 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
Stomatium is a genus of mesembs little known in the horticultural world. Russell Wagner, this month’s speaker, recently spent fifteen weeks exploring both summer and winter rainfall regions of South Africa in search of the 31 described species in the genus.
Stomatiums are interesting for many reasons. First, they form tight little tufts of toothy textured leaves, and unlike most other members of the living rock family (Aizoaceae), they have flowers that are both nocturnal and sweetly scented. They are also easy to grow. Scattered across a huge swath of South Africa, they occur almost invariably at high altitudes in flat rocky areas with extremely shallow soils. These plants bake in the summer sun and suffer blistering winter cold. They are occasionally submerged when their rock-pan homes fill with rainwater. Many receive snow. They are known to survive outdoors even in Colorado. For this reason they are among the few succulents routinely grown by alpine rock gardeners.
Russell will share what he’s learned about these beautiful plants, from their history to their rather confused taxonomy. And along the way we’ll see the many bizarre and beautiful succulents and bulbs that share their habitats. From camping out in the cold, to being invited to spend the night in farmers’ houses, to delightful visits with South Africa’s most prominent succulent botanists, Russell’s experiences in South Africa offer a unique glimpse into the wonderful world of succulent plant exploration.
Russell is a long-time member of the SF club and is former editor of Cactus and Succulent Journal. He spent the last two years living in Sevilla, Spain, and is currently starting his own publishing company, Little Sphaeroid Press, in order to produce new books about succulent plants, beginning with a in-depth series of books on the horticulturally important members of the mesemb family to be penned by mesemb expert Steven Hammer.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
