A recent discovery in Brazil, and grown here from seed starting about 12 years ago.
Dozens of dusky rose hooded flowers form a ball above the four large, dark green leaves.
The leaves can be a foot above the tuber, and the flowers another foot above the leaves.
Related to S. leucotricha, it has the same form of four leaves on an upright stem that
blooms in a terminal inflorescence, and the stem eventually yellows and falls from the tuber.
An abscission layer forms at the base of the stem like a leaf in the autumn. New shoots come from the top of the tuber as the old stem declines. It blooms twice or more each year in cultivation. This plant has bloomed for more than 2 months each time.
The tuber on the biggest one at the greenhouse is over 6 inches across.
It grows in full sun in nature. Water well, give it a soil mix with perfect drainage, and fertilize weakly weekly when in growth. I like a clay orchid pot, and repot when the tuber fills the pot.
In plastic pots, it is time when the tuber is bulging the sides out. You may have to cut the pot away. In nature there is a dry season when the plant is completely dormant. In cultivation, it has stems and leaves all the time. If the old leaves are yellow but the stem doesn't fall off on its own, it can be cut about an inch above the tuber for appearance. Sometimes I cut the old stem off so the new one gets full sun.
Members of the chapter have produced more than a dozen seedlings from the original plant, now at the greenhouse.
The tuber will grow much faster the more sun the leaves get. See Mauro's website:
BrazilPlants.com
and Alan LaVergne's website:
Sinningias and Friends
http://www.burwur.net/sinns/4iarMain.htm
both are on the list of helpful websites on the right of the blog home page.
More photos to follow.
A couple seedlings may be available at the April meeting this Tuesday, April 26th
I have seed set on the big one now, and sinningia pods take about a month to ripen.
We sold all the seedlings we brought over to the CBS sale this week once we put the big one in bloom on display behind them. Thanks to Janice for bringing us plants to sell, including the iarae seedlings, and to Bob Eschbach, Jinean and Diane for volunteering at the sale.
We talked to students and faculty about gesneriads, handed out cards and sold a surprising number of plants. All proceeds went to the greenhouse.
And there are left over plants at CBS for sale, half price. The greenhouse is open to the public
8 to 4 Mon-Friday, and I will be there Tuesday late afternoon getting ready for the meeting.
If anyone wants to come over then, please email me ahead of time to let you in after 4.
Chas Huston
