I just read Peter Wharton's article "Carrierea Calycina, the goat horn tree - a two part account of its history in western civilization and recent reintroduction" http://www.davidsonia.org/carrierea_calycina I happened to have purchased a seedling of one of the three Carrierea species at an arboretum sale in Seattle sometime in the 1990's. This small tree, which was probably stunted from too much time in a pot, now stands about ten feet tall. It has bloomed sporadically for the past two years. I am wondering (my tag was lost long ago) if this would most likely be the species described (it does look like it to me) and whether or not this is likely a seedling dispersed by the author to the Washington Park Arboretum?
Ask UW Botanical Gardens for assistance, if you are available during office hours records can be checked.
Yesterday I was glancing at article on this tree in THE PLANTSMAN magazine and realized I have one in the back yard. http://www.rhs.org.uk/Learning/Publications/plantsman/1207/plantsmandec2007.htm It was purchased at the Calvert Greenhouse at the Seattle arboretum as Bretschneideria sinensis. Since the latter produces compound leaves it soon became apparent the arboretum seedling was not that. I've been calling it Polithrysis, figuring that it wasn't (so far) producing as many flowers per spike as would be usual for that one due to youthfulness or cultural issues. So I had the right family but the wrong genus. The Calvert stock (there was at least a couple flats, I believe) had labeling indicating it had been seet over from the Center for Urban Horticulture Douglas Conservatory (presumably as surplus). The article in THE PLANTSMAN lists the Seattle arboretum (botanical gardens) as one of the recipients of the Carrierea seed collected by P. Wharton in China. I assume the Seattle arboretum has one or more other seedlings from this lot planted out in the main collections. Am planning to e-mail curatorial assistant and ask about it.
Ron, I'm curious as to the estimated age of the plant you purchased, and whether it would seem to fit into the time frame described in the article. I'm not sure, but it seems to me that my plant might be a bit older than those that would meet the profile described there.
Doesn't seem likely, as I understand it the tree was pretty much gone from western collections until Wharton spotted it in a part of China it was not recorded from and collected viable seeds there, brought them back and so on. His (and Lancaster's) PLANTSTMAN article is titled THE REINTRODUCTION OF etc. (see above link). My example shot up to about 20 ft. tall and then slowed down. The species is seral (pioneering) so a short-lived, sparse, fast-growing and intolerant (sun-loving) specimen could be expected.
This is the Carrierea calycina at Birr Castle in County Offaly, Ireland, mentioned in the Davidsonia article. Douglas Justice, on the left in the second photo, led the tour of Irish gardens. With him is Lord Rosse of Birr Castle.
