Pleione forrestii

I read a fascinating story on the way this plant was introduced in cultivation in the UK. Beautiful photo!

 

Long ago, I read in a book that when the first plants of Pl. forestii were brought back from China, most of the plants perished except for one. One person took the plant for himself and then the plant dissapeared from cultivation for decades. Then one day plants became available all of a sudden. The man had spent decades propaganting the plant until he had a large number of them. He apparently made a mint out of his plants. I think I read this story in an old AOS Bulletin back in the 80's. Perhaps someone else knows the particular issue were this story is related.