ruthbancroftgarden:

Cyrtanthus obliquus and Cyrtanthus herrei

Cyrtanthus belongs to the Amaryllis Family (Amaryllidaceae), with many species present in southern Africa. Mostly they have tubular flowers which are on the small side, but a few have large nodding flowers, including Cyrtanthus obliquus and Cyrtanthus herrei. We do not usually see them in flower simultaneously, since C. obliquus is summer-flowering (mostly June and July here at the Ruth Bancroft Garden in California), while C. herrei is autumn-flowering. However, this year one of our obliquus plants decided to re-flower in the autumn, so this affords an opportunity to cross the two species and see what comes from it. Since C. obliquus comes from the summer-rainfall area, while C. herrei is from the winter-rainfall area, we might hope that the seedlings will happily grow all year long.

-Brian

ruthbancroftgarden:

Crassula tecta

The genus Crassula is a large one, but many of the species in it are quite small. This is certainly true of Crassula tecta, from South Africa’s Little Karoo region. Its leaves are very chubby and encrusted with short hairs that give it an almost crystalline look. The hairs extend all the way up the diminutive flower stalk, which is topped with a cluster of little white flowers. Crassula belongs to the Stonecrop Family (Crassulaceae).

-Brian

ruthbancroftgarden:

Mammillaria geminispina

This species of Mammillaria, sometimes called the “twin-spined Mammillaria”, is renowned for its ultra-white spines and its tendency to form large clumps. It produces most of its little magenta flowers in the fall, but these are sparser than those of many other Mammillaria species. From the state of Hidalgo in east-central Mexico.

-Brian