Contents Volume 17. No 2

Summer 2006

The Cover Picture

Editorial and more

Trevor Wray

Dear Auntie G

Gertrude Greenfly

The Garden of Wales 

Ian Priestley

Freshly gathered yarns from the world of seeds  Doug Rowland

A walk in the Grand Canyon 

Trevor Wray

How it all started  Philip Andrews

The Show is coming

Trevor Wray

BCSS Convention - Going, going gone!

Trevor Wray

Odds and endpieces

 

Trevor Wray

click for a better image

Cover picture: 

This picture of Thelocactus bicolor var. flavidispinus shows a seedling in my collection flowering for the first time. It is seven years old from seed and now in a 3½” pot. I saw the species in habitat near Marathon, Texas on a very cold and wet April morning. If only the sun would come out those buds would open and I could see if the species lived up to the common name of ‘Glory of Texas’. No such luck! Thelocactus bicolor and its many varieties are easy cacti to grow enjoying fresh air, sunshine and tolerating a little frost (if dry) in winter.

You can click here for a better image.

 

EDITORIAL and more.....

Welcome to the summer edition of Northants News.

Barry’s Open Day

We were at the committee meeting and discussing Barry’s Open Day. He said, ‘I need to make some space so I will be giving away my 2004 seedlings ’.

I said, ‘What? Free? Isn’t that a bit expensive, Barry?’

‘OK,’ said Barry, ‘I’ll pay you to take them away!’

Well, with an invitation like that I just had to go of course. Barry has a great collection and if it stopped raining and the sun came out there would have been a terrific show of flowers. However Milton Keynes doesn’t seem to know about the drought - rain fell down in buckets. Some of the gang were in the kitchen, ‘tea, no sugar and errrrr… OK just one piece of cake, please..’ It’s still raining… However it was nice and dry in the greenhouses and I delighted in some well grown plants.

Among the curiosities I spotted a Gymnocalycium megalothelon (a species the CITES Checklist would rather we called monvillei). With its distinctive spination it immediately stirred a memory from the previous week at Gloucester in John Foster’s collection. John’s similar looking plant was named Gymnocalycium ‘Jan Šuba’. However, this last is a hybrid between G. baldianum and denudatum with pink flowers and the two are related only by the similar areoles. Whatever the names on the labels I would love to see each plant in flower.

Left: A plant labelled Gymnocalycium megalothelon in Barry’s collection and Right: A plant labelled G. Jan Suba’ in John Foster’s collection in Gloucester. Spot the difference!

Barry’s plants from the Rebutia Group were flowering away to remind us that these are easy plants to both grow and flower. In the second warmer greenhouse were some choice plants and I was attracted by a corner of more tender cereus plants, especially the blue Pilosocereus. When I try to grow these they die as the temperature in my greenhouse drops below 5ºC (40ºF). Here they were thriving. Barry and Pam have a small but immaculate garden with some choice plants. Rhododendrons were in full bloom with a glorious scent (even in the rain) as we walked from one greenhouse to the other.

And those free seedlings? I expect everyone had some and the Ed was tempted by some Espostoas and Barry pointed out the last Matucana pallarensis. The remaining plants went home with Jeff for plant sales at our stalls over the next few months. We all enjoyed a great afternoon out. Thanks to Barry and Pam for their hospitality.

Haworthia tisleyi

At the Plant Fair at Kelmarsh there were some plants named Haworthia tisleyi that had been propagated by Arthur Holmes. This plant was a bit of a mystery, no one knew it and even Kelvin, our resident Haworthia expert, had never heard of it. The plants were small rooted offsets which gave little clue to a correct name.

Pulling out Scott and Bayer’s major Haworthia books produced some information. Both authors for once agree and both list the name as invalid.

The Genus Haworthia (Scott) P149

H. tisleyi Baker J. Linn Soc 18:208(1880); in Fl. Cap…….. Type: Cape. Without locality, no specimens traced.

Described from plants grown in Kew Garden in 1879 which were received from Mr. Tisley without specific locality. Baker records it as near to H. icosiphylla, and a near ally of H. glabrata var. concolor.

Haworthia Revisited (Bayer) P219

H. tisleyi Baker J. Linn Soc 18:208(1880) Type not preserved. A form of H. attenuata, possibly resembling this element, has been recorded from near Enon by P. V. Bruynes.

John Pilbeam wrote in his more readable book ‘Haworthia and Astroloba’; ‘Its origin unknown, this nondescript species is regarded by Bayer as probably of garden origin. Plants seen in collections under this name have affinities with H. glabrata or H. tortuosa and are of no appeal to the collector. Their apparent hybrid origins are underlined by their apparent inability to flower.

That might have been that but it was raining and cold outside so I continued my search to the internet. There were no pictures unfortunately. Several nurseries stock it and you could buy it from Uhlig Kakteen, in Germany for £2 - £5 where they list it as H. attenuata 'tisleyi'. Plants from US nurseries cost from £2 to £4. That made my 50p buy a snip!

Kew had a living plant, number 1964-3301 ‘Fully verified’ and donated by Mrs C. E. Whittal. The National Botanic Garden of Belgium also had one. Most relevant was a mention that ‘tisleyi’ was ISI 1343, so back to the bookcase for the ‘Cyclopedia of ISI Plants’. The plant was offered by the International Succulent Institute in 1982. The description reads:

ISI 1343

Haworthia tisleyi Baker. Another Haworthia described from living plants of unknown origin at Kew Gardens. It has long been considered as most probably a garden hybrid, but similar plants have been collected in the wild. Dark green, upright, it appears to be related to H. tuberculata because of the transverse rows of small greenish tubercles on the back of the leaf and the very small concolorous ones on the face. Rooted offsets of plants received from G. G. Smith #2763 collected in the Calitzdorp area, CP, SA.

So, a mystery; is it attenuata, icosiphylla, glabrata, tuberculata, glabrata,. tortuosa or a hybrid? And is my little offset a clone of the original Kew material or a propagation from the ISI distribution? Or even something completely different which has acquired the name ‘tisleyi’ along the way. Then I contacted Arthur and he told me immediately that the plant was in fact the ISI clone so I know it has at least a wild origin. Joyce Cocozza also kindly provided some help and a picture of a mature plant in her collection which looks the same.

Right: 50p worth of Haworthia tisleyi which turned out to be ISI 1343. 

Left: Joyce Coccosa’s reference plant of ‘tisleyi’.

The plant is still not a stunner, I agree with John Pilbeam, but the detective work was worthwhile, educational and passed a few hours.

This edition of the magazine brings you a varied selection. Auntie G has had a huge mailbox and gives great advice if you have a cactus related problem. Doug Rowland (from Bedford) recounts his unique insights into the world of trading seeds and Phil Andrews (from Kent) gives us the benefit of his early days. He is a whiz at those little cacti so perhaps I can persuade him to give us some advice on selecting some good species to grow and their cultivation.

Enjoy our magazine and good growing!

Trev

Stop Press! Four NMK members were among the 13 exhibitors at the Zone Show and won a fair sprinkling of prize cards. Jeff had to go to his mother-in-law’s 90th and sent his apologies. Ta committee thought this a poor excuse and he should have cancelled the birthday. More on this Show next issue.

LINKS

Northampton and Milton Keynes Branch of the B.C.S.S.

Back issues of the NMK Branch magazine

Northants News Volume 17.1

Northants News Volume 16.3

Northants News Volume 16.2

Northants News Volume 16.1

Northants News Volume 15.3

Northants News Volume 15.2