"Fat Plants" : cacti,succulents, caudiciforms, whatever..

[cohan]

don't they showcase the most amazing plants and places, maggi? (penroc) some of the seed they sell is a bit problematic, i'm afraid, but i received a replacement for last year's and lets hope they germinate

helen--yes, another whole world to explore--actually several worlds!

[vivienr]

Those that have not yet looked at Diane's new Midland Diary entry might like to pay it a visit for a nice display of fatties (and snow).

www.alpinegardensociety.net/diaries/Midland/+January+/249/

[pel1]

Hi Cohan, thanks for the Penrock link-I m wasn't aware of this site and there is some good stuff there, I will explore it when I have more time.
You really need to get into those geophytic pellies!-they really are addictive, very collectable and mostly small growers.
I don't have any photos of my own plants in flower at the moment, but here is a nice p.triste in flower at Wisley last month.
Also, a few of my own plants in leaf this year, I will try and get decent photos of the flowers when they hopefully flower in the spring.
Do you have any photos of your own favourites?

[maggiepie]

Vivien, thanks for the link, not only are there some terrific plants there, I think I just identified one of my unknown Haworthias.
I now think my #8 pic might be Haworthia viscosa.

James, I love the foliage on your last pic, it looks like an erodium leaf.
Think I might have to start looking into these pellies too.

[cohan]

Hi Cohan, thanks for the Penrock link-I m wasn't aware of this site and there is some good stuff there, I will explore it when I have more time.
You really need to get into those geophytic pellies!-they really are addictive, very collectable and mostly small growers.
I don't have any photos of my own plants in flower at the moment, but here is a nice p.triste in flower at Wisley last month.
Also, a few of my own plants in leaf this year, I will try and get decent photos of the flowers when they hopefully flower in the spring.
Do you have any photos of your own favourites?

these are all very nice
i dont have any pellies at all now--i've just grown scenteds and zonals in the past, but i had some nice zonals i kept indoors (in my old shop with huge windows) for several years, and i had them staked up into big bushes that flowered all year..
i've been coveting the succulent and geophyte spp for years, but no chance to acquire any- i esp like those with fat stems..

[pel1]

maggiepie - less kind people have compared them to carrots!

cohan - these geophytes can be grown from seed in the same way as the more familiar pellies, just beware of overwatering as they mature. I grew some of the shrubbier species that gave rise to the garden hybrids from seed for the first time this year, they are doing well so far so I am hoping for a good display later this summer.

-James.

[johnw]

Those that have not yet looked at Diane's new Midland Diary entry might like to pay it a visit for a nice display of fatties (and snow).

www.alpinegardensociety.net/diaries/Midland/+January+/249/

Diane - A nice collection. Is that Haworthia retusa just above the "Haw" of Haworthia viscosa?  Also I spy a well-grown Frithia or Fenestraria (?) in the background - well done.

johnw

[johnw]

My Frithias remain well above ground level the year round - I not too sure how to get them to 'retract' as they do in nature 

I'm not particularly successful with Conophytum, and I'm not too sure whether it's my cultivation technique or my unique growing conditions, but I do have some success and also have my favorites, e.g. C. khamiesbergensis (...which does surprisingly well for me!), C. herreanthus and C. ectypum in all its forms. One I can't grow at all, and would dearly like to is C. burgeri, here's a tray full (if rather overwatered!) I saw growing in a nursery in the Western Cape - maybe in my next life... 

Rogan  - Beautiful Conophytums, all gift-wrapped and ready to go.

johnw

[cohan]

maggiepie - less kind people have compared them to carrots!

cohan - these geophytes can be grown from seed in the same way as the more familiar pellies, just beware of overwatering as they mature. I grew some of the shrubbier species that gave rise to the garden hybrids from seed for the first time this year, they are doing well so far so I am hoping for a good display later this summer.

-James.

i always thought it would be fun to grow those species (hybrid ancestors) as well..
the pellies in general are on my list to grow from seed when i find some good ones available--its such a long list i just havent done it yet...lol

[Diane Clement]

Diane - A nice collection. Is that Haworthia retusa just above the "Haw" of Haworthia viscosa?  Also I spy a well-grown Frithia or Fenestraria (?) in the background - well done.  johnw  

Hey, the well done isn't to me, these aren't mine, they belong to my husband!  I don't think there's H retusa, but on the left of the picture is a cross generic H truncata x Aloe sp.  I shall go and get a better picture of it, also there is a much better condition straight H truncata, I'll also check out the Frithia, as there is interest for succulents in this thread.

[johnw]

Diane - A nice collection. Is that Haworthia retusa just above the "Haw" of Haworthia viscosa?  Also I spy a well-grown Frithia or Fenestraria (?) in the background - well done.  johnw  

Hey, the well done isn't to me, these aren't mine, they belong to my husband!  I don't think there's H retusa, but on the left of the picture is a cross generic H truncata x Aloe sp.  I shall go and get a better picture of it, also there is a much better condition straight H truncata, I'll also check out the Frithia, as there is interest for succulents in this thread.

Diana  - You're right! I have just changed my 20 year old + label to read H. truncata.  Thanks #2. Thanks #1 can be relayed to your husband.

johnw

[Diane Clement]

A few of these "fat plants" from here.  Because they are my husband's plants, not mine, I had to check all the names and some of them seem to have changed    I was rather horrified to discover that they are no longer in the family Aloeaceae, but in an unpronounceable and unspellable new family Xanthorrhoeaceae

Gasterias first

Gasteria batesiana
and close up
Gasteria brachyphylla
Gasteria nitida var armstrongii
Gasteria carinata var verrucosa

[Diane Clement]

And closely related Haworthias

Haworthia arachnoidea var arachnoidea (was H pearsonii)
Haworthia attenuata
Haworthia attenuata var attenuata
Haworthia coarctaca var coarctaca
Haworthia coarctaca salem

[Diane Clement]

a few more Haworthias

Haworthia glauca var herrei (was H armstrongii)
Haworthia limifolia
Haworthia mirabilis var triebneria (was var nitidula)
label from the last one

[cohan]

A few of these "fat plants" from here.  Because they are my husband's plants, not mine, I had to check all the names and some of them seem to have changed    I was rather horrified to discover that they are no longer in the family Aloeaceae, but in an unpronounceable and unspellable new family Xanthorrhoeaceae

nice plants, congrats to your husband--i esp like seeing the mature clumps of haworthia
the family change was news to me! i'd been most recently thinking of the family as Asphodelaceae..
here's what wikkipedia says--i guess the change is not universally supported:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xanthorrhoeaceae
an extract:
The APG II system also recognizes this family and places the family in the order Asparagales, in the clade monocots and allows two options:

sensu lato: the family consists not only of the genus Xanthorrhoea but also of the plants that otherwise would be in families Asphodelaceae and Hemerocallidaceae.
sensu stricto: the family consists only of the genus Xanthorrhoea. In this option, the families Asphodelaceae and Hemerocallidaceae are recognized as separate, satellite families.
In previous systems of plant taxonomy the plants that now form the family Dasypogonaceae were also reckoned to belong to this family