2018 Sunset Succulent Society

D R Y T I M E S

VOL. 118 APRIL 2018 NO. 4

President: Rosalie Gorchoff Editor: Nels Christianson

(310) 822-1783 (310) 396-1231

nelsico@gmail.com

April meeting Tuesday, April 3, 2018

7:30 pm

Burton W. Chace County Park 13650 Mindanao Way, Marina del Rey

PROGRAM Karen Ostler

Getting Ready for the Spring Show: A Digital Presentation

PLANT OF THE MONTH

CACTUS: Trichocereinae: Echinopsis

SUCCULENT:

Aizoaceae: Prominent Roots: Aloinopsis, Mestoklema

Longtime Sunset member, expert grower and frequent show chair Karen Ostler will return this year to give a digital presentation about getting plants ready for our show. She will discuss grooming, choice of pot, plant placement, soil mixtures, and top dressings. Unlike in years past, Karen will not give a hands-on staging presentation nor will she transplant and stage members’ plants.

** If your last name begins with C - G please bring in goodies for the refreshment table. 2018 Plant of the Month MONTH CACTUS SUCCULENT April Trichocereinae: Echinopsis Aizoaceae: Prominent Roots: Aloinopsis, Mestoklema May Cacteae: Mammillaria, straight Euphorbiaceae: Medusa type spine, cluster June Cacteae: Coryphantha, Vitaceae: Cissus, Cyphostemma

Escobaria, etc. September Echinocereinae: Echinocereus Apocynaceae: Stapelia, Hoodia, etc. October Cactoid: Copiapoa Asphodelaceae: Aloes endemic to Madagascar November Cacteae: Astrophytum Crassulaceae: Crassula

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2018 CACTUS AND SUCCULENT CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS

APR. 7-8 SOUTH COAST CACTUS AND SUCCULENT SOCIETY SHOW & SALE SOUTH COAST

BOTANICAL GARDENS, 26300 CRENSHAW BLVD., PALOS VERDES, CA 9AM-4PM INFO: heidihusnak@gmail.com or http://www.southcoastcss.org

APR. 29 HUNTINGTON PLANT SALE 10 TO 5:00 HUNTINGTON BOTANICAL GARDENS, 1151 OXFORD ROAD, SAN MARINO, CA. 626-405-3504

MAY 5-6 SUNSET SUCCULENT SOCIETY SHOW AND SALE VETERANS MEMORIAL CENTER, MULTIPURPOSE RM, 4117 OVERLAND AVE., CULVER CITY, CA. INFO. 310-822-1783

MAY 6 SOUTH BAY EPIPHYLLUM SOCIETY SHOW AND SALE---9am to 4pm SOUTH COAST BONTANICAL GARDENS, INFO. 310-833-6823

MAY 11-12 GATES CACTUS AND SUCCULENT SOCIETY 36TH SHOW AND SALE FRI & SAT 9-4:30 pm, INFO. 909-910-9195

MAY 19-20 LONG BEACH CACTUS CLUB PLANT SHOW AND SALE 10-4 pm RANCHO LOS

ALAMITOS, 6400 BIXBY HILL ROAD, LONG BEACH, CA INFO. 562-631-5876

MAY 26-27 CENTRAL COAST CACTUS & SUCCULENT SOCIETY ANNUAL SHOW & SALE (10-4PM), LUDWICK CENTER, 864 SANTA ROSA, SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA – INFO. 805-237-2054, www.centralcoastcactus.org

JUNE 2-3 SAN DIEGO CACTUS AND SUCCULENT SOCIETY—SUMMER SHOW & SALE BALBOA PARK, ROOM 101, SAN DIEGO, CA INFO. 858-382-1797

JUNE 9-10 LOS ANGELES CACTUS and SUCCULENT SOCIETY PLANT SHOW AND SALE JUNE 9th 9-4, JUNE 10th 9-3

SEPULVEDA GARDEN CENTER, 16633 MAGNOLIA BLVD., ENCINO, CA. INFO. www.lacss-show.com

JUN 29-JUL 1 CSSA ANNUAL SHOW AND SALE –HUNTINGTON BOTANICAL GARDENS

1151 OXFORD ROAD, SAN MARINO, CA., 626-405-3504 PLANTS SALES START JUNE 29TH THRU JULY 1ST 10AM-5PM SHOW OPENS JUNE 30th THRU JULY 1ST 10AM-5PM JULY 19-21 ORANGE COUNTY CACTUS AND SUCCULENT SUMMER SHOW AND SALE

THURS 19TH 6PM-9PM, FRI 9AM-7PM, SAT 9AM-5PM, 1000 S. STATE COLLEGE BLVD. (ANAHEIM UNITED METHODIST CHURCH), ANAHEIM CA, 949-212-8417

AUG 11-12 33RD ANNUAL INTERCITY SHOW AND SALE AT THE LA COUNTY ARBORETUM 9AM-5PM DAILY, 301 N. BALDWIN AVE, ARCADIA CA, INFO CALL TOM GLAVICH 626-798-2430 or JOHN MARTINEZ 805-390-2139 SEPT 1 HUNTINGTON BOTANICAL GARDENS SUCCULENT SYMPOSIUM ALL DAY AT THE HUNTINGTON, 626-405-3504 SPET 15 LONG BEACH CACTUS CLUB ANNUAL PLANT AUCTION, 12-5PM RANCHO LOS ALAMITOS, 6400 BIXBY HILL ROAD, LONG BEACH CA 90615 INFO: 562-631-5876 OCT 13-14 BAKERSFIELD CACTUS AND SUCCULENT SOCIETY SHOW AND SALE, SAT 10-5, SUN 11-3, ST. PAUL’S CHURCH, 2216 17TH STREET, BAKERSFIELD CA 93304 FREE ADMISSION & PARKING, INFO: 661-831-8488 OCT 27-28 PALOMAR CACTUS AND SUCCULENT SOCIETY FALL SHOW AND SALE

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SAT 10-5, SUN 10-3, SAN DIEGO BOTANIC GARDENS, 230 QUAIL GARDENS RD, ENCINITAS CA, INFO: BritaMiller1@gmail.com NOV 10-11 SAN GABRIEL CACTUS AND SUCCULENT SOCIETY SHOW AND SALE BOTH DAYS 9AM-4PM, LA COUNTY ARBORETUM, ARCADIA CA INFO: MANNY RIVERA 626-780-6957 or JOHN MATTHEWS 661-714-1052

March 2018 Plant of the Month Winners

Junior Cactus No entries

Senior Cactus 1st Place William Wilk Opuntia picarodoi 2nd Place William Wilk Opuntia paraguayense

Open Cactus 1st Place Karen Ostler Tephrocactus bruchii ssp. geometricans 2nd Place Karen Ostler Tephrocactus bonnieae Laurel Woodley Tunilla corrugata 3rd Place Karen Ostler Opuntia subterranean Nels Christianson Quiabentia zehntneri

Junior Succulent 1st Place Coni Nettles Gasteria ‘Green Ice’ 2nd Place Lemono Lott Gasteria armstrongii Lee Freehling Gasteria liliputana 3rd Place Coni Nettles Gasteria ‘Little Warty’ Gretchen Davis Gasteria glomerata x

Senior Succulent 1st Place Rosalie Gorchoff Gasteria ellaphieae 2nd Place William Wilk Gasteria ‘Little Warty’ William Wilk Gasteria maculata 3rd Place William Wilk Gasteria liliputana Rosalie Gorchoff Gasteraloe

Open Succulent 1st Place Karen Ostler Gasteria ‘Green Ice’ 2nd Place Laurel Woodley Gasteria batesiana Jim Hanna Gasteria ‘Sun Kissed’ (Bill Baker) 3rd Place Nels Christianson Gasteria excelsa Nels Christianson Gasteria obtusifolia

The March POM judges were Coni Nettles and Jim Jaeger accompanied by Laurel Woodley.

Plant of the Month, Cactus: Trichcocereinae: Echinopsis

Echinopsis hybrids have been highly developed by growers led by Robert Schick, they have their own pages in

International Succulent Institute introductions, and special tables devoted to them at the Huntington Botanical Garden

annual sale. Modern taxonomy has combined Echinopsis, Lobivia and Trichocereus and most recent authors have

described all three under Echinopsis although Joel Lodé who has based his recent work, “Taxonomy of the Cactaceae” on

DNA studies disagrees and keeps all three as separate genera. The plants are globose and generally less than one foot in

height. There are 23 recognized species. The genus can be found in Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay

growing in woodlands and meadows with stony soils.

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Echinopsis have flowers that are scaly and woolly with a prominent ring of stamens in the throat. Lobivia generally have

a short floral tube, flowers that open during the day, and have white or brightly colored flowers. Echinopsis tend to have

a long floral tube, and the species usually have white, pinkish or yellowish translucent flowers. There are exceptions to

these generalities however, and many intermediate genera were created and abandoned in attempts to clarify the

relationships. There are species that intergrade between between Lobivia and Echinopsis and Trichocereus.

In this genus, the awards for enchantment must go to the Schick Hybrids. Some CSSA Journals have displayed their

amazing flowers. They are annual show-stoppers at the Huntington. Everyone should have some of these plants.

Echinopsis oxygona from Southern Brazil is one of true species with spectacular white to light pink flowers.

Echinopsis ancistrophora with its long pinkish tubular flowers is probably the most common species where it is found in

gardens even where low temperatures reach 25ºF.

References:

Anderson, E. The Cactus Family; Cullman, Gotz and Groner, The Encyclopedia of Cacti; Innes, C. and Glass, C.,

Cacti

Tom Glavich and Ed.

Echinopsis flowers Echinopsis aurea, Córdoba, Argentina

Plant of the Month, Succulent: Aizoaceae: Prominent Roots: Aloinopsis, Mestoklema The genus Aloinopsis comprises around ten species of succulent plants with large tuberous root systems hailing from the

Western and Northern Cape regions of South Africa. Closely related to Titanopsis and Nananthus, they have striped

flowers which appear in late winter and early spring and are mostly yellow although A. rosulata often has pale orange

flowers. They enjoy full sun except during the hottest part of the year. They are summer dormant and should be only

lightly watered during that season. Aloinopsis plants a prone to spider mite and root rot. They should only be fertilized

once in the spring growing season.

The genus Mestoklema is found in southern Africa. Scientists differ as to the existence of two to seven species of

caudiciform plants. The most commonly recognized are M. arboriforme and M. tuberosum. M arboriforme, named in

1936, from Namibia and South Africa. It is a sun loving plants which in nature can grow up to two and a half feet.

Flowers can be white to orange. M. tuberosum grows in norther South Africa and has reddish pink or salmon flowers. It

was named in 1981. This species also grows in full sun. Delosperma napiforme from the island of Réunion in the Indian

Ocean has been identified by some as Mestoklema macrorhizum but does not seem to be an accepted species of the

genus.

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Aloinopsis rubralineata showing swollen roots Aloinopsis rubralineata, pictures by N. Christianson

CSSA JOURNAL SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2017 Synopsis of Selected Articles

A new species of Aloe from the Lúrio Waterfalls in Mozambique Authors Tom A. McCoy, Antonius JH Rulkens and Obety Baptista introduce and describe Aloe argentifolia, a new species with silvery-grey leaves that grows in the isolated, mid-river rock outcroppings in the Lúrio River Cataract of northeastern Mozambique. This species with decumbent stems has leaves that turn reddish during the dry season. The flowers are red to reddish orange. A. argentifolia is compared to A. mawii. It is the seventh described endemic aloe of Mozambique. An introduction to cactus areoles part II In this eleven-page, well-illustrated article, James D. Mauseth discusses spines, glochids, the shoot apical meristem of an areole and diversity of areoles on an individual plant. Among the many interesting observations made, the author writes that “most cactus spines…seem smooth, but studies with scanning electron microscopy show that in many species, the spine epidermis is rough, knobby, or cracked.” In discussing glochids, he states that they “occur only in subfamily Opuntioideae, no other cacti have them” and continues, “Most opuntioid areoles produce their compliment of normal spines first then switch to producing glochids afterward”. In one of his concluding remarks the author comments “For students looking for research projects, I recommend studying the growth and development of cactus areoles. They are so diverse throughout the family that they must hold many clues about cactus evolution and ecology.” Book Review: “The genus Ceropegia” Tim Harvey reviews “The genus Ceropegia” by Dennis de Kock, a book of 62 pages, over 350 color photos and 23 distribution maps. This book includes two chapters on taxa, a chapter in which species are listed alphabetically with images, a chapter containing maps, a chapter on cultivation which includes a section on grafting, and ends with a bibliography. Although the chapters on species and on maps could be improved, Tim considers this volume an invaluable resource as a reference and recommends that clubs acquire a copy for their library. Book Review: “Succulents in cultivation – breeding new cultivars” Tim Harvey reviews this massive tome of 248 pages by Gordon D. Rowley, with over 400 photos and illustrations of succulent cultivars. As stated in the review, “hybrids are now everywhere and here to stay”. The first part of the book is complimented for its many “useful areas, from taxonomy to evolution, genetics and cultivation”. The second part of the

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book presents chapters on succulent plant families, starting with Cactaceae, followed by Crassulaceae, both of which receive ample treatment. Following these are chapters on the many other succulent genera. Tim notes that the Epilogue is of interest due to its mixture of pictures of bizarre plants from various families. The bibliography and index at the end will be useful. Pictures of some of the well-known hybridizers and the fact that the quality of the paper and printing is excellent and the binding strong round out the attributes of this book which receives a well-deserved recommendation. Obituary: Iris Sheila Collenette (1927-2017) Tom McCoy reminisces about and gives tribute to Sheila Collenette, a longtime friend of his and a Fellow of the CSSA, who the botanical world recently lost. A full twenty taxa have been named in her honor, including Aloe collenetteae and A. sheilae. Ms. Collenette had already spent many years botanizing in Borneo when she and her husband moved to Saudi Arabia in 1972. During the next 26 years she devoted herself to listing all the plants found growing within that country. In 1985 her two books, “An Illustrated guide to the Flowers of Saudi Arabia” was published, followed by “Wildflowers of Saudi Arabia” in 1999. By then she had documented over 2,100 taxa for the country. Nine aloes, two ceropegias and a rhytidocaulon were described by Ms. Collenette, mostly in conjunction with John Lavranos. Additionally, there is an important article (“Molecular analysis of the genus Eriosyce”) by Fred Kattermann and Leo Chance continues his series “Pushing the Limits: landscaping with cacti and succulents” with his article #26.

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DRY TIMES is published monthly by the Sunset Succulent Society (SSS), whose officers are:

President Rosalie Gorchoff (310) 822-1783 Vice Pres. Laurel Woodley, Plant of the Month

Secretary Peggy Oberg (310) 645-7946 Treasurer Gretchen Davis

Membership: Coni Nettles

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