Description
(syn. platystemon)
In addition to the well known house plant derived from the S. African C. comosum, (and some 150 tropical species) there are 4 species of this genus native to China, whence C. chinense was described in 1891. It is found exclusively in SW Sichuan and NW Yunnan growing in forest margins and on grassy slopes at up to 3,000 m altitude thus we have hopes for its hardiness in the long term. In the short term it has come through several winters outside (including one very harsh one) , without mishap.
It makes a very short rhizome with fleshy roots and grass-like leaves 2-4 mm across only. Above the leaf tuft sits a 20-40 cm tall, slightly branched, slender stem with several white hanging flowers very slightly picked out with tiny pink veins contrasting with bright yellow anthers. A graceful little thing, well-mannered and quite unlike anything else that we grow and hardly seen at all in cultivation.
Our stock is traceable to the Tiger Leaping Gorge, Yunnan at 2,500 m but it has been grown and propagated in continental Europe for many years.
