In a Sydney suburb there is a climber on the netting fence of a block
of units---it has fascinating flowers, they are shaped like a tuba! (A
tuba is that overgrown saxaphone thing that you see in brass marching
bands, e.g., the Sallies, etc.) The flowers are purple and green speckled,
and are basically trumpet shaped, but hang down then turn fully upwards
before flaring out widely to face you, very like a tuba! These look like
they chould be a type of carnivorous plant but I know they are not as
these structures are the flowers, not modified leaves. The flowers develop
into ridged green pods like a tiny football which open into dark brown
claw-shapes each containing hundreds of seeds which are like heart-shaped
half-size Honesty seeds. Didn't I say they were fascinating?

Anyone able to put a name to this climber?

The climber has just finished flowering, the vine is now decorated with all
the dark brown claw-shaped open pods. I have planted a few hundred of the
seeds into a pot, they are just coming up now.
--
John Savage (my news address is not valid for email)

John Savage wrote:

In a Sydney suburb there is a climber on the netting fence of a block
of units---it has fascinating flowers, they are shaped like a tuba! (A
tuba is that overgrown saxaphone thing that you see in brass marching
bands, e.g., the Sallies, etc.) The flowers are purple and green speckled,
and are basically trumpet shaped, but hang down then turn fully upwards
before flaring out widely to face you, very like a tuba! These look like
they chould be a type of carnivorous plant but I know they are not as
these structures are the flowers, not modified leaves. The flowers develop
into ridged green pods like a tiny football which open into dark brown
claw-shapes each containing hundreds of seeds which are like heart-shaped
half-size Honesty seeds. Didn't I say they were fascinating?

Anyone able to put a name to this climber?

The climber has just finished flowering, the vine is now decorated with
all the dark brown claw-shaped open pods. I have planted a few hundred of
the seeds into a pot, they are just coming up now.

Hope its not this:
http://www.weedsbluemountains.org.au/morning_glory.asp

gtoomey

If you want the name of a famous climber, what about Sir Edmund Hilary, who
climbed Mt. Everest.


"John Savage" wrote in message
om...
In a Sydney suburb there is a climber on the netting fence of a block
of units---it has fascinating flowers, they are shaped like a tuba! (A
tuba is that overgrown saxaphone thing that you see in brass marching
bands, e.g., the Sallies, etc.) The flowers are purple and green speckled,
and are basically trumpet shaped, but hang down then turn fully upwards
before flaring out widely to face you, very like a tuba! These look like
they chould be a type of carnivorous plant but I know they are not as
these structures are the flowers, not modified leaves. The flowers develop
into ridged green pods like a tiny football which open into dark brown
claw-shapes each containing hundreds of seeds which are like heart-shaped
half-size Honesty seeds. Didn't I say they were fascinating?

Anyone able to put a name to this climber?

The climber has just finished flowering, the vine is now decorated with
all
the dark brown claw-shaped open pods. I have planted a few hundred of the
seeds into a pot, they are just coming up now.
--
John Savage (my news address is not valid for email)

G'day All,
If that suburb is in Sydney's east it might be a social
climber.

China
Wingham
NSW


"Norman" wrote:
If you want the name of a famous climber, what about Sir Edmund Hilary, who
climbed Mt. Everest.

"John Savage" wrote:

In a Sydney suburb there is a climber fascinating flowers, they are
shaped like a tuba! (A

"Norman" wrote:
If you want the name of a famous climber, what about Sir Edmund Hilary, who
climbed Mt. Everest.

I do like Norman's suggestion for naming the vine after a famous climber,
and despite the continuing debate over whether it should be Sir Edmund or
more rightly Sherpa Tensing, the judges were on the verge of awarding
Norman the prize when, alas for Norman, he was pipped at the podium by a
late-running entry sent all the way from China. The suggestion that the
vine could be a social climber is now declared our winner!!!

A merry thank you from our sponsors to all contestants. The free courtesy
awaits you outside.

"China" wrote:
If that suburb is in Sydney's east it might be a social climber.
--
John Savage (my news address is not valid for email)

G'day John,
What can I say? Oh that's it, flattery will get you
everywhere!

Does this climber have a stem about as thick as your thumb, with light
coloured, papery bark and thorns?

China
Wingham
NSW

"John Savage" wrote in message
om...
In a Sydney suburb there is a climber on the netting fence of a block
of units---it has fascinating flowers, they are shaped like a tuba! (A
tuba is that overgrown saxaphone thing that you see in brass marching
bands, e.g., the Sallies, etc.) The flowers are purple and green speckled,
and are basically trumpet shaped, but hang down then turn fully upwards
before flaring out widely to face you, very like a tuba! These look like
they chould be a type of carnivorous plant but I know they are not as
these structures are the flowers, not modified leaves. The flowers develop
into ridged green pods like a tiny football which open into dark brown
claw-shapes each containing hundreds of seeds which are like heart-shaped
half-size Honesty seeds. Didn't I say they were fascinating?

Anyone able to put a name to this climber?

The climber has just finished flowering, the vine is now decorated with
all
the dark brown claw-shaped open pods. I have planted a few hundred of the
seeds into a pot, they are just coming up now.
--
John Savage (my news address is not valid for email)

At the risk of introducing a serious note into this thread. Your vine sounds
like a Dutchman's Pipe Vine (Aristolochia elegans). Try here
http://www.brisrain.webcentral.com.a...e12/dpipe.html

"leftred" writes:
"John Savage" wrote in message
news:050330000091148.30Mar05$rookswood@suburbian. com...
and are basically trumpet shaped, but hang down then turn fully upwards
before flaring out widely to face you, very like a tuba! These look like

At the risk of introducing a serious note into this thread. Your vine sounds
like a Dutchman's Pipe Vine (Aristolochia elegans). Try here
http://www.brisrain.webcentral.com.a...e12/dpipe.html

Alas, that address came up as invalid, but I found the page cached at
google. The flowers are not like any smoker's pipe so it is not A. elegans
but you have set me on the right track. I read that there are 300 species
of Aristolochia and I'm confident of finding my curiosity among them. It
is close to the calico flower, A. littoralis I'd say. It's remarkable how
difficult it is to get a clear picture of the leaf on these web sites,
but next time I'm passing by I'll look to see whether the undersides are
pale, and leaves alternate along the vine. At least I now know that it's
definitely some type of pipe vine. The next thing is to find out whether
it is unfriendly to the Richmond Birdwing butterfly like some of the
Dutchmans pipes.

Many thanks.
--
John Savage (my news address is not valid for email)

G'day John and company ,
I'm a bit busy at the moment, but
try a search on 'Baboon flower' or 'Balloon flower' , it seems to ring a
70's bell, Euphorbia maybe?

China
Wingham
NSW

p.s. Amateurs built the Ark.
It took professionals to build the Titanic!

"China" writes:
G'day John,
What can I say? Oh that's it, flattery will get you
everywhere!

It hasn't yet! LOL

Does this climber have a stem about as thick as your thumb, with light
coloured, papery bark and thorns?

No thorns. The bark is like light-coloured cork. I've now identifed the
plant as one of the pipe vines, related to the Dutchmans Pipe vine and I
reckon it's possibly the Calico Flower. The reason the flower reminds me
of a fly trap is that it really is a fly trap. I've been reading that the
flower has a nasty smell that attracts flies, then hairs inside the flower
imprison the fly for a few minutes before the hairs relax and allow the
now pollen-dusted fly to escape to pollinate other flowers.

So -- sorry, no prizes this time for Canton, but thank you for playing!
--
John Savage (my news address is not valid for email)

g'day john,

think i may have gotten this one by mistake?

len

On Mon, 11 Apr 2005 22:53:08 GMT, John Savage
wrote:

"China" writes:
G'day John,
What can I say? Oh that's it, flattery will get you
everywhere!

It hasn't yet! LOL

Does this climber have a stem about as thick as your thumb, with light
coloured, papery bark and thorns?

No thorns. The bark is like light-coloured cork. I've now identifed the
plant as one of the pipe vines, related to the Dutchmans Pipe vine and I
reckon it's possibly the Calico Flower. The reason the flower reminds me
of a fly trap is that it really is a fly trap. I've been reading that the
flower has a nasty smell that attracts flies, then hairs inside the flower
imprison the fly for a few minutes before the hairs relax and allow the
now pollen-dusted fly to escape to pollinate other flowers.

So -- sorry, no prizes this time for Canton, but thank you for playing!

--
happy gardening
'it works for me it could work for you,'

"in the end ya' gotta do what ya' gotta do" but consider others and the environment
http://members.optusnet.com.au/~gardenlen1/

my e/mail addies have spam filters you should know what to delete before you send.

Sounds like what I have always known as "Dutchmans Pipe" - if it is the
seeds will be in a little 'hanging basket' like affair on the vine.

Or at least a member of its family:
Aristolochia
aristolochia macrophylla - is the Dutchman's Pipe I'm referring to.

(I always thought it looked like a carnivorous plant as a child.)
--
Chris

Dad of DS R(06-06-03)
Dad to be again on the 15th!

"John Savage" wrote in message
om...
In a Sydney suburb there is a climber on the netting fence of a block
of units---it has fascinating flowers, they are shaped like a tuba! (A
tuba is that overgrown saxaphone thing that you see in brass marching
bands, e.g., the Sallies, etc.) The flowers are purple and green speckled,
and are basically trumpet shaped, but hang down then turn fully upwards
before flaring out widely to face you, very like a tuba! These look like
they chould be a type of carnivorous plant but I know they are not as
these structures are the flowers, not modified leaves. The flowers develop
into ridged green pods like a tiny football which open into dark brown
claw-shapes each containing hundreds of seeds which are like heart-shaped
half-size Honesty seeds. Didn't I say they were fascinating?

Anyone able to put a name to this climber?

The climber has just finished flowering, the vine is now decorated with
all
the dark brown claw-shaped open pods. I have planted a few hundred of the
seeds into a pot, they are just coming up now.
--
John Savage (my news address is not valid for email)

len gardener writes:
think i may have gotten this one by mistake?

It's strange, Len, but those are the exact words my Mum used many years
ago when she tried to return me to the hospital's nursery!!

BTW, the post was legit. Someone had just altered the subject.
--
John Savage (my news address is not valid for email)