July 31, 2013

Tree fern and Zamia

I don't know if you see it all that well but their are 2 Tree ferns (They do need a cleaning) .
I planted the two ferns about 15 years ago.



Peperomia obtusifolia started on the ground but it is climbing up the tree fern.


Zamia furfuracea coming in to flower if you can call it that.


 

July 27, 2013

Dyckia Larry the Chopper

Dyckia Larry the Chopper  by: Baker B, Nguyen made in 2006
 
Seed Parent: Arizona
Pollen Parent:  Brittle Star

 
It seens you can't go wrong with parents like Arizona or Brittle Star

July 24, 2013

Dyckia unknown or a Orthophytum ?

This was in a pot with Dyckia rariflora Select that came from Tropiflora a few years ago.
Anyone know what it could be?



 
 
Like Dyckia rariflora it also was stolons. But it has very waxy light green and a bit of red on the leaves.


I just put it in it's own 10 inch pot, lets see how big it could get. It has not flowered as yet.


Dyckia rariflora Select


 Some one said it could be Orth. lucidus. I think he may be right.

 
Orth. lucidus on the left.
 
 
 
 
Well I changed my mind, I took  another look at it.  Orthophytum lucidum does not do stolons.  It does look a lot like it though. 
 What could it be??????????

Uncarina cuttings

Uncarinas are said to be  impossible to made cutting of. But not all Uncarina are impossible to root from cuttings.
So far so good with this Uncarina stellulifera. I think it is rooted but I have not dug down in the pot to check.

Uncarina's that have not made roots for me from cutting are Uncarina grandidieri and Uncarina roeoesliana.

 


Anyone had any luck with cutting?

cutting came from this plant
 
 
Bihrmann.com (http://www.bihrmann.com//) I read  the following information

  1.  As with the other Uncarinas, cuttings do form a caudex.
  2.  Uncarina grandidieri can reproduced by cuttings as well.
  ******************************************************************
After reading the this é I am going to try to root  Uncarina grandidieri  and Uncarina decaryi.

Uncarina grandidieri  it seems is the only one with all yellow flowers and I only have one of them.

Uncarina decaryi has the best looking leaves the flowers are like most, yellow with a red throat . Plus I only have one and 2 would be better.

July 23, 2013

Operculicarya decaryi


A thick bumpy and twisted trunk that can have zigzagging branches and alternate odd-pinnate leaves with tiny shiny dark green rounded leaflets.

In its native habitat in Madagascar.

It is a drought deciduous tree to nearly 30 feet tall with a 3 foot wide trunk

 Mature plants can have small reddish to brown flowers at the tips of the branches in late winter. Male and female flowers on separate plants.

Plant in full to partial sun in a well-drained soil and water only normal in summer months less in winter. I have seen any flowers on my plant.




This plant is about 3 1/2 feet hight. But I keep cutting it back.

July 22, 2013

Orthophytum Iron Ore

Orthophytum Iron Ore
magalhaesii X saxicola v. aloifolium (green form)

If you grow it hard it looks better.
 

Encholirium horridum

This plant can be boring.

No flowers until it get immense.
Does not make any offsets or pups.
It just sits their getting bigger and bigger very slowly.

I need a bigger pot for this one.

July 20, 2013

Dyckia ferox

Do you know their is no photo of this plant on  http://fcbs.org/ ?

Don't know why that is, it's been around for some time.
The only  reason I can think is, it a hard plant to have it look good (for me).


 This is one of those dyckia's that make Stolons.

My kind of dyckia, you can take off the offsets with  
donating blood doing so.


 

July 19, 2013

Dyckia species photo's

 
This is a list of all the Dyckia species  photo's on  http://fcbs.org/


  1. Dyckia espiritosantensis

July 16, 2013

Catopsis in flower

I think this is Catopsis floribunda. It looks like it to me.



Catopsis are hard to come by.
I have seen the Catopsis listed below for sale but rarely.
Catopsis berteroniana, Catopsis nutans, Catopsis morreniana, Catopsis hahnii and Catopsis subulata.
This one I've had for a few years. I just have it hanging in a shade and leave it be.


Tropiflora just had a Catopsis juncifolia on it's VIPP Special list but it sold out fast.

 

July 15, 2013

Euphorbia millotii

This is the second Euphorbia millotii the first one I had froze out a few winters ago. 

 The first one grow well for the 3 of 4 years that I had it, but it never produced any seedling. This  second Euphorbia millotii I got last year and this summer seedling are coming up every where. With no special care the seedling are growing in pot near by.


Euphorbia millotii seedling with Moon Glow

Euphorbia millotii seedling

Euphorbia millotii seedling

Euphorbia millotii seedling

Euphorbia millotii seedling



 

July 14, 2013

Stapelia

Stapelia or plants like Stapelia's are not to easy grow in this part of FL. They don't like all the rain we could get in the summer.


Stapelia ?


Stapelia grandiflora



Stapelia grandiflora
 Stapelia grandiflora and Stapelia leendertziae (not pictured) can grow in the ground if you can keep them out of any rain that will made a puddle there they are growing.  They like to be high and dry.

Stapelia leendertziae was growing with Stapelia gigantea but rotted out due to heavy rains one year. 
Stapelia ?

July 11, 2013

The article below is from Saddleback Valley Bromeliad Society Newsletter in California.
It was a word Doc. that I cut and pasted the words but the photos I could not do the same to. So I used my photos.  


PUP TALK

THE SADDLEBACK VALLEY BROMELIAD SOCIETY

Volume 23, Number 5
May 2013

DYCKIA EXCEPTIONS

 

We usually picture Dyckia as upright, extremely well-armored, neatly formed rosette-shaped plants with a very strong root system which are a “bear” to handle and repot.  An example might be Dyckia fosteriana pictured at right. This well-known species is a parent of several popular cultivars such as Dyckia ‘’Brittle Star.’

 

But as often found with general concept, there are exceptions.  Below are two Dyckia species which might be somewhat easier to handle when they enjoy a place in your collection.

 

Dyckia choristaminea is one exception to consider.  Spines are not as much a problem here.  True, this native of dryer Brazilian areas such as Rio Grande do Sul has leaf spines, but as seen at right they can be smaller, finer, and less lethal than those on many Dyckia.

 

This relatively smaller plant features long thin leaves which are often darker than they appear in the very strongly lit photo at right.  In natural lighting, focusing on one plant in this densely clumping, green species becomes difficult.  Each plant forms a rosette of many 6 inch long leaves that overlap other cluster members.  The owner of the cluster in the above left photo says they “believe” it contains 15 plants.  One grower, probably searching for a catchy name to sell plants, called this the “spaghetti bowl” Dyckia

 

Puptalk May 2013 p 6

 

The above left photo also gives a better impression of the leaf color under natural light.  The leaves will blush plum red with sufficient light exposure.

 

Dyckia chotistaminea flowers top a 10 inch flower spike and these blooms are larger than those of most Dyckia.  Flowers can reach 2/3 of an inch long and are usually yellow like those in the photo.  Orange flowers are also reported.  Flowering time is generally May/ June.  They are said by some to be fragrant.

 

Another exception is Dyckia estevesii.  Instead of the expected rosette-shaped plant, this fan-shaped Dyckia features leaves in parallel rows and grows on its side almost horizontally once pups appear. Prior to pupping, it forms an upright fan.  The fans can reach between 2 to 3 feet across.  This special plant is found only in the vicinity of Goias, Brazil.  It was named for its discoverer, Eddie Estavis Pereira by Rauh.

 

As frequently found in rarer plants, there is not a lot of information in our books.  The internet adds sometimes conflicting information.  For example, there are a few mentions that this plant is sterile and will not bloom.  However, other articles have pictures of flowers (like that taken by George Allaria below.)  Some of our friends have succeeded in flowering this plant yearly and some of us have yet to succeed

 

Carol and I obtained our plant from a friend who said we would find the plant’s growth habit “interesting.”  He was very right.

 

The horizontal shape of this plant offers handling advantages for repotting.  However, like most Dyckia, this plant presents a mass of strong roots and is very well-armored.  Strong self-protection and a root saw are suggested for those separating or repotting it.

 

The future of Dyckia estevesii may be uncertain.  Derek Butcher, well known bromeliad writer, said in a 2010 article that to his mind this plant can be likened to the monstrous or crested cacti forms.  If he is proven correct by future DNA analysis, this plant might be relegated to a form of another species.  As we often say, stay tuned.

 

Both of these plants will easily winter outside in this area but restrict watering prior to extra cold nights.                                                                                                                             Joe

 

Puptalk May 2013 p 7