Re: [aroid-l] Synandrospadix

From: "Randy Story" story at caltech.edu> on 2002.09.03 at 17:49:59(9324) Hi Leo, Did you bring the hellish temperatures here this weekend from Phoenix? 107? on Sunday, 104? yesterday (42? and 40? for most of the world). Ugh!!! Actually I was the one who found the Synandrospadix earlier this summer, although I think I mentioned it in a private response to a different subject on the other Aroid list. At the earlier sale I saw two plants of Synandrospadix, and I was pretty sure I remembered it was something interesting, so I bought one. A quick search confirmed my suspicions: Geoffrey Kibby had posted about a month earlier a link to a spectacular photo of this plant, which he still has up: http://members.aol.com/Geoffaroid/synandrospadix.jpg . So the next day I ran back and picked up the other plant. Quite a few people at the sale looked at me (or even questioned me) with puzzled expressions as to why I was buying just a "small leaf" that didn't even appear to be a succulent. The plants were just breaking dormancy and the larger of the two has since grown so that (I'm guessing--I don't have it in front of me) its leaves are about 12 inches (30 cm ) including petioles. I got them for $7.50 each, which I assume is a good price, since I don't know of anyone who sells them commercially. Leo, did you get the same reaction about buying the plant? Or perhaps the crowd was more sophisticated? I just checked the Huntington site and noticed a $70 registration fee for that symposium--so it must have been a pretty serious group. Or were people too busy buying things to notice? Thanks for all the info about this plant! Randy +More ---------- >From: "Leo A. Martin" >To: aroid-l@lists.ncsu.edu >Subject: [aroid-l] Synandrospadix >Date: Mon, Sep 2, 2002, 6:52 PM > > Hello, > > After this year's plant sale of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America > (CSSA), held annually the 4th of July weekend at the Huntington Library and > Botanical Gardens, somebody on this list posted that they found a > Synandrospadix vermitoxicus for sale at the Huntington booth. > > I was at the Huntington on Saturday of this past weekend for the annual > labor-day weekend Succulent Symposium, which this year covered succulent > plants of Africa. After the daytime lectures and before dinner, Symposiasts > are led to the plant sale growing area, fed chips, salsa, beer, and soft > drinks to steel their resolve, and turned loose with boxes. The Huntington > even has electric carts on hand to transport boxes to the parking area. I > was forced to purchase several plants, among them the aforementioned > Synandrospadix. > > The label says: > Synandrospadix vermitoxicus > ex HBG 60297 Kimnach et al. 2809 > Bolivia: Along Rio Mizque near Chujillas, 5700' in dry wash with > Gymnocalycium pflanzii, > Neocardenasia, etc. > > I saw at the symposium Myron Kimnach, editor of the CSSA Journal, former > director of the Huntington Botanical Garden, and collector of the plant, > and asked him about it. He had been on the trip with Seymour Linden, a > well-known C&S collector, explorer, and personality, and board member of the CSSA. > > He said the plant was in the middle of a dry, rocky and sandy wash, at the > base of a large > Neocardenasia herzogii cactus, with a Gymnocalycium pflanzii cactus right > next to it. There was no shade and it was very hot and sunny. The tuber was > around 18 inches in diameter. He said there is a lot of water there > sporadically in the summer, with some rain year-round, but much more in the > summer. It loses its leaves when dormant. The flower is without smell. > > Neocardenasia herzogii is a very fast-growing (3-4 feet per year here in > Phoenix) and very large columnar cactus with only 6 ribs when younger, > branching about 8' above the ground, and making 8" plus long spines up > until it branches. Higher growth lacks spines. It is notable for forming > short flowering branches at each upper areole (the felty pad from which > come spines, flowers, and new growth on cacti) from which new flowers are > produced each year, the flowering branches elongating with time in the > manner of a Hoya. It tolerates frosts to the mid 20s F at least if the next > day warms up over freezing a bit. > > Gymnocalycium is a very popular genus among cactus growers and G. pflanzii > is a very popular species. It has large white blooms repeatedly during the > summer if watered and fed well. > > Leo > -- > Leo A. Martin > Phoenix, Arizona, USA > > Like cactus and succulents? > Central Arizona Cactus and Succulent Society > http://www.centralarizonacactus.org >

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