|
 Originally from
Japan, this
cultivar of unidentified parentage was registered by
Dr. Ralph (Herb) Benedict of Michigan in 1983. It forms a small
size, somewhat upright mound of
twisted, wavy foliage that comes to a pointed tip. The medium
lavender colored flowers bloom in very late August.
According to
The Hostapedia by
Mark Zilis (2009), "...appears to be the same plant
as 'Hamada Contorted' and both come close to 'Koryu'...impressed
with its odd, twisted foliage and "green-on-green" variegation."
Mikiko Lockwood in an article on The Hosta Library titled,
A Little About Japanese Hosta Terms defines the term koryu or Kouryu as a raised ridge along the center
of a leaf.
 Nomenclature changes recommended in the
1991 book The
Genus Hosta by
W. George Schmid and accepted by The American Hosta Society would update names as follows:
H. tortifrons is now H. 'Tortifrons'
and H. tardiflora is H. 'Tardiflora'.
An article about Fall Bloomers by
Herb Benedict and
Jim Wilkins in
The
Hosta Journal (1991 Vol. 22 No. 1) states that, "Here
are some of the fall blooming plants we grow...(listed in the order of bloom
times in Michigan).
| 1) H. kikutii
|
A medium size plant densely flowering
with white blooms. The flowers are equally arranged around the
central axis of the raceme so that the bloom scapes resembles a
bottle brush or pony tail...We are growing two named varieties,
'Hirao-59' and 'Finlandia'. |
| 2) H. 'Fall Bouquet' |
Small, green plant, leaves slightly
undulated, lavender scape and blooms, floriferous. |
| 3) H. longipes |
Small green plant, densely flowering
with a tall stiff bloom scape. The flowers are lavender and the
leaves are green. |
| 4) H. gracillima |
Funnel-shaped, light lavender flowers.
A miniature green plant, with shiny surface. |
| 5) H. 'Iwa
Soules' |
Iwa means rock, and this plant was
imported by Marjorie Soules, from Japan. It is a small green plant
with lavender flowers. |
| 6) H. tortifrons |
In the same section (Picnolepis) as
H. longipes and
H. rupifraga. Distinctive small plant, with twisted
green leaves and lavender flowers. |
| 7) H. 'Fused Veins' |
Small, green leaves often with ¼ inch
margin which is a lighter green. The lance shaped leaves are
undulated and the veins come together regularly. The flowers are
mauve and the scape is sometimes branched. |
| 8) H. rupifraga |
Small, medium green, with thick,
leathery, ovate leaves. Densely flowering with purple flowers. 'Urajiro',
'Grand Slam', 'Maruba Iwa' |
| 9) H. tardiflora |
This small hosta is the last to bloom
for us. Its leaves are shiny, dark green and lance shaped. The
flowers are light lavender and borne in abundance on 12 inch scapes. |
 An article about H. 'Koryu' by Warren I. Pollock in
The
Hosta Journal (2001 Vol. 32 No. 2) states that, "Tony (Avent) goes on to explain: "This very distinctive collector's plant, a
H. longipes (selection or hybrid) which is highly coveted in Japan, was originally
discovered by Dr. Shuichi Hirao. This is the same plant the
Ralph "Herb"
Benedict named H. 'Fused Veins', after not being able to determine the true
identity."
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