Following the debate with Stewart, I thought "sod it" and tried to
get some seeds of genuine I. nil and/or I. hederacea to play with.
But it appears that they are almost unavailable in the UK. I can
find a few sources of claimed I. nil varieties in Chilterns, but
I have my doubts that they really are (having grown a couple before),
and the Plant Finder comes up essentially blank.

Also, while I have the odd book that refers to I. nil and I. hederacea
as short-lived perennials normally grown as an annual, I can find
very little evidence for that on the Web. I really MUST find out the
Athens password again and do a proper literature search, but I can't
until I do.

There isn't an obvious reference in Cambridge libraries, either, as
the only hit for Ipomoea is charmingly entitled "Wirkungsbesserung
des Herbizids metribuzin gegenueber Ipomoea hereracea und Ipomoea
purpurea in Sojakulturen durch synthetische Synergisten". I read
enough German to know that won't help!

Does anyone actually grow these things? Or know where they can be
obtained from?

What I am interested in seeing (for myself) is whether those species
really do have characteristics intermediate between Convolvulus/
Ipomoea tricolor/purpurea and I. acuminata/learii/indica. For
example, the first group seems to be an obligate annual, never form
even woody stems (let alone a woody rootstock) and never reproduce
by layering. The latter is the precise converse in those respects.
All right, what an annual is in a true, humid tropical context is a
bit moot, but I am taking about places with a definite hostile
season (whether a winter or a dry season).

I have a gut feeling that this is an area where an urban myth has
developed by people simply quoting other people and not checking.
This is far more common in academic circles than most laymen - or
most academics :-( - realise.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In message , Nick Maclaren
writes

Following the debate with Stewart, I thought "sod it" and tried to
get some seeds of genuine I. nil and/or I. hederacea to play with.
But it appears that they are almost unavailable in the UK. I can
find a few sources of claimed I. nil varieties in Chilterns, but
I have my doubts that they really are (having grown a couple before),
and the Plant Finder comes up essentially blank.

Also, while I have the odd book that refers to I. nil and I. hederacea
as short-lived perennials normally grown as an annual, I can find
very little evidence for that on the Web. I really MUST find out the
Athens password again and do a proper literature search, but I can't
until I do.

There isn't an obvious reference in Cambridge libraries, either, as
the only hit for Ipomoea is charmingly entitled "Wirkungsbesserung
des Herbizids metribuzin gegenueber Ipomoea hereracea und Ipomoea
purpurea in Sojakulturen durch synthetische Synergisten". I read
enough German to know that won't help!

Does anyone actually grow these things? Or know where they can be
obtained from?

Seed can be found in botanical garden and university Indices Semina, if
you can convince them that you're a suitable person to supply seed to.

Googling for Seminum and the taxon you're interested in usually finds a
few sources. (Though you can't be sure that seed is correctly identified
or named - I've just noticed one list has both Alcea rosea and Althaea
rosea.)

What I am interested in seeing (for myself) is whether those species
really do have characteristics intermediate between Convolvulus/
Ipomoea tricolor/purpurea and I. acuminata/learii/indica. For
example, the first group seems to be an obligate annual, never form
even woody stems (let alone a woody rootstock) and never reproduce
by layering. The latter is the precise converse in those respects.
All right, what an annual is in a true, humid tropical context is a
bit moot, but I am taking about places with a definite hostile
season (whether a winter or a dry season).

I have a gut feeling that this is an area where an urban myth has
developed by people simply quoting other people and not checking.
This is far more common in academic circles than most laymen - or
most academics :-( - realise.

Such as the tendency to describe Eohippus as fox-terrier sized, as noted
by S.J. Gould.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

In article ,
Stewart Robert Hinsley writes:
|
| Seed can be found in botanical garden and university Indices Semina, if
| you can convince them that you're a suitable person to supply seed to.

Thanks very much. I should probably be able to get some here, if they
grow them.

| Googling for Seminum and the taxon you're interested in usually finds a
| few sources. (Though you can't be sure that seed is correctly identified
| or named - I've just noticed one list has both Alcea rosea and Althaea
| rosea.)

Thanks again! Yes, indeed. I have just found one page that includes
Ipomoea bona-nox Linn. (if Linnaeus called it that, surely it should
still be called that?) and Ipomoea indica.

| I have a gut feeling that this is an area where an urban myth has
| developed by people simply quoting other people and not checking.
| This is far more common in academic circles than most laymen - or
| most academics :-( - realise.
|
| Such as the tendency to describe Eohippus as fox-terrier sized, as noted
| by S.J. Gould.

Indeed. And all of the ones referred to by Rackham. And on and on :-(


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.