Quizz! Can you name this plant?

This plant is a mat forming New Zealand native plant.

Its cousins are well known

It is unique for two reasons

The pollen is blue and the flowers are upright

Please leave a comment and watch this space for the article.

Elegia capensis

This is a tall, dark green, elegant plant with large, decorative, papery sheaths along the stems. For a really good picture of this plant go to

http://www.phytoimages.siu.edu/imgs/paraman1/r/Restionaceae_Elegia_capensis_4000.html

The genus Elegia, belongs to the family Restionaceae. Elegia has 35 species. The name Elegia is presumed to come from the Greek elegeia, a song of lamentation, and may be a reference to the rustling sound of the papery sheaths and bracts in the breeze. The genus is commonly known as the South African Thatching Bush in reference to its usefulness in being used as a roofing thatch.

This plant has many common names including besemriet, bergbamboes,  fonteinriet, Fonteinbush, katstert, kanet, horsetail restio many of which are South African in origin.

This is a very widespread species in or near the mountain ranges of the western, southern and eastern Cape, as far as Port Elizabeth. The plants grow from near sea level to an altitude of 1600 m in fairly poor, sandy soils but always near watercourses, in seepages on mountain slopes or in areas where groundwater is present.

Growing in damp places this clumping, bamboo like, rush like plant sends up stems from the ground which are fluffy green stems usually up to 1.5 metres high but in good places it can grow up to 3 metres high.

These main stems give rise to clusters of fine secondary stems in fluffy masses at the nodes. All the green parts are stems not leaves and it is this part of the plant that has the chlorophyll which converts sunlight water and carbon dioxide into plant nutrients (sugars) for growth. The true leaves look like small brown bracts.

The flowers are small and appear at the end of the green stems. Interestingly the male and female flowers are on different plants and they can look quite different to each other and at one time they were classified as different species that’s how different they looked.

Elegia capensis is really good in the garden as a foliage plant best planted near water, a small stream or pond. As long as the plants have a regular supply of water a well-drained soil and full sun or very light shade, they should do well in a frost-free location.

Traditionally, E. capensis has been used as a broom by binding the sturdy stems with their tufts of foliage to a broomstick. Today it is used as cut foliage and the stems when picked and kept in water will stay fresh for several weeks. The plants produce a new flush of stems every year and deteriorate during the third year when these older stems should be removed.

For a really good picture of this plant go to

http://www.phytoimages.siu.edu/imgs/paraman1/r/Restionaceae_Elegia_capensis_4000.html

Haemanthus

Haemanthus

This is an interesting genus of some 20 species of bulbs belongs to the Amaryllidaceae - the Amaryllus family.

Haemanthus coccineus is a fairly common species and is often available to purchase. 

The flowers appear at the top of a 10-15cm erect solid stalk.  The flowers at the top of the stalk have very small petals and it is the clusters of stamen which make this look like a paint filled paintbrush.  It is unusual and interesting.  The masses of orange red stamen each capped with a yellow pollen sack all surrounded by bright red bracts.  The flowers may vary in colour a little if grown from seed. Records show these colours may vary from bright pink to dark red.

H. coccineus is generally evergreen with wide (up to 15cm) flat dull green leaves growing horizontal to the ground.  The leaves are an attraction on their own.

Haemanthus albiflos is a fairly common species and is often available to purchase. 

The flowers appear at the top of a 10-15cm erect solid stalk.  The flowers at the top of the stalk have very small petals and it is the clusters of stamen which make this look like a paint filled paintbrush. H. albiflos produces masses of white or light green stamen each capped with a yellow pollen sack all surrounded by green bracts. 

H. albiflos is generally evergreen with wide (up to 8cm) hairy leaves. It is the only species that multiplies readily from leaf cutting as well as by division.

If you can get hold of these plants try growing them