2013Nov291385684453IRG47November2013

International Rock Gardener 

ISSN 2053-7557 

Number 47 The Scottish Rock Garden Club November 2013

---International Rock Gardener--- 

November 2013 

As most gardeners know, taxonomic changes can be fraught with controversy, for any 

number of reasons! Take for instance the name of the beautiful endemic gesneriad from 

Mount Olympus, Jankaea heldreichii – still ‘unresolved’ in the Kew Plant List. In 1993 a 

paper by Christian Feuillet detailed the need to change the names of various Jankaea 

hybrids to comply with the Jancaea name. Z.Z. writes: “We Czechs do not like the 

deformation of the good name Jankaea to Jancaea, because the honoured Hungarian 

botanist had the name Janka and not Janca.” A search around the internet will show that 

many others also prefer this form – including Josef Halda, who described several such 

hybrids, some of which are among plants from the Gesneriaceae featured this month. 

Cover: Ramonda nathaliae on limestone south of Skoplje in Macedonia, picture by Z.Z. 

---Plant Portraits--- 

Two New Intergeneric Hybrids in the Family Gesneriaceae by Josef.J.Halda, drawings 

by Jarmila Haldová, pictures by Z.Z. (From Acta Mus. Richnoviensis (Sect. natur.), 19(3–4): 49-54) 

In the spring of 1973 I received from the Geneva-based Aymon Correvon* a plant named Jankaea 

vandedemii, resembling Jankaea heldreichii with almost globose leaves, which later bloomed with 

lavender blue flowers, though only shallowly campanulate ones. In response to my question on the 

origin of the plant he answered that he got it from Mr. Vandedem, Holland, who is supposedly also the 

author of this hybrid, the parents of which are the Greek Jankaea heldreichii as the mother plant and the 

father is the Pyrenean Ramonda myconii. Due to the fact that it was an intergeneric hybrid I have later 

described it as Jankaemonda x vandedemii Halda (Halda 1979). This hybrid has shown itself as a fairly 

easy plant. This plant can be propagated by divisions as well as leaf cuttings any time during a period of 

growth. Aymon Correvon later gave me a true Jankaea heldreichii, Conandron ramondioides and 

Corallodiscus lanuginosus and so I could begin experimenting with further hybridisation. 

The other Balkan species such as Haberlea rhodopensis or Ramonda nathaliae and R. serbica are 

frequently cultivated. I did cross all of these species in different combinations and made many seedlings 

from which bloomed four plants, later described as four bigeneric hybrids – Jankaeberlea x panayotii 

Halda (Jankaea heldreichii x Haberlea rhodopensis), Jankaendron x stevensiae Halda (Jankaea 

heldreichii x Conandron ramondioides), Jankaessandra x bluemelii [Coracaea x blumelii (Halda) Feuillet 

in Taxon 42(1):106 (1993)] – hybrid Jankaea heldreichii x Coralodiscus lanuginosus and fourth 

Ramberlea x kistlerae Halda, hybrid Ramonda myconii x Haberlea rhodopensis [Preslia 61(2):125 

(1989)]. All of the others, numbering several hundred seedlings, died. 

Right: A Greek postage stamp which 

features Jankaea heldreichii, an endemic 

plant of Mt. Olympus. 

Left: Book cover of Aymon Correvon’s 

‘Rocailles fleuries’ 

* Ed.: Aymon Correvon, was the son of 

Henry Correvon, both are known for their 

books on alpine plants and Aymon is 

commemorated by the naming of several 

plant cultivars such as a Sempervivum 

and a Daphne. 

www.srgc.net ISSN 2053-7557


Above: Jankaea heldreichii photo by Kirsten Andersen, Denmark. 

Left: 

Jankaemonda 

x vandedemii, 

drawing by 

Jarmila 

Haldová. 

Far left: 

Ramonda 

myconii photo 

by Z.Z. 



Above: 1- Ramonda serbica, 2- R. nathaliae, 3- R. myconii, 4-Jankaea heldreichii, 5- Haberlea 

rhodopensis, 6- Corallodiscus lanuginosus, 7- Conandron ramondioides. 

Right: Jankaemonda x stibicii ´Jaromír Stibic´ 

More recently we can observe in gardens new hybrids 

of Jankaea heldreichii and Balkan Ramondas: since 

Jankaea is often cultivated in the vicinity of Ramonda, 

many self-made 

hybrids have 

appeared. Which of 

the two is the motherplant 

is significant 

because the hybrids 

resemble the mother. 

Early in the nineteennineties, 

Jaromír 

Stibic from Pardubice, 

intensively crossed 

Jankaea heldreichii 

with Ramonda 

nathaliae (left) in his 

garden, the result of 

which were several plants where the mother plant was 

Jankaea. Only one of them has persisted in cultivation; 

the cultivar known as ´Jaromír Stibic´. However, this 

combination is not identical with Jankaemonda x 

vandedemii and is henceforward described as Jankaemonda x stibicii. 



Jankaemonda x stibicii Halda hybr. nova. [Jankaea heldreichii Boiss. x Ramonda nathaliae Pančič & Petrovič] 

Plant intermediate between both parents, evergreen, rosulate, compact; all leaves basal, elliptic or subspatulate, 

entire rugose, multinervous, more or less succulent, circa 15-30mm wide, 30-80mm long, upper surface 

adpressed ± white lanate, lower surface and base very shortly, brownish hairy. Scape erect or curved erect, circa 

100mm tall, 1-3 flowered, glandulose. Calyx shortly campanulate, 4-5 lobed. Corolla subcampanulate or 

subrotate, lilac 4-5 lobed, 20-30mm across. Stamens mostly 5, filaments very short. Capsule septicidal, 10-15mm 

long. [Halda’s description of the plant in English.] 

HOLOTYPUS HIC DESIGNATUS: PR 774462; planta in horto in Sedloňov culta; leg. J. J. Halda, 2. 6. 2011. 

Left: Ramonda serbica 

Below: Jankaemonda x jurasekii ‘Rudi’ 

The second unknown hybrid is Jankaemonda x jurasekii, a hybrid of Jankaea heldreichii x Ramonda 

serbica. This hybrid has appeared independently in several Czech gardens at the turn of the last 

century. In each case these were self-hybrids originating in the vicinity of parents growing side by side, 

always resembling the mother-plant whether it was Jankaea or Ramonda. 

Jankaemonda x jurasekii Halda hybr. nova. [Jankaea heldreichii Boiss. x Ramonda serbica Pančič] 

Plant intermediate between both parents, evergreen, rosulate, compact; all leaves basal, elliptic or subspatulate, 

entire rugose, multinervous, more or less suculent, circa 15-40mm wide, 30-100mm long, upper surface 

adpressed ± white lanate, lower surface and base very shortly, rusty hairy. Scape erect or curved erect, circa 

100-200mm tall, 1-3 (5) flowered glandulose. Calyx shortly campanulate, 5 lobed. Corolla subcampanulate or 

subrotate, lilac 5 lobed, 18-30mm across. Stamens mostly 5, filaments very short. Capsule septicidal, 10-15mm 

long. [Halda’s description of the plant in English.] 

In cultivation, all the hybrids mentioned are much easier than the parents and make good ornamental 

plants.They can easily grow in our gardens in much the same conditions as Haberlea or Ramonda J.H. 

Literature cited: 

Feuillet C. (1993): Coracea Feuillet – a new proposed name for Jankaessandra Halda. – Taxon, 42(1): 106. 

Halda J. (1979): Dva nové mezirodové křížence v čeledi Gesneriaceae (Two new intergeneric hybrids in the 

family Gesneriaceae). – Preslia, 51: 375-376. 

Halda J. (1989): A new intergeneric hybrid in the family Gesneriaceae. – Preslia, 61(2): 125-127. 



--- Mountains in the Gardens --- 

Ed.: More on plants from the family Gesneriaceae, in an adapted article originally published in ‘The Rock Garden’ 

No.43 September 1968 which shows how these plants have continued in popularity for some time. 

Recently there has been a boost to the family by a great rise in interest in Petrocosmea spp., Chinese members 

of this family, but most of those are not suitable for growing in the open garden for most of us, so we do not 

concern ourselves with them here, even though they are often seen on the UK show benches. 

Gesneriaceous Plants at Keillour (in the 1960s) by W. G. Knox Finlay, F.L.S. 

Named many years ago in honour of the famous Swiss botanist, Conrad Gesner of Zurich (1516-1565) 

this large family of beautiful plants is well known to most gardeners. 

It is widely distributed throughout the warmer and more humid 

countries of the world, especially in South America where many 

genera are to be found. Over fifty species of one genus alone are 

located in Brazil, which gives a fair indication of their degree of 

hardiness. 

Luckily for us there are a few genera, outliers as it were, found in other 

less tropical countries, as well as Europe; it is of these I am now 

writing and, in particular, the few that we cultivate at Keillour. Here 

they must be hardy enough to put up with our unpredictable climate 

and far from ideal conditions and be able to exist outside with little or 

no protection. We do not grow plants to maturity in pots or pans. 

There is only one part of our garden suitable and acceptable to these 

plants and that is the top part of the deep east gorge. This is a steep narrow gully down which a path 

leads, between rocky cliffs, to a burn running down to the large waterfall. The whole area is shaded by 

large coniferous trees. Most of our plants are growing on ledges, natural and man-made, on the northfacing 

whinstone cliff of which a large portion is "rotten rock" crumbling into very coarse sand that 

seems to encourage rooting and retain moisture. Leaf mould, compost, peat and a little bone meal are 

added to this detritus. As there are no special areas exclusively occupied by any one genus I propose to 

deal with the plants in alphabetical order; most of them flower, if not very freely, every year. 

Above left: Asteranthera ovata - Drawings by Miss Rosemary Smith of the RBGE from the 1968 article. 

Above right: Asteranthera ovata pictured in the SRGC forum from his Edinburgh garden by Graham 

Catlow, where it flowers rather well as it grows along an old tree trunk. 



Asteranthera ovata is not generally considered to be hardy out of doors 

except in the more sheltered gardens, but we received this species about 

ten years ago and since that time it has been grown outside. It is an 

evergreen shrublet with a creeping habit, rooting as it spreads, and at 

Keillour it is to be seen hanging over a mossy rock proving that, provided 

the site is suitable, it can be encouraged to grow in the open even in Central Scotland. I very much 

regret to report, however, that it has not as yet produced any of its lovely large, rich red, funnel-shaped 

flowers. These are borne in pairs and each flower may measure as much as one inch across. 

Asteranthera ovata is native to Chile, where it grows as an epiphyte in the permanent shade of dense 

evergreens. 

Haberlea is a genus containing two species, closely related to Ramonda, but with tubular five-lobed 

flowers. Haberlea ferdinandi-coburgii was introduced after H. rhodopensis and is said to differ from 

that species in being larger. Its pale lilac flowers measure one to one and a half inches (3.5cm) across. 

The colour of the corolla is darker above than beneath and its white hairy throat is densely spotted with 

yellow dots. It is to be found growing wild in the Balkans. 

Haberlea ferdinandi-coburgii pictured by Lesley Cox in New Zealand and Wim Boens in Belgium. 

H. rhodopensis from Karl Plaimer in Austria and H.r. var. virginalis from Rudi Weiss in Germany. 



H. rhodopensis, photo by Eberhard Prößdorf in Germany. 

The other species, H. rhodopensis, has long 

been popular. Its leaves are much lighter on the 

undersides where the veins are extremely 

prominent and, as the leaves are all basal, they 

form a tufted rosette. Up to five flowers are 

produced on each drooping umbel and every 

plant may send up a number of these six-inch 

(15cm) high scapes. It was first collected in a 

remote valley in Thrace. Like most species it 

has small variations, a number of which have 

been given varietal names, but the most 

desirable variety is H. rhodopensis var. 

virginalis with beautiful pure white flowers. 

Right: H.r. var virginalis photo Lesley Cox. 



Jankaea consists of a single Greek species, J. heldreichii, (see photo page 3) with a habit of growth 

closely resembling that of Ramonda. It is densely hairy, however, and without doubt it is this character 

more than any other that makes it a much more difficult plant to grow and keep alive. It certainly prefers 

- in fact it must have - a tilted position, and at Keillour it is lodged in a crevice under an overhanging rock 

where drainage is acute. It does not appear to mind being soaked during the growing season, as it gets 

plenty of this in its habitat on Mount Olympus, but it would strongly object to this sort of treatment when 

in a state of dormancy. 

Mitraria coccinea photo John Weagle, Nova Scotia. 

The Chilean Mitraria coccinea is an evergreen subshrub 

of doubtful hardiness which has been outside 

at Keillour for many years. It occupies a well-drained 

site in semi-shade, but apart from that receives no 

other protection. This species blooms quite freely and during the summer displays its numerous bright 

orange-red, tubular flowers lightly suspended on pendant pedicels. 

Oreocharis forrestii from Curtis’ Botanical Magazine 1917. 



Oreocharis contains about twenty species, most of which 

are native to China, where they grow at an altitude of 11000 

ft. or thereby (3300m). Oreocharis forrestii (of which 

Roettlera forrestii is a synonym), although recommended for 

alpine house culture has proved to be perfectly hardy and 

has been grown out of doors for many years. It was 

received as a very small plant, but in May it sometimes 

produces umbels of widely cylindrical, nodding, yellow 

tubes. These are effectively displayed against the 

background of hairy and crinkly dark green leaves which 

form a close rosette. Oreocharis forrestii is figured in Curtis’ 

Botanical Magazine(vol.143) and although well-flowered 

plants were recorded in the past, it is now an extremely rare 

species. It was discovered in Yunnan on rocks and tree 

branches in forested slopes (2300-3600m) by George 

Forrest in the early years of this century. 

Ed.: It seems this plant is still very little in cultivation in the 21 st 

century – if you grow it and it thrives out of doors, please get in 

touch. 

Right: Sunlit Ramonda, Cliff Booker 

The genus Ramonda, of which there are three species, is native to S. 

Europe. It is somewhat similar in habit of growth to Oreocharis 

forrestii but is much more easily grown and may be cultivated in 

almost any shady position. It is probably the most popular of the 

hardy Gesneriads. Ramonda myconii (photo page 3) belongs to the 

Pyrenees and has been known for more than 200 years. In the 

garden it produces a large, flat plate-like arrangement of dark green 

leaves, deeply toothed and with reddish hairs. This is surmounted by 

several six to seven inch high (15-17cm) scapes each of which bears 

many purple flowers. There are several varieties listed but the best 

and most distinct are R. myconii var. alba and R. myconii var. rosea. 

Ramonda myconii has also been offered under its most appropriate 

synonym, R. pyrenaica. 

Left: Ramonda myconii alba, Luc Scheldeman Right: R. myconii ‘Jim’s Shadow’ from Luc Gilgemyn who says 

the plant was raised at Aberconwy. “I’ve been growing it for three years now and it’s proving to be an excellent 

plant for a shady corner. I have the impression it flowers slightly later than its lilac or purplish cousins.” 



Ramonda nathaliae pictured in Vermion, 

Greece by Tony Willis. 

Ramonda nathaliae is an attractive Balkan 

species. It has foliage which is much more 

corrugated than that of the previous species 

and the leaves, although hairy, are glossy 

green above. The flowers, invariably 

composed of only four petals - a factor 

which immediately distinguishes it from R. 

myconii - are lavender blue with a yellow 

eye. It is also on record that there is a white 

variety. R. serbica is very closely allied to 

R. nathaliae - in fact some authorities doubt 

whether these plants are sufficiently 

different to warrant specific rank. It has the 

same form of growth as the others but is a 

much more insignificant plant; the pale lilac flowers, like the leaves, are smaller in this species. It is 

necessary to provide the same conditions of shade and moisture to grow this plant successfully. 

W.G.K.F. 

Left: Ramonda serbica, Pat Nicholls 

Right: Ramonda nathaliae alba Eberhard Prößdorf. 

Some comments on hardy gesneriads from the SRGC Forum: 

“Of the "hardy" gesneriads, Mitraria coccinea has been with me for many years 

outside in a shaded bed. It doesn't get much water, but grows well enough, planted 

in under a large Daphne tangutica, and flowering modestly in summer. We had a 

pretty hard winter this past season, with two nights of serious cold, down to -7C 

and -11C on December 9 and 10, 2008 respectively, but the mitraria survived 

nicely. I suspect the shelter given by the daphne was the key to its survival.” 

Rodger Whitlock in Canada. 

“I really do think that the hardy gesneriads do need demistifying. They are tough plants and unless you 

are growing them for show, a few scorched leaves cannot be seen as a cultivation problem. They 



bounce back from being dried out, as this happens in the wild- frequently. Haberlea rhodopensis grows 

on almost vertical cliffs- north facing. The seeds appear to germinate in patches of moss along seepage 

lines. We will go back to the population we know to check for seed, but I would not be surprised if they 

are dry for some time in summer. In winter it is possible that the rock faces they grow on may be too 

steep to hold much snow cover - in which case they may be frozen into the water seepage lines. We 

never saw any growing on the tufa deposits in this area - but I assume this is because the tufa 'grows' 

quicker than they do.” Simon Silcock in Bulgaria. 

Left: Sarmienta repens by Cliff Booker – this can be 

grown outside in favoured areas. 

Below: Ramonda nathaliae Karl Plaimer. 

Useful links for information on gesneriads: 

www.gesneriadsociety.org/index.htm 

http://www.gesneriads.ca/default.htm 

http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/gesneriphiles 

http://www.streptocarpussociety.org.uk/links.htm 

http://avsa.org/ 

Gesneriaceae, a scientific perspective by Weber. 

There are many semi-hardy members of the Gesneriaceae which, in the UK, are grown under glass and 

for exhibition – for instance the Petrocosmeas mentioned earlier, and the likes of Chirita monantha or 

Tremacron aurantiacum (thought by at least one very experienced grower to be hardy in England). 

Left: Chirita 

monantha grown 

by Tony Willis. 

Far left: 

Tremacron 

aurantiacum 

grown by Rudi 

Weiss. 

If you have grown other genera from this family successfully in your garden, you are more than 

welcome to share your experiences and to add your comments in the SRGC Forum. 



--- Gardens in the Mountains --- 

Following on from the first part of Jozef Lemmens’ report in September for IRG 45: 

Zhongdian (Part 2) text and photos by Jozef Lemmens, Belgium. 

At one point in the Tian Bao Shan valley 

our minibus could not go any farther and 

our expedition had to continue on foot. 

At the end of path there were logging 

operations and trees being removed 

from the forests. Along a track formed 

thereby, we had to climb a difficult 

incline in an attempt to get higher up. 

Eventually we came to one big rock cliff, 

so we couldn’t go any farther. 

There were still a few beautiful plants 

found there such as Cypripedium 

flavum, Spongiocarpella nubigena 

(left), Saxifraga cf. pulchra (below 

right) and a small form of Cypripedium 

bardolphianum. This small form was probably caused by the dry spring. 

Cypripedium bardolphianum (above) is about 10cm high with relatively small brown-yellow flowers. 

Cypripedium flavum (left) grows mostly 

in calcareous soil in forests and forest 

edges. The plants are between 30 and 

50cm high with pale to dark yellow 

flowers, sometimes with red dots. 

The next day our expedition went to 

Hong Shan. This place makes me think 

especially about Primula 

hongshanensis. Research has since 

shown that this is actually a synonym of 

Primula boreiocalliantha. 

On the lower areas grew a mix of 

deciduous trees, pines and 

rhododendrons (e.g. Rh. oreotrephes 



and Rh. roxieanum). Along the roadside we found plants such Polygonatum curvistylum, Androsace 

rigida, Gentiana cf. chungtienensis (below) and Primula boreiocalliantha. 

Hong Shan road. 



Primula boreiocalliantha (below) is about 30cm high with 1-2 whorls with 5 large pink flowers each. 

We went up a bit higher on our knees for the gorgeous Corydalis benecincta (below). The leaves of 

this plant are made up of 3 separate leaflets. These are grey-green to greyish in colour, with faint purple 

spots. The flowers are pale pink to light purple, with pink veins and the apex of the flowers are often 

tinted darker. The plants have tuberous roots and their total height is not more than 10cm. This species 

occurs on calcareous, coarse screes at elevation between 3400 and 6000m. 



Further on grew a Chrysoplenium species 

(below) with strikingly yellow flowers and an 

intensely deep-coloured Primula 

sonchifolia (right). 

Overloaded lorries heading to Sichuan are 

the main traffic on the paved road that 

slowly took us to the mountain pass. Our minibus had problems here at higher altitudes as the road was 

so difficult. This caused the engine to overheat frequently, but also gave us the opportunity to search 

the area for plants. On the other hand, we lost a lot of time, because we would have preferred to spend 

more time in the higher areas. At over 4300m above sea level the broken landscape was mainly of 

stony soils and coarse screes. 

Here, pretty plants were found, such as Primula apoclita 

(left) and two other species related to Primula 

chionantha. The first was a purple form of P. chionantha, 

which has been called Primula sinopurpurea (below 

left) and has a greater range in Western China. The 

second was Primula sinoplantaginea, which is 

sometimes included in P. graminifolia (below right). 

It also has purple flowers, but the plants are much 

smaller (about 10cm) and they only grow at higher 

altitudes (4500–5000m). 

Other Primulas growing here were Primula amethystina 

and Primula nanobella. 

Above right: Primula nanobella 

Above left and centre: Primula amethystina 

Ed.: Larger photos can be seen in the Forum IRG 

Area. 



There were also Pedicularis oederi (below left) and Oxygraphis glacialis (below right). 

In the coarse screes we admired plants like a Saussurea sp. and Rhodiola crenulata (below). 

In the vicinity of the pass, the landscape flattened out and plants such Pegaeophyton scapiflorum, 

Androsace delavayi, Corydalis pachycentra, Arenaria cf. oreophila and Diapensia purpurea had the 

chance to live and bloom. 

Left to right: Pegaeophyton scapiflorum, 

Androsace delavayi, Corydalis 

pachycentra. 



Diapensia purpurea is a plant that is noticed from afar and occurs mainly in bare rocky terrain in the 

vicinity of mountain summits, and between low rhododendron bushes or protected by surrounding rocks, 

on peaty soil. The plants form relatively firm cushions (sub-shrubs) up to 1 metre in diameter, but will 

not grow taller than 10cm. The flowering period is in May/July. The almost stemless bright pink-red to 

pink-purple flowers consist of 5 petals with cream anthers. I myself have only seen them at an altitude 

between 4000 and 4500m, but they can also occur up to 2600m. 

Diapensia purpurea 

Left: Rhododendron complexum 

And then, one last day was spent in 

the vicinity of Zhongdian, at the 

Shika Shan. This mountain will 

always remain in my memory. We 

explored the Shisa Snow Mountain 

during my first visit to China in the fall 

of 2003. This mountain is a part of 

Shika Shan. Our first day took us 

from a village near Zhongdian 

(3200m) to an altitude of about 

4000m. Here we had our first camp. 

The second day we went to the top 

of the mountain (4400m). After a few 

hours, one of our companions, 

Donna Hale was too tired to 



continue. Together with her husband David and our guide, they went back down to our base camp. Rosi 

and Dieter Zschummel, Erich Löbke and I continued our expedition along the ridge of the mountain. 

Meanwhile, a thick fog settled in. When the fog lifted a bit we could see our camp situated in the valley. 

In the afternoon when we got back to our camp, we were surprised that Donna and David were not 

there yet. A search party was formed. Even at night, some of our accompanying assistants went 

searching. The following day they were still not found. All we could do then was to go back to Zhongdian 

and ask for help. The Chinese army set up a search and after three days they were found. These were 

three long, nerve-racking days for us. Fortunately, everything turned out fine. We saw our guide, Mister 

Li, once again a few years later during our travels. He was still a mountain guide. 

Above and below: Anemone coelestina 

Now back to 2012. In China, it is 

becoming more and more problematic 

to do the things that you’d like to do. 

More and more rules are being 

imposed. On Shika Shan they have 

built a cable-lift, but once you go up you 

are only allowed to walk on the marked 

paths. This is all in all few hundred 

metres at most. Still, we were given 

permission to explore the area a bit 

further. The plants seen in bloom there 

were Primula melanops, P. amethystina 

and P. minor, Diapensia purpurea, 

Solmslaubachia zhongdianensis, 

Rhododendron complexum, R. 

primuliflorum and R. phaeochrysum. 

Anemone coelestina was there with very dark purple flowers and also a gem, which we think could be 

Anemone yulongshanica, but it might also be A. rupestris. 

J.L.

2013Nov291385684453IRG47November2013

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?