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Re: pelargonium sididoides (sidoides; sidaefolium?)

>Date: Fri, 20 Feb 1998 17:23:27 -0800
>Reply-To: sean.ohara@ucop.edu
>Sender: owner-medit-plants@ucdavis.edu
>From: "Sean A. O'Hara" <sean.ohara@ucop.edu>
>To: medit-plants@ucdavis.edu, IGSRobin@maelstrom.stjohns.edu
>Subject: Re: pelargonium sididoides (sidoides; sidaefolium?)
>Mime-Version: 1.0
>X-Sender: sohara@popserv.ucop.edu
>Status: U
>
>At 01:22 PM 2/20/98 PST, rachel wrote:
>>Well, if I can digress from zonal pelargoniums for a moment, I'd love
>>to plug a beautiful pelargonium that I planted last year.  P.
>>sididoides has beautiful grey-blue leaves and small charming magenta
>>flowers with an orange eye all year long.  It grows in low mounds, about 12"
>> by 24", and propagates by means of runners.  Few of the little
>>plantlets (what is the technical word for these) seem to root of
>>their own accord.  But I've had good luck cutting them off, rooting
>>them inside, and transplanting them.
>>
>>I have had no trouble with any diseases, and it seems to get by with
>>benign neglect.
>
>This species made a sudden appearance on our horticultural scene a
>couple of years (or so) ago, and has not become a 'regular' in the
>nursery trade.  In trying to find out more about this species, I can to
>find the following:
>
>- It is in the section (of Pelargonium) Cortusina, along with P. fragrans
>  (the 'Nutmeg' scented Geranium), P. crassicaule, P. reniforme
>
>- It was apparently previously classified as a form of P. reniforme, but
>  was given separate status as P. sidaefolium (I think 'sidoides' is a name
>  of dubious distinction).  P. reniforme is very similar, but with magenta
>  flowers.
>
>- It comes from the Eastern Cape of South Africa, where many of the most
>  versitile garden plants come (conditions are variable in the area between
>  the winter & summer rainfall areas, hence plants are more adaptable).
>
>I've been trying to track down the origin of the name 'sidoides', and to
>verify if my assumption (above) is correct (there is enough proof for me
>but then its always nice to have confirmation).
>
>My wife and I enjoy this plant.  We grow on in a pot along with our
>collection of scented (it has no scent, just interesting character ;-).  I
>took numerous cutting last year, all of which rooted easily (perhaps the
>reason it has become so ubiquitous in the trade!), and am now planning to
>plant some in the garden.  The 'runners' Rachel mentions above seem to be
>the long, branched, flower stems, which produce flowers repeatedly over a
>long period.  Having seen this type of flower panicle on my various P.
>fragrans cultivars, I cut them off when they get to ridiculously long.
>Left on, they can produce plantlets.  These can be used for propagation, but
>I found that the numerous stems of the clump strike faster and grow into
>a better plant more quickly.
>
> Sean A. O'Hara                     sean.ohara@ucop.edu
> 710 Jean Street                    (510) 987-0577
> Oakland, California 94610-1459     h o r t u l u s   a p t u s
> U.S.A.                             'a garden suited to its purpose'
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PS By the way sidoides was its name in my Bailey Cyclopoedia published in 1911!
>
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