July 29, 2011

a few Saintpaulia hybrids

Saintpaulia 'Precious Red' exhibited by Jerry Kast:

Saintpaulia 'Precious Red'

Saintpaulia 'Von's Small Gift' exhibited by Deanna Belli:

Saintpaulia 'Von's Small Gift'

Saintpaulia 'Minstrel's Mary Ruth' exhibited by Paul Kroll:

Saintpaulia 'Minstrel's Mary Ruth'

July 27, 2011

Kohleria 'Snakeskin'

Absolutely gorgeous foliage hybridized by John Boggan.  Grown by Deanna Belli and exhibited at The Gesneriad Society's 2011 Convention.

Kohleria 'Snakeskin'
Kohleria 'Snakeskin'

July 26, 2011

Petrocosmea minor

Tim Tuttle's Petrocosmea minor kinship group, exhibited at The Gesneriad Society's 2011 Convention:

Petrocosmea minor kinship group

Clockwise from the top: P. minor, P. 'Paul Kroll' (forrestii x minor), P. (rosettifolia x minor), P. 'Keystone's Blue Jay' (sericea x minor), and P. 'Keystone's Slippery Rock' (forrestii x minor).

You can read more about this entry on Tim Tuttle's blog, A Passion for Petrocosmea.

July 22, 2011

Sinningia 'John Fyfe'

Yesterday's post featured Sinningia 'John Fyfe', a hybrid by David Zaitlin.  As explained on the educational card entered with the plant at the 2011 Convention, this hybrid is several generations (self and sibling crosses) down from (Sinningia 'Ozark Scentimental Journey' x Sinningia speciosa 'Carangola').

Coincidentally, Sinningia 'Ozark Scentimental Journey' was in the 2011 Convention - here it is, exhibited by Charlene Marietti:

Sinningia 'Ozark Scentimental Journey'

And Sinningia speciosa 'Carangola' was exhibited by Ben Paternoster at the 2009 Convention of The Gesneriad Society:

Sinningia speciosa 'Carangola'

Here is Sinningia 'John Fyfe' one more time:

Sinningia 'John Fyfe'

July 21, 2011

Sinningia speciosa

One of the presentations at The Gesneriad Society's 2011 Convention was "Genetic Diversity in Sinningia speciosa: History and Origins of the Florist Gloxinia" by David Zaitlin, Ph.D. (University of Kentucky). If you are a member of The Gesneriad Society, you would have seen his article in the current issue of the Gesneriads journal. The journal includes illustrations of old prints, such as these:

P7091276
Presentation materials from David Zaitlin's lecture at the Convention.

David Zaitlin also exhibited a plant of Sinningia 'John Fyfe', named after the grower of the first known example of upward-facing peloric flowers.  You can see a print of John Fyfe's plant above, in the center top row.

Sinningia 'John Fyfe'

The hybrid Sinningia 'John Fyfe' contains non-speciosa blood in its ancestry, as explained in the educational card:

P7091313

David Zaitlin also exhibited an example of a "natural" (non-peloric) form of Sinningia speciosa, with more slipper-shaped flowers. This one is referred to as Sinningia speciosa 'Serra da Vista':

Sinningia speciosa 'Serra da Vista'

For more reading, the article in the Gesneriads journal is highly recommended.

July 19, 2011

Sinningia 'Prudence Risley'

Sinningia 'Prudence Risley' exhibited by Nancy Bruhns at the 2011 Convention of The Gesneriad Society.

Sinningia 'Prudence Risley'

July 18, 2011

Stellar Kohleria hybrid

A beautiful example of a lovely hybrid, Kohleria 'Peridots Kitlope', exhibited by Eileen McGrath at the 2011 Convention of The Gesneriad Society. Score: 98 points.

Kohleria 'Peridots Kitlope'

July 15, 2011

Saintpaulia ionantha and Streptocarpus johannis

A couple of familiar species: Saintpaulia ionantha subsp. grandifolia #237 (native to Tanzania), exhibited by Paul Kroll:

Saintpaulia ionantha subsp. grandifolia #237

and Streptocarpus johannis, a South African species, exhibited by Bob Stewart:

Streptocarpus johannis

July 14, 2011

Nematanthus corticola

Perhaps the most photographed plant at the 2011 Convention was this spectacular specimen of Nematanthus corticola, exhibited by Charlene Marietti and awarded Best in Show.  Nematanthus corticola grows on trees and rocks in its native Bahia, Brazil.

Nematanthus corticola

July 13, 2011

a couple of favorites

A personal favorite from the show: Chirita longgangensis (crested form), exhibited by Ben Paternoster at the 2011 Convention of The Gesneriad Society.

Chirita longgangensis (crested form)

And one of my favorite Petrocosmea species, Petrocosmea formosa, exhibited by Barbara Stewart.

Petrocosmea formosa

July 12, 2011

Streptocarpus cyanandrus

Exhibited by Tim Tuttle at the 2011 Convention of The Gesneriad Society. Score: 95 points. This is one of the smaller Streptocarpus species and much loved by many, but reportedly tough to grow.

Streptocarpus cyanandrus

Streptocarpus cyanandrus

July 10, 2011

Nautilocalyx

Nautilocalyx forgetii exhibited by Charlene Marietti at The Gesneriad Society's 2011 Convention:
Nautilocalyx forgetii

Nautilocalyx forgetii

Nautilocalyx sp. nova 9604023 exhibited by Paul Kroll:
Nautilocalyx sp. nova 9604023
Nautilocalyx sp. nova 9604023

Nautilocalyx equatoranus exhibited by Paul Kroll:
Nautilocalyx equatoranus

July 9, 2011

Drymonia uninerva

Exhibited by Lynn Cook and Ray Troy at the 2011 Convention of The Gesneriad Society. Score: 91 points. Drymonia uninerva hails from Costa Rica.

Drymonia uninerva

micro miniature Sinningia

The plant material portion of an educational exhibit by Irene Sobotincic at the 2011 Convention of The Gesneriad Society, containing Sinningia muscicola, 'White Sprite', pusilla, concinna, 'Star Eyes', 'Bright Eyes', 'Little Wood Nymph' and 'Little Tiger'.  Score: 96 points.

Educational display on miniature Sinningia

Sinningia bulbosa

A beautiful specimen of Sinningia bulbosa exhibited by Lynn Cook and Troy Ray. Score: 96 points. (The score sheet says "WOW!")

Sinningia bulbosa

July 8, 2011

Chirita, Kohleria, Saintpaulia

Some of the Chirita, Kohleria, and Saintpaulia at the 2011 Convention:

Flowering Chirita at the Convention

Kohlerias at the Convention


Saintpaulia

Flower Show at The Gesneriad Society 2011 Convention

The show room door was open on Thursday so I snapped a quick photo:

show room sneak peak

It looks like a great show! Judging should be about done when this post goes live.  The Flower Show will be open on Friday from 2-5pm and 9:15-10:30 pm, and on Saturday from 9-3.

presentations at The Gesneriad Society's 2011 Convention

We're into the fourth day of the Convention and a lot has been on the schedule. Dale Martens held a session on Streptocarpus (mostly on vegetative propagation), and Karyn Cichocki on underwater design.  Stephen Maciejewski and Jim Roberts spoke about their two separate trips to China. Ingrid Lindskog led a session on conservation. The Gesneriad Hybridizers Association held their meeting, at which David Zaitlin spoke about yellow Sinningia hybrids (including 'Butter and Cream', recently mentioned here) and Dale Martens shared photographs of recent hybrids by others.  Three students gave short presentations of their research -- Laura Frost (undergraduate, University of Alabama) on "Origins of radial floral symmetry in the New World members of the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae," Lacie Schulte (Research Assistant, Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University) on "Evolutionary relationships within a subset of species within the genus Columnea," and Jeremy Keene (Ph.D. student, Plant Systematics, Ohio University) on "An examination of the Monopyle sodiroana species complex." A panel discussion on growing moderated by Paul Kroll featured Arleen Dewell, Timothy Tuttle, Beverley Williams, and Leonard Re.  Dr. Michael Kotarski (Niagara University, Lewiston, NY) presented on "The phylogenetics of the genus Petrocosmea."

Petrocosmea phylogenetics
Mulling over Petrocosmea over a glass of wine.

Not enough plant talk for you?  How about a trip to Chanticleer, judging-oriented sessions, and many informal discussions over coffee, meals, wine and gelato? And there's more to come, plus a Show as well.

The 2011 Convention sales room

There was a distinct feeling of euphoria during the first few hours of the plant sales at the Convention.  A room full of plants.  A table full or rare things. Another of new things. Tables (yes, multiple) of Sinningia.  Boxes of rhizomes.  Some of the first people in were also the last people out, taking their time looking through all the offerings.  The sales room is also a place for chatting with friends, asking about culture and parentage, and talking about trying new things.

first night in the sales room

At the end of the evening, most of the tables were still well stocked with plant material.  The sales room will be open on Friday from 9-5, and Saturday from 9-12 and 2-3.

Episcia

Saintpaulia

some of the Sinningia

Chirita sales