Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Tulip gentian, Eustoma gandiflorum, now in Kuala Lumpur



Here goes! My first attempt to put a picture in my blog, following the advice of Autumn Belle.

This plant appeared in a nursery in Sg Buloh last month. The flower looks like a rose but the leaves are simple and opposite. After searching in the botanical literature I narrowed the options down to the family Gentianaceae. Sure enough it turned out to be the 'tulip gentian' a species ranging from Southern USA to the northern part of S. America. It should thrive in Malaysia. The flowers come in a range of colours.

13 comments:

Dr Francis Ng said...

OOPs wrong spelling. It should be Eustoma grandiflorum

greensman said...

If you come across two names for the same plant, how does one establish which is the correct name to use?

Dr Francis Ng said...

To establish the correct name, the simplest way is to search the World Wide Web using the names of the plants. Among the items that will be displayed, one or two will indicate which is the correct name if a plant has more than one name.

A plant taxonomist (a person who deals with the naming and classification of plants)would have many other resources, including knowledge of the international rules governing plant names, access to a good taxonomic library, and a network of professional associates.

My experience is that the Web is good enough. Anybody brave enough to give an opinion on names is usually qualified to do so.

Experts may disagree on the need to change a name. I personally think many name changes have not been necessary, In such cases, I stick with the older established names.

greensman said...

Thanks for the clarification

Ranunculus said...

Dr. Ng,

That's a beautiful flower and you look very fatherly on your first blog picture.
I may search the internet for seeds of this plant. I love roses, and it looks quite similar with beautiful foliage. Hopefully would find some seeds.
Thanks very much for your terra preta, I have started mixing crushed charcoal in all my pot plants. My two grapevines thrived well and grew more than 4 feets in 2 months from 6 inch stock in a 6" pot! Soon I have to re-pot them, they stopped growing, probably no space for the roots or they missed my presence!

Autumn Belle said...

Dr Ng, Congratulations! You have successfully posted a beautiful and unique rose picture. Now, I am sure there will be more to come.

Stephanie said...

Hello Dr Francis!

It's great to know of your blog through Autumnbelle's blog today.
My in-laws in Ipoh were so fascinated by this plant. All of them now has at least one of this plant. It has been about two months. I was told that when it rains, it needs to be taken to shelter as the flower would be spoilt by the rainfall. Their plants has grown much taller (now I know even the hot weather in Ipoh is suitable for this plant!). But they would like to know how to take care of this plant properly. The plants grew much taller now. Could they prune the plant shorter? Then, could the plant be propagated using its stems? I read that Lisianthus is propagated by seeds only. Would the plant dieback? So, I am not sure. Looking forward to hear from you.

Dr Francis Ng said...

From information on the Internet, Eustoma grandiflorum behaves as an annual in temperate gardens. In the tropics, the life of annuals can usually be prolonged by pruning back the flowered shoots. New shoots will develop from below if the plant is strong. Eventually the plant may weaken and fade away. Cup-shaped flowers facing upwards do get their flowers damaged by rain. As for cuttings, my first attempts have failed but I will try again.

Andrea said...

Hi Dr Ng, i am very happy to be led to your site by Autumn Belle. I have plants from Malaysia, which i don't know but usually she and Jacq (also found from her site) led me to proper identification. It seems quite a shame because i am a Horticulturist (Postharvest Physiology) asking help from enthusiasts more knowledgeable than i am. But of course i dont seem to forget my basics.

You are a very learned and experienced person and your blogsite will surely be of very great help for us. Thank you very much.

Stephanie said...

Thank you Dr Francis for the good information!

Greeniris said...

Hello Dr Ng,
I think you should add more pictures to your earlier posts ( edit back ), so that all your blog readers can share your experience and knowledge better. Thanks

Casey said...

Hi Dr. Francis,

Well done for the first picture. I know you have a huge collection of pictures. Thus, I am looking forward for more.

Andrea,

Dr. Francis is not only an "enthusiast", but in my books, he is the father of botany in Malaysia, possibly Southeast Asia. The man is practically a walking encyclopedia of tropical plants ... but he is usually too humble to agree.

Andrea said...

Please forgive us Dr Ng for using this comment portion to post our replies.

Hi Casey, i was referring to Autumn Belle and Jacqueline as the plant enthusiasts, but i know from Dr Ng's posts and profile that he is an authority in botany, plants, landscaping, ornamentals, etc, etc. I agree with you. He is a pride of Malaysia and Asia as well, and of course the world!

Am glad to meet you Casey, i will be browsing on your blog, and hope you can look at mine too. regards