D Capensis weird flowering

[zoit]

Hi every one. I am new to the forum. Truly nice site. I live in Gordons Bay, about 50km from Cape Town in SA. We have a hot mediteranean climate. I grow all my plants outside without shade or any protection from the elements. My collection include S Leucophylla, S Godzuki, N Miranda, N Veithcii and our indigenous plants, the D Capensis. Sars and Drosera are all flowering.

In my D Capensis collection, I have a few plants that is is showing some very weird flower forming. Some of the flowering plants look like the flower stalk has two heads if you know what I mean. Others have up to 100+ flowers on 4 to 6 different flowering heads on one stem. I have attached some photos.

Have any of you seen this before?

[strath76]

Welcome to the forum. I have seen similar things on a clone I recently picked up that is referred to as D. capensis 'Crestate'. The one I have often has similar flower traits as well as a flattened flower stalk (can't think of the proper name for this at the moment). It also often has variations to the leaves. By this I mean that the leaves often split like a snake tongue and other strange things. It has died back and is just starting to grow again after winter. I will try to post some Pics when it is up and growing again.

[zoit]

Hi Strath76, thanks for the reply

The plant will start flowering soon then I can post more pictures.

[Marigoldsfail21]

I think that it's pretty cool. If it suceeds in fully flowering, you could get quite a bit of seed.

Perhaps you could do some selection and breeding of the plants to get clones that produce even more seed?

[caseyhoo]

Zoid, that is really nice speciment you got there. Unique flower...

[zoit]

Basically all my D Capensis have been cultivated from leaf cutting from a single parent plant. A have about 5 plants that are doing this. Cool thing that I noticed last night is that more than one flower on the same stalk has opened. I was not home to witness this as I work during the day, but i will check during the weekend and post photos.

We just moved to a new house and I wonder if this change in climate and water quality etc can cause this. I am planning on cloning these plants to see if this is genetic or just a temporary thing.