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[SANS] S. raffillii and S. grandis and THE END

The final instalment from the article by Horts Pfennig entitled "Grass-like
to tree-like: the Sansevierias" published in the Cactus and Succulent
Journal of Great Britain, Volume 41(3): 56-60 (1979). The article was
translated by Horst Pfennig and Peter Bally from Dr Pfennig's article
"Rasenbildend bis baumartig: die Sansevierien", in Gartenpraxis 1977, pp.
506-11.

S. raffillii was discovered at the beginning of this century in the Tsavo
District, well-inown because Kenya has a National Park with the same name.
Its range of distribution is, however, very much wider, though not yet
exactly determined. Shoots of mature plants produce 1-2 elongate-lanceolate
leaves, 1 m or more long and up to 15 cm wide, conspicuously marked with
large, pale green, elongated oval blotches or irregular transverse bands on
a darker green ground. In spite of the considerable space it requires it is
a very desirable species because of its spectacular dense inflorescence,
about 1 m high, and its beautifully marked leaves.

S. grandis, probably a native of South Africa, has a rhizome up to 3.5 cm
thick, from which it produces shoots with 3-5 elliptic leaves, up to 60 cm
long and 15 cm wide, bluish-green in colour with paler transverse bands
when young. Planted like an orchid in a hanging basket of wooden slats the
rhizomes will grow vertically downwards, sometimes to a length of several
metres, producing offshoots 20 to 40 cm distant. This species, easy to grow
and to propagate, though not readily flowering, is doubtlessly the most
decorative one of the genus because of its exotic habit. Also known as the
pendent Sansevieria, no large collection should be without it.

THAT'S IT FOLKS!!! WHEW!!!

Frances Verrity
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