[IGSROBIN] Spring species
- To: I*@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
- Subject: [IGSROBIN] Spring species
- From: A* <a*@FDA.NET>
- Date: Mon, 8 Mar 1999 23:02:42 -0800
- Importance: Normal
Hi All!
It has been quiet around here for a while. Other than reply to a query I
have remained silent for a week or two. We do spend a large fraction of our
time talking about species Pels. For me that is fine but it may bore some
people and I believe it does. So, if you belong among them just tune this
out! I've no objection to other subjects and would like seeing them appear
more often but I have less that I can usefully add on them.
Anyhow, the Spring species have been blooming for weeks in this gusty, cool
spring season. One of them has really caught my fancy. It is P. karooicum.
The name sounds strange (it comes from the Karoo, a semi-desert area in
South Africa). What caught my attention are the large and beautiful flowers
it has, even on a small plant. They are each nearly two inches (5 cm) from
top to bottom and about 1.5 inches across. The color of the two upper petals
is white with deep red to purple streaks and the bottom two are deep pink.
The five tepals (behind the petals)are apple green. The effect is totally
dramatic.
When I looked it up in one of the van der Walt volumes the description and
picture did make it sound similar. However, the flowers on mine are larger
and the colors seem much brighter. Now I am trying to remember where I got
mine from. Cindi, were you responsible in that group from LA?
Does anyone else grow it?
Andrew
San Diego, California
