I'd wonder about Parodia (Notocactus) scopa or one of its forms. The Thelocactus does look like bicolor. it sounds as if clones may vary a lot, because I have a couple of seedlings which have flowered well. They're in 2&3/4" pots. They currently have a fair bit of sooty mould on (see other ...

I don't have the 1C or 21C stamps, but do have the others you show. (I don't have a 7C stamp either.) There is also a Stapelia grandiflora stamp without a monetary value, this is dated 1992; the 5 Rand stamp is 1990 & the others 1988.

Depends on the species. Some like utahensis & parryi should be OK outside. I've had parviflora & utahensis v eborispina survive outdoors, exposed to all the winter weather here in Sheffield. The US journal had an article in 2002 on hardy Agaves, & as well as utahensis & parrryi, sugg...

Julie

How about starting with a South African stamp?

Mike T
Sheffield branch



Post Edited (11-02-06 19:31)

Try spraying with water & washing up liquid, leave for several minutes to soak, then spray with clean water to rinse. On some plants gentle cleaning with a toothbrush may be needed as well, if you can get at it. I haven't tried this technique on sooty mould (must get round to trying it in the sp...

Aloe aristata is hardy outdoors & shouldn't come to any harm with water now. Mine survives outside in the snow & frost, with wet compost all winter, without any problem. Saves space in the greenhouse.

MikeT
sheffield branch member, experimenting with winter hardy C & S

If it has to be that big to turn caudiciform, I'll need to move house/inherit Kew glasshouse/similar if mine is ever going to get to that size. I don't rate it's chances too highly

MikeT

My current plant is 4-5ft high & no sign of thorns/spines. The other one I had (can't remember if I gave it away or killed it) had produced some quite reasonable spines by that size. The spines develop on older growth, on bark that was previously smooth. They weren't present on new growth. It do...

I find it's more or less deciduous, but depends on watering. I put it at the top of a loft staircase, some light from a Velux window, but tend to let it go dry & it then drops its leaves. If I'm late watering in spring, the ends of shoots sometimes dry up. It's only branched for me after losing ...

The 98 journal pictures look much more like the "insignis" than the "speciosa" pictures as far as petal/flower shape & colour goes. The article decribes the "wavy margined petal" (BCSJ vol16 p3,4). The speciosa picture on the link doesn't match too well. Do you have...