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Sydney Rock Lily Dendrobium speciosum
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Posted by aeor nsw (My Page) on Sun, Sep 25, 05 at 0:19
Hi
I have two small clumps of Sydney Rock Lily sitting on crevices in a south facing rock wall behind my house. The area gets dappled shade, but not too much sun. It may actually be a little dark compared with the rest of the garden.
They haven't flowered or grown since I "planted" them last spring. They look exactly the same, so I assume they are still alive. They are surrounded by a mixture of orchid mix and bark chip, as advised by the nursery. I was advised they were pretty hardy, so I haven't done anything except water. Could they be not getting enough water? I think the water drains pretty quickly, as there on a bit of a slope.
Any ideas as to their insouciance? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Sydney Rock Lily Dendrobium speciosum
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| I think they may like a little more sun and warmth than you might be getting from a southern exposure. If they don't produce new growths this summer then I would remove them to another spot. Assuming you don't have rock walls facing other aspects, you could try planting them on a pile of rocks. I doubt that water would be an issue, if you saw some of the dry, baked rock faces they grow on in the wild. |
RE: Sydney Rock Lily Dendrobium speciosum
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| Dendrobiums are orchids, not lilies :) |
RE: Sydney Rock Lily Dendrobium speciosum
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| Whether calling a Dendrobium a lily bothers you depends on your attitude to common names. Should they provide a parallel system of nomenclature to botanical names? Many years ago the Victorian Naturalists decided that all Victorian native plants should have common names according to such a system and came up with a long list, many of which still appear in books but are seldom heard from human lips. People obstinately continue to use the common names they learnt as children. If you value precision you probably use botanical names anyway. And Nathan, how would you define a lily, in terms of modern botanical classifications? |
RE: Sydney Rock Lily Dendrobium speciosum
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- Posted by aeor nsw (My Page) on
Mon, Sep 26, 05 at 5:28
Thanks TonyfromOz for the suggestion of more warmth. Would you believe it ! I walked past a neighbouring street yesterday and saw a huge, I mean huge clump thriving in full sun! many more shoots than mine...
Oh and Nathan guess what, I know they are an orchid, not a lily :). I also belive the name has been changed to Thelychiton speciosus. Not that it means much to me. My only quest is to ensure people recognise what I'm refering to.
thanks again
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RE: Sydney Rock Lily Dendrobium speciosum
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| Tony: point taken. I always use scientific names for that reason. I do think that a parallel system is valuable, as it encourages people to see the connections between species. Lilies have 6 stamens (the ones with pollen), Orchids have 1 or 2. At least, that's what they taught me at school. The best grown speciosum I've seen was parked in the fork of a messmate in full sun. It was monsterous. I vaguely recall from ANOS presentations that they only flower every 5-7 years or so, Lynne thinks that they only flower once on each pseudopod (or was it tentacle?) and only when that is fully mature. So maybe you just have to be patient. |
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