Random plant events: Huernia schneideriana (?), Huernia zebrina, and Stapelia variegata

Originally, this post was just supposed to be about the Huernia schneideriana, because I saw that it had produced some buds on 18 July.


And they opened on 23 July, the first time I'd seen the flowers in-person, which was neat.

(This photo is actually from 27 July, but it's the same flower that opened on the 23rd. Should also note that the flower is actually very small: maybe 3/4 inch, or 2 cm,

Random plant event: Agave americana

This doesn't, I think, mean much of anything, but I hadn't seen it before. One of my variegated Agave americanas grew a couple leaves that got fused together halfway down.


The new leaves on the Big Damn Screw Pine occasionally fail to separate from the leaves that precede or follow them, I think because the midrib spines get caught on the other leaves. If it were growing outdoors, where the

Pretty pictures: Caulaelia Snowflake Northland

The pictures could have turned out better (it does help somewhat to view them at full size), but I approve of the flowers.



This was tagged as "Dilaelia (Cll) Snowflake Northlan," but Dilaelia is Caulaelia now, so.

Caulaelia Snowflake Northland = Caularthron bicornutum x Laelia albida

Random plant event: Aechmea fasciata

I bought an Aechmea fasciata in November 2006, after it had bloomed, and it produced two offsets, which I separated and potted up. It's a good species. I've never had any pest problems with it, it grows new leaves regularly, and it accepts a spot that a lot of my other plants won't grow in (near the floor in the living room -- there's light, but it's also near a window and a heat/AC vent, which

Saturday morning buffalo picture

I know, I know, you were expecting Sheba. This is sort of (barely) Sheba-relevant, though.

I really enjoy riding around on side roads and gravel roads. I like the lack of traffic, and having the option to jump out of the car and take a bunch of pictures of a weed on the side of the road when the spirit moves me, but also it's just more interesting. There are more things to look at, you're a lot

Random nonplant event: stinkhorn

Fungi aren't plants, and aren't even particularly related to plants,1 but people tend to think of them as plants, and this fits the scope of the blog insofar as it's something that grew in the yard, so I'm making an exception.

A few weeks ago (3 Jul), I encountered this in the yard.


I recognized it as a stinkhorn, a type of fungus, and eliminated a few species from the possibilities, but I

New plant: Mangave 'Macho Mocha'

I've been wanting a Mangave for a looooong time. Basically since I found out they existed, in fact. (If memory serves, that was via Digging, though it's been so long ago that I can't be certain.) And now, thanks to a reader, I finally have one. Or, rather, two: one big one, one small one.

The bigger plant. The pot diameter is ~5" / 13 cm.
Both traveled fine, and I potted them both up with

Pretty picture: Phalaenopsis NOID

The tag was inaccessible (all I could see was the word "Sweet'), so we don't have an ID for this one.


It's nice? I guess? I have a tough time finding any strong feelings about any Phalaenopsisesises, because they're so ubiquitous, though I plan to make an exception whenever my personal phal finally blooms. Everything's going okay so far.

Very Large Numbers

If Google's count can be trusted -- and why wouldn't it be; it's Google -- this is PATSP's 2000th post. It is not at all clear to me how I should be feeling about this, but I think we can all agree that it's a pretty big number, blogularly speaking. Consequently, there should be some Gazania photos ('New Day' mix, if you're keeping track), as Gazania is the Official Celebratory Flower of PATSP.

Saturday morning Sheba picture

Random plant event: Leuchtenbergia principis

The seedlings are still around, mostly -- I started 56, of which approximately 42 (75%) germinated, and 39 of which (70%) are still around, though some of those aren't looking real promising. I should probably try to figure out a way to move them outside for a couple months; I'm just not sure where I could put them.

But that's not what this post is about (ha! Tricked you!); what the post is

Questions for the Hive Mind: outdoor IDs

Neither of these is an emergency sort of ID situation or anything, but I'm curious.

The first plant was growing in the dark underneath our front deck. The husband has torn the deck apart (for complicated reasons I probably don't fully understand), so suddenly the plant is completely exposed, enabling photography. I'm thinking a juniper of some kind? I don't really know the various needley

Pretty picture: Paphiopedilum lowii

Yep, some of the people at the Illowa orchid show still don't want photographers to be able to see their plants. This background is the worst, though it helps slightly if one can photograph so the background is at an angle, as on the right side of this photo. I don't know why the presenter thinks this is a good idea.

The flowers are pretty cool, though. You would no doubt agree, if you could

Apology to a Potter Wasp

11 July 2013
Eumenes fraternus
Family Vespidae
Northeast corner of the garage

(The letter's recipient.)
Dear Ms. Eumenes,

I wish to apologize to you for my actions on 10 July 2013, when I thoughtlessly destroyed the two nests you had constructed on my Pachypodium lamerei and then smeared the caterpillars that were inside across the concrete. I should not have done either of those things.

The

Saturday morning Sheba and/or Nina picture

It is with a little sadness that I announce the passing of Nina, everybody's favorite brown anole.

Nina. 2009? - 2013. (Photo from 8 Dec 2010.)
I say "a little" sadness, as opposed to great sadness, or unbearable sadness, because it's not like I have a ton of happy memories of running through flower-filled meadows with her or anything. (Though we did have that one moment in the bathtub.) You

Random plant event: Schlumbergera seedling #49

I have just over 100 Schlumbergera seedlings growing right now, and for the most part, they look just like their parents, except smaller. Also, most of those are seedlings from 'Caribbean Dancer,' which isn't really surprising, since 'Caribbean Dancer' is the most prolific bloomer.

There is also a set of 16 seedlings from a NOID with salmon/peach blooms. A few of those are also normal-looking,

Pretty pictures: Tolumnia Passionata Red

If this looks like an Oncidium, that's because it used to be: the genus Tolumnia was apparently separated from Oncidium about 25 years ago. They're native to the Caribbean.


Tolumnia hybrids are a relatively new thing (last 50 years or so), according to the American Orchid Society, which also has lots of advice about how to grow them.


Tolumnia Passionata Red is Tolumnia Florence Little x

Materials and Techniques: Propagating Cyperus alternifolius

I mentioned a while ago that I'd been seeing Cyperus for sale here and there, and had been tempted to get one. A number of commenters encouraged me to do so, and then a reader offered me cuttings of hers. I hadn't even known that growing them from cuttings was possible.

Also, fortunately, it turned out that the reader who offered the cuttings had already written a blog post about how to proceed

Saturday morning Sheba and/or Nina picture

This picture is from last Sunday (30 June). We were coming back from a trip to Fairfield, and stopped just north of Brighton, in a public area for people to launch their boats into the Skunk River. There's a former bar (now apparently a house) along the road to the launch site, and a dog who lives there saw Sheba go by in the car and followed so she could introduce herself.

Pretty picture: Jackfowlieara Lindiwe

Jackfowlieara Lindiwe is Cattleya Sierra Doll x Jackfowlieara Appleblossom.

Pretty picture: Echinacea NOID

Things have been really busy for the last few days, Sunday in particular, so there isn't much to blog about, and what there is isn't anywhere close to being ready to post.


I'm not thrilled about the situation, but things are what they are. Meanwhile, the Echinaceas are blooming. Not our Echinaceas: we don't have any. But everybody else's. You know what I mean.