got mine from. I'm not sure what the final outcome of the trial was but it is possible from time to time to find plants although they are not readily available.
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Apparently I should technically be removing the Arum sintenisii from this thread as it has been reclassified as near endemic following it being recorded as growing in Turkey also.
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My Brassica hilarionis is beginning to flower.
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When we met in Italy last year John you gave me, amongst other things, a tiny plant that I am sure you said was a Cyprus endemic. Unfortunately I have lost its name but am happy to report that the plant is thriving. It is a very narrow stemmed climbing plant with an almost corkscrew habit.....difficult to describe! Anyway it has settled very happily and growing away strongly this spring.
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The plant you mention is classed as a semi-endemic as it can also be found in the south of Turkey. It's Cyprinia gracilis and we also gave one to David in Rome who reported on the Forum that it was growing. I'm glad to hear that yours has settled in too.
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Sad to say but mine died over the autumn, John. I was undecided as to where to put it and so left it in a pot. If Umbrian's produces seed, I will try to get another plant going for next year. The Sideritis cypria seeds you sent me have started to germinate, 4 so far, so I am looking forward to those in the garden later this year. Many thanks as always :-)
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At the beginning of the year we were given a number of seeds by the Forester at the Troodos Botanical Garden to trial, among them several endemics. One of them, Dianthus strictus subsp troodi has flowered.
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Very pretty and unusual - but easy to miss in the wild I would think...,
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A rather sad story about the Cyprinia gracilis that you gave to me in the spring John during the MGS group visit to Italy.
I planted it quite close to one of the uprights of a small pergola I had recently installed - the main plant being Clematis 'Duchess of Albany' - one of my favourites that I knew I would be monitoring carefully and hence also the Cyprinia that might otherwise be overlooked. The Clematis grew away strongly but the Cyprinia remained healthy looking but small. I have to admit that during the summer I quite forgot about it despite frequently admiring the flowers being produced at intervals on the Clematis.
Yesterday I was tackling the pruning of a very vigorous Rosa
Zephirine Drouhin , planted in a narrow border close to the pergola and whose long reaching branches are covering its top.
Having cut out one old stem at the base to encourage younger ones either side, I was horrified to find the last several feet of the stem covered with what I at first took to be a small leaved
convolvulus. On investigation I suddenly realised it was the long forgotten Cyprinia that had obviously found its feet and made huge efforts to reach daylight through the ever burgeoning canopy around it.....sadly when I found the base of the plant the tiny stem just came away in my hand. A sad story but one I felt you might be interested to hear 🤔
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That's a shame Carole. I obviously chose a poor location for the one I planted in my own garden as it has, like yours did initially, survived but not grown on. We keep hoping it will one day decide to surprise us and take off. One I gave to an enthusiast friend here has, he tells me, grown like wildfire. Oh well! some you win, some you lose.
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Al;though the Arum sintenisii is no longer classified as a Cyprus endemic it is still considered to be Rare and Vulnerable. I am pleased to say that we have been successful in propagating it and have several bunches in areas around our property. As I walked out this morning I was pleased to see that the first flowers of the year are starting to appear.
Oron, if you see this I haven't forgotten what I said about this plant and next month!
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Some of you may already know that I have a 'thing' for Cyprus endemics, many of which are threatened and on the Endangered List.
Currently we have 8 in our possession with seeds of another 12 having been sown recently and results are eagerly awaited.
We have:-
Arum sintenisii - first recorded in 1880 and known from very few locations. Classification - Vulnerable.
Centaurea akamantis - first recorded as recently as the 1980s and known from only 2, neighbouring, locations. Classification - Endangered.
Cyclamen cyprium - National Flower of Cyprus and fairly common in the Troodos and Pentadaktylos Ranges.
Euphorbia veneris - fairly common in the Troodos Range.
Bosea cypria - Fairly common and widespread. One of only 3 species in the genus.
Sideritis cypria - restricted to the Pentadaktylos Range and recorded in just 7 locations. Classified - Endangered.
Brassica hilarionis - restricted to the western Pentadaktylos Range and recorded in just 7 locations. Classification - Endangered.
Salvia willeana - restricted to the Troodos Range where it is fairly common.
Thank you John, I shall be looking here more often now, and enjoying the Cyprus endemics when I am out and about. Lilian, Cyprus xx
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Miracles do happen John- yesterday I found a short piece of new growth of Cyprinia gracilis .......shall monitor it with care.......🤞
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Does that mean that Oron now has his Arum sintenisii and I don’t have to keep one on hand for him in case he turns up demanding it? I can't imagine how this got rare. It’s prolific.
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Yes, I took 2 to Jordan for him if they survived the trip. You're right the ones I have planted around the garden have really taken off and are much larger than the original plant that I took them from. They seem to have a much harder time in the wild.
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Last year we were fortunate enough to acquire a specimen of the Cretan endemic Petromarula pinnata. Unfortunately towards the end of the year slugs demolished it overnight, leaves, stems, everything. A couple of weeks ago however we were amazed and delighted to see that it had reappeared from nowhere. Hopefully the stones around it now will be a deterrent for the slugs and we'll keep a closer eye on it.
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Petromarula pinnata is a plant that I tried to grow from seed a couple of years ago. Masses of them germinated for me bit it was the year when we had several severe swings in temperature and I didn't get any past the seedling stage. They look beautiful in the photos that I have seen of them. It seems they are quite capable of growing in crevices on bare rock faces. Good luck with it.
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Although the Arum sintenisii is no longer classed as an endemic, having been recorded in Southern Turkey, I'm still posting the photos of the first flower of the year here.
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Hi John
No sign of the ones you kindly sent poking through yet. I'll have a more thorough check when it stops raining. Yet again!
Having said that, here in Rome I have nothing like the profusion of flowers you guys are posting. Some salvias still in flower. S. guaranitica 'Costa Rica Blue' in particular (a couple of cuttings of those in the pack I recently sent you - hope they survive the journey).
Maddeningly, Pseudogynoxys chenopodioide is trying to flower but with little success. I don't understand it. You post photos with its flowers in your May wreaths, The plant I took the cutting from in my neighbourhood several years ago flowered from late spring to early winter. Mine? Nothing all year and then a last minute burst in late autumn. The same story every year :'(