Cushions

[christian pfalz]

my expierience, the compact cushions flowers better as a big size plant...

[Lesley Cox]

I had mine for about 8 years (a small nursery-bought plant) before it bloomed but one from it, from seed only took 5. Both plants are in very hot, dry troughs with what was originally a good mixture for Dianthus, Saponaria etc, but has never been replenished so must be very poor by now. They are never watered except by rain.

Not so good photo as Chis's but this plant is now about 50cms across lapping over the side and corner of a large limestone trough. It flowers well every year (many hundreds of flowers) and sets seed too though harvesting it is a very painful process. I use long-bladed tweezers and get only a tiny fraction of the seed it produces.

[christian pfalz]

hi lesley, excellent plant, i love this species...
regards
chris

[astragalus]

The plant is gorgeous, Lesley.  I'll have to start practicing patience.

[christian pfalz]

hi, astragalus angustifolia in bloom...

regards
chris

[christian pfalz]

hi, acantholimon snapshot....

cheers
chris

[ruweiss]

No flowers, but interesting anyway: Selaginella sanguinolenta

[Carlo]

Rudi,

Are you sure your Selaginella is not S. sibirica? I had what I THOUGHT was sanguinolenta identified (in the middle of a presentation) as sibirica....

[ruweiss]

Rudi,

Are you sure your Selaginella is not S. sibirica? I had what I THOUGHT was sanguinolenta identified (in the middle of a presentation) as sibirica....

Carlo,
I am never sure about the true identidy of my plants but always interested in a clear
identification. The plant at the photo is about 15 years in my collection and I got it
under this name. What is the difference between these 2 species?

[astragalus]

Liked your selaginella, even without flowers.  Here's something in full flower, although they're hard to see - Paronychia sessiliflora.  This one is in the crevice garden

[ranunculus]

Beautiful Paronychia, Anne ... in your INCREDIBLE crevice garden.

[cohan]

Liked your selaginella, even without flowers.  Here's something in full flower, although they're hard to see - Paronychia sessiliflora.  This one is in the crevice garden

really nice one, anne..

[astragalus]

Does this asperula qualify as a cushion? It may technically be a mat but in the crevice garden is growing like a cushion. Some plants are able to assume a different shape according to where they are growing. Never got around to photographing it in flower but it's nice in bud.

[Maggi Young]

Does this asperula qualify as a cushion? It may technically be a mat but in the crevice garden is growing like a cushion. Some plants are able to assume a different shape according to where they are growing. Never got around to photographing it in flower but it's nice in bud.

I hope it does qualify as a cushion, Anne or a number of exhibitors at SRGC shows will be most upset!

[Carlo]

Cushions are generally considered a form of mat plant (i.e. all cushions are mats, not all mats are cushions). A cushion is domed and looks like...a "cushion" should. Mats are generally flat. Both spread as they age.

Another crucial difference is that cushion domes are formed by terminal rosettes; that is the stems that radiate from the central structure of the plant have no living leaves on them until their tips. Mats, by contrast, could have leaves all along those stems.

Growth is also somewhat different. Cushions grow when terminal rosettes are replaced by new ones and the leaves of the old one senesce. Mats grow from their tips, can grow from their stems as new stems are formed in back of the apical shoots, and can root as they spread.

It's ironic that I haven't seen a lucid explanation of the difference between a "mat" and a "cushion" in any of the great books on alpines that I have in the library. Can anyone come up with a better distinction than the above?