June 2023 - Icebergs of C&S

[MatDz]

Again, thank you Jim for choosing my Bulbine flower photograph - perhaps that's the final nudge I needed to submit it to the Plant of the Month article...

To this month's topic!

I am aware that not many grow C&S plants for their roots, and most caudexes are quite probably exposed well over the soil line, but I would like to see the "icebergs" from your greenhouses. This month's topic is anything with substantially more plant material underground than over it, perhaps with just a tip of the caudex or tuberous root coquettishly exposed. Photographs from repotting or broken pot accidents are allowed, but I will try to judge the composition and quality (to the best of my complete lack of knowledge in this topic...).

On your mark, get set, go!

[Aiko]

I will start this off with this Resnova megaphylla, probably only showing 5% or even less of itself, only exposing the tips of its leafs and a flower:

[MatDz]

Great start Aiko! I was struggling to find any good example in my collection, but will make up for this over the weekend.

May I ask, at this stage are the leaves fully developed, or did it just start growing this season?

[Aiko]

May I ask, at this stage are the leaves fully developed, or did it just start growing this season?

The leaves will spread out to big flat lying leaves, so just started the season. They are always late and usually become active when it is basically summer already.

[MatDz]

I think I will give this a couple more days and change the topic to "Chamaelobivia flowers" or something along that... Or Aiko will have the whole podium for themselves!

[Jim_Mercer]

I think I will give this a couple more days and change the topic to "Chamaelobivia flowers" or something along that... Or Aiko will have the whole podium for themselves!

I promise to post something but first plant I though of could be a bit difficult to get decent photograph, couple of other possibilities on the top shelf but not sure if they are still alive but they got a proper watering last week so will check on them soon.....

[edds]

Don't Matt - I have a couple I will add soon and having a different topic is good. If they were always similar then we'd only ever get the same photos.

I thought some of the caudiform growers might have added some pictures.

[MatDz]

Deal!

[ianstrutt]

Don't Matt - I have a couple I will add soon and having a different topic is good. If they were always similar then we'd only ever get the same photos.

I thought some of the caudiform growers might have added some pictures.

I've got a couple of plants that fit the bill, but I'd have to dig them up to take the photo

Heres two pictures of Mesoklema tuberosa recently doctored. Mealy bug attack. Branches cut back hard due to them becoming really leggy and untidy. I had to cut back several inches of the bottom of the roots and treat with chinosol due to some rot. It will survive, its a tough old thing. This species sometimes gets bonsaied and often planted with much of the root above the substrate. Hope this fits the bill for this month.

P1020661.JPG

P1020663.JPG

Sorry to hijack the thread but Ernie, I have one of these that is also getting very leggy. I've asked on here before about pruning these quite hard in the past and got no replies so your photo has given me a bit of a kick towards cutting everything back. In your experience, is now the right time of year to attempt this sort of thing?

[Jim_Mercer]

First plant I thought of is Kedrostis africana but I expected tendrils would be attached to greenhouse frame making it difficult to get black card behind plant. I found that the ends had shrivelled in recent heat so managed to get card in place. The plant has nor been re-potted for several years so I don't know how much caudex is below the surface.

Kedrostis africana

The other plants that I though might be suitable all live on top shelf so not east to see without taking them out of trays for closer inspection/photography

Euphorbia cylindrifolia ssp tubiflora has some flower remains and green leaves

Euphorbia cylindrifolia ssp tubiflora

A couple of dead stems removed from this Pterocactus tuberosus before I took photograph, might try and find some different top dressing to make caudex more obvious

Pterocactus tuberosus

Final plant from today's greenhouse visit Ariocarpus kotschbeyanus, a real iceberg as there must be a lot more below the surface

Ariocarpus kotschbeyanus