Candidissimum and other stuff

[McClements, Jim]

Ellen, Sylvia et al

One of my candidissimums was nicely on its way to producing seed until the
plant was broken off, probably by a rabbit or squirrel wandering through the
garden. It wasn't eaten, just broken. I now have a chicken-wire cage around
the other one producing seed, which is my pure white flowered plant. Whew!

Both of these seedheads were dependent, pointing at the ground. The stems did
a quick 180 as soon as the flower faded. What's the group's experience with
candidissimum in this regard? And, Roy, do either of your forms of A. flavum
get dependent seedheads? The tall form that I got from you has an erect
seedhead, but I have yet to see the small form flower for me.

Guy's posting last week certainly suggested that this characteristic is a
constant in any given species, but there was a recent posting on Alpine-L
which suggested that A. flavum's fruiting spike could be either nodding or
erect.

We have enough people in this group to compile some valid observations in
this regard. How about posting any species that you grow which has a nodding
(either 90 or 180 degrees) spike, and I'll keep a record. Of course, we're
talking about viable seedheads, not the ones that wither after a few weeks,
which probably represent fruiting without viable seeds.