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Cypella.

© Gary Buckley

Pat, no sooner had I typed in the discussion that this article due out 26th would cover this member of the poorly described iradaceae, than I remembered our good friend and book writer John Bryan. He covers eight of the Cypella, four in detail; C. herbertii, C. herrerae, C. peruvians,C.plumbea. Both John and Brian Mathew state, and they would be correct, for they keep up, that there are only a small handful now known as Cypella.

As usual with this goodly man, John, how did I forget him; he covers both the reason for the naming and cultivation of them. The name he says comes from the Greek and is a reference to the form of the flower; goblet or cup shaped.

I like what he said, but would kindly differ, and gardening can cause differing views because of climate; this doesn't mean he is wrong. Far from it, for I would always defer to him on growing bulbs within the areas he grows.

The point of difference stems in the planting of mature corms. Within Australia, I would not plant them to a depth of four inches deep. Two inches, maximum suits these fine in warmer climates.

There will be a good reason why he suggests planting deeper, would guess it is to help overcome the cold of USA.

Well that seems to be my pre-amble over with; it does help me focus but.

Cypella as a genus was erected in 1826 to contain certain species of South American plants. They are bulbous,, membranous plants, with flowers which open for but one day.

Cypella were introduced into cultivation in the early 19th century. All of them require a warm, sunny spot to grow in. The growing medium needs to be a rich, preferably fluffy sandy medium, which has exquisite drainage. From seed planted in Spring to even early summer, they will reward you with flowering perhaps in the end of the second season, but generally at the end of their third growing season.

John describes the bulbs as tunicated.

Common in cultivation and seen here in most nurseries is Cypella herbertii and C. plumbea. These are summer growers, dying down somewhat here in winter. In really cold regions, they go completely dormant.

For the record, my all time favourite cypella is C. hauthalii ssp opalina. Which Clive Innes places in Herbertia hauthalii. Flowering here always after, and you can set your clocks by it; once my favourite cypella begins to bloom, four weeks later, it's close cousin begins to flower also, Herbertia lahue,

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