spanish giant!!

Hello Malcolm and welcome to GC!

I am very intriqued by your lovely shrub and quite fancy one myself. The flowers remind me of some of our wild orchids here.

I am only three hours from Seville and am thinking that perhaps it is a houseplant ... I have many houseplants in my garden.

In the meantime, I will go through my Med books and see if I can come up with anything.

Enjoy the forum.

 

my first thought was orchid LoL..Whatever it is its Lovely..

 

The flowers are similar to a wild orchid - but don't think the leaves are - I think this serves me right for bringing a cutting home from holiday!! Do orchids grow this big??

 

I've not relly narrowed it down but I think we maybe in this family, I 'm pretty sure its not an orchid.
http://montana.plant-life.org/families/Scrophulariaceae.htm

 

Malcolm, the flowers look very orchid-like to me as well. Give www.orchids.uk.com a visit and see what they have to say.

 

I am sending another photo - you can see the leaves and growing habit better - the flowers have only 2 stamens which are tucked inside the top petal when it first opens - the leaves do not seem like an orchid leaf and it is very big - shrublike for one.

 

The stamen position is for dumping pollen onto visiting bees but that doesn't help with the ID, it definitely has an exotic look. I presume it is growing inside and not hardy.

 

Malcolm, I think you need to send me the location of where you "appropriated" this cutting from so I can go along and do likewise and perhaps we'd have a better chance of deciphering what it is. :rolleyes:

I still think it may be a houseplant ... can you remember the scenario of how the plant was located? I would think if it was in a garden in Seville it would be protected from cold elements.

Can you also tell us how large the "mother" plant was? A plant? ... a shrub? ... a tree? Silly to say, but all these little silly things may help us identify.

Come on ... help us out ...

 

To Strongylogan - yes it is in my conservatory - the lowest temp this winter was 6 deg - it has not has a dormant period - and started flowering around Christmastime - the flowers were a long time forming before the first one opened.

To Lady of Leisure - The cutting was taken just after New Year as we were in Spain for the New Year - we stayed in a lovely place called Castello de Robaldo(think thats how it was spelt) north of sevilla, near Aracena in beautiful countryside with lots of beautiful walks.On the last day we travelled to Sevilla and went inside the Alkazar and it's gardens - the cutting was taken as we walked around the outdide walls when we came out- the gardens are beautiful - I would like to go back in the summer but it was lovely and quiet - not too touristy at that time of year - that's why I think it is a special plant. I think it was a large shrub - but can't remember much more - but don't remember any flowers.

 

Hi Malcolm. I hadn't realised you had been in touch with Robin. - I have just sent him a copy of your pictures!

 

Just probably a silly thought I've had about this ...

... could it be one of the large-leafed Gingers ... the Hedychiums thingys?

 

Good thought but I'm sure it isn't as the growing habit is all wrong - also it has a mormal root system and not growing from a rhizome.

 

Hows about this,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justicia_adhatoda

 

Bingo - fantastic Pete - I don't know how you found it but thankyou very very much!!! I have found the Justica family in my RHS book - so it is related to the house plant known as Shrimp plant - really grateful - thanks aghain.

 

Well done once again Pete.