[IGSROBIN] new Australian species

G'day Alby yourself,

You may be sizzling and eating hot turkey but we are not. It is cold, clear
and cold. The lemon growers in the Central Valley say they may have lost the
crop. The fruit dies at 28F (-2C) and the trees may die at 26F (-3C).
Oranges are hardier. Further south and nearer the coast it is not so bad. I
have a few species in flower P. carnosum looks great and P. crassipes with
its dark pink flowers and most attractive. P. inquinans - new for me - is
abloom yet. They don't seem to mind the cold nights (down to 4C). Nor do a
few zonals and ivy leaf types which are in flower - well, sort of.

Your Oz species are valuable just because of the climate they come from. You
might be able to make some really tough groundcover hybrids. And in view of
where it comes from I'd venture to say P. havlasae can take a few degrees of
frost on clear winter nights without a whimper. With our present cold snap I
think you might get some takers. By the way which group of Pel species does
it belong to? Is it crossable or are you just having enough problems keeping
it alive? It is probably blasphemy to suggest crossing to species types like
yourself (or me for that matter) but it might take something like a
successful cross for people there to take notice of what is out there in the
bush. I don't know how many species types there are round these parts either
but am sure there are not a lot. Maybe Cindi can get us the facts. Actually,
from that little survey I took a few months ago this Robin has a good
fraction of Pel species enthusiasts. Well above average, I'd say.

Merry Christmas to yourself and all other species types - I almost said
specimen.

Andrew
San Diego, California
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