Before I come to the topic of this post I'd like to let you know that I have a lot of Anacampseros filamentosa ssp. namaquensis seeds to give away. They are only viable when fresh so don't let them go to waste! Seeds are free but I'd appreciate it if you could take care of the shipment cost (it's 0,75€ for international, email me for paypal info). Let me know if you're interested and thanks to everyone who already has given some of them a new home!
So, back on topic, my second Stomatium alboroseum seedling is flowering now! :D I tried to take a picture in the natural light (without a flash) this time... Or rather in the lack thereof since it was taken at 9.30 PM yesterday. Still, the flower is shining like the first snow. As you can see from the dried up flower on the Stomatium beside it it never actually turned "roseum".
I see these tiny 11 months old plants with their perfect flowers and can't help but think why the other bigger and older (14 months) and stronger Stomatium trifarium seedlings don't even try to flower. Look how much they've spread!
"Like the first snow" is a very good description of your Stomatium flower. S. alboroseum is unusual in having a white flower as most Stomatium species have yellow flowers. As to the "roseum" there seems to be some confusion as to whether it is an "either or" situation, in which case most of the flowers I've found in a web search are white. Or, whether some of the white flowers fade to a rose/pink pink color as they age. One source indicated the color change might take 3-5 days after full bloom. Let us know if there is any color change over a reasonable amount of time.
ReplyDeleteNevertheless, having your Stomatium alboroseum flower at all is great, even though it is a bit out of its flowering season, which should be the fall.
I like the appearance of the Stomatium trifarium plants. The leaves look like a green and succulent medieval mace, armed with sharp spikes at the ends. As for why S. alboroseum flower first; actually 3 months is not that much older, thus the age is probably not statistically significant. There is always the possibility that there is a genetic component that dictates maturity in the two species and that is the controlling factor in how old they must be in order to flower. When you grow so few plants (small sample size) you really can't tell whether differences you see between plants are significant or not. Could be just natural variation within a genus, or even a species. But it's always fun to speculate and wonder. :) You are certainly learning about Stomatiums. ;) Nice healthy plants.
Thank you! ^__^
DeleteI've been monitoring both flowers and there wasn't even a hint of rose throughout the flowering. I guess these guys are all white then. The seeds were from exotic-plants.de but I also have some from Mesa Garden. Both sources are selling the seeds as Stomatium alboroseum "rubrum". Exotic-plant says it is a "red form, white flower" (white flower - check, but nothing red about it). Mesa Garden describes them as having "deep reddish" flower (1869.3 SB1216 Smorenskadu). If I ever happen to have more room I'll sow the MG seeds as well and see how they are. I'm very curious!
Hm, if the flowering season is in the fall I still might see the flowers of my Stomatium trifatium then :)
You are right, 3 months is not such a difference but it is a huge difference in appearance. S. trifarium seedlings are very big and adult-looking while S. alboroseum are young seedlings through and through (one of them currently only has 4 leaves!). If I knew they would flower at this age I'd bet on the S. trifarium. That's why S. alboroseum flowers were such a surprise!
Stomatiums are fun :) They grow fast :)