ID of Bulbs

Hi Bulb Growers!
I'm new to this forum and have an ID request for some interesting looking bulbs I recently got at the Exchange Table at a Cactus and Succulent Society meeting. People do show some bulb plants at C&S shows so they may be one of those. However, they came with no information and since I've only grown a few bulbs I was hoping someone here might be able to help. They range in size from 1 1/2" - 2 1/2" across and all are about 5/8" from top to bottom. As you can see from the pictures they are ready to grow, but I have no idea how deep to plant them, or whether they are sun or shade bulbs. I'm also posting this in the Cactus/Succulent and ID Forums.
Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.
Annie

Looks like a gladiola corm to me. Can you put a dime next to it so we have a point of reference?



This message was edited Dec 9, 2013 5:59 PM

It appears to have a fibrous net around it like the reticulated iris, but I would need a size reference too. I don't know that much about gladiola bulbs though we have planted some years ago that nicely keep returning. Patti

Patti

I always remembered glads as having a fibrous netting as well as crocus. My concern is this corm is quite small and could be a crocus.

How big? 25 cent or 50 cent or silver dollar size? Looks a bit like the saffron corms that I once planted. So it could be a fall blooming crocus some sort. Plant it in the house and see what happens. Keep me informed, as I love a mystery. Patti

Thanks for all your responses. Seems like they look similar to several different bulbs so still hoping for a confirmation before I plant. The bulbs are 1 1/2" - 2 1/2" across and about 1/2 thick. Is that enough reference?

A bulb specialist I showed the pictures to said they are probably Watsonia because of the way they had sent up the spike of growth. She said to plant them 4" deep. But if there's any question I may plant them a bit less than that.

If I don't find out soon I'll go ahead and plant them since their starting to grow, and I'm thinking of putting them in pots for the first year since I don't know how big the plants will get. It doesn't get colder than about 40°F where I live so I think I can go ahead and plant them outside.

Could be - Watsonia bulbs are very similar to Glad bulbs.

I guess time will tell. Thank you to everyone for your replies. I'll post again when it grows and is definitely identifiable.