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COMMUNIQUESAN GABRIEL VALLEY

CACTUS & SUCCULENT SOCIETY

An Affiliate of the Cactus & Succulent Society of America, Inc.Meetings are held at 7:30 PM on the 2nd Thursday of the monthin the Lecture Hall, Los Angeles County Arboretum, Arcadia

January 2008 Volume 41 Number 1

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Monthly Meeting: Join us Thursday, January 10th as Hank Warzybok takes us on a photographic tourof Yards and Gardens he has visited. Our tour will include yards of some of our members, some publicgardens as well as a few surprises.____________________________________________________________________________________________

A special thanks to Tommy Dodson for organizing the holiday dinner. Also “thanks” to everyonewho helped with the set up and clean up and all those chores in between. We have some good cooks in theclub and the food was delicious. Of course, we can’t forget our; our auctioneers – Buck Hemenway,Manny Rivera, Tom Glavich and Mike Buckner or Bill and Rita Gerlach who kept track of theauctioned items – not an easy task.___________________________________________________________________________

THE HUNTINGTON BOTANICAL GARDENSINVITES CSSA MEMBERS AND AFFILIATE CLUBS TO A FREE

DESERT FORUMSATURDAY - JANUARY 19, 2008

1151 Oxford Rd., San Marino

See the attached flyer for the Schedule of Events._____________________________________________________________________________

Monthly Plants of the Month: (see the attached write ups)

CACTI – Hooked Spine Mammillaria SUCCULENT – Bulbs

Bring your specimens in for our monthly mini-show. It will help you prepare for the real shows and giveyou an additional opportunity to show others your pride & joy. If you don’t have any of this type of plantyou can learn about them at the meeting.

Plant of the Month Entry Divisions: Beginner Intermediate Advanced Master

A member who has won twelve (12) first place honors or twenty (20) Awards in their division for theplant of the month mini competition should move to the next highest division at the beginning of thefollowing year. Club members may enter up to three cacti and three succulents each month. Plants must bein possession of the member a minimum of six months._________________________________________________ ____________________________

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Study Group: Join us on Wednesday, January 16th at 7:30pm for a Photo Workshop

Bring your camera and two or three of your nicer plants and we'll all take photos and compare results. Seehow your plants look when someone else takes the photos and learn! We'll show you examples of somesimple staging that can greatly improve your photos.

The Study Group meeting location has changed! Our new location is the Lecture Hall at theArboretum (same location as our Thursday meeting)._____________

Membership Renewals : It’s time to renew your membership! See Bill Gerlach, or send your check tohim at 719 S. Albertson, Covina, CA 91723. Dues are only $12 for a single membership, $15 for twopeople at the same address. Your prompt payment will make it easier on those keeping records and willspeed up the issuance of a new roster____________________________________________________________________________________

Special Roster Note: Anyone wishing to have their address removed from the roster should contact BillGerlach by E-mail (billgerlach@verizon.net), by phone (626) 332-8008, or by snail mail at 719 SAlbertson, Covina, CA 91723. Unless otherwise specified the City, Phone No. and E-mail address will stillbe listed. The cut-off date for regular renewals and address exclusion notification will be February 15th.

New Member: SGVCSS wishes to extend a warm welcome to its newest member: Peter Walkowiak.Be sure to take a look at the Club’s website http://www.sgvcss.com. If you wish to receive yourCOMMUNIQUE on-line please notify the editor at sgv_css@prodigy.net______________________________________________________________________________________________

Lifetime Member: SGVCCS is proud to honor Bill and Rita Gerlach with Lifetime Memberships.

Bill and Rita have been very active in SGVCCS for a number of years. In addition to the various leadershippositions they have held, their tireless efforts behind the scene has helped to make SGVCSS a fantasticorganization.

Congratulations and thanks for all of your many years of service._____________________________________________________________________________________________

The SGVCSS 14th Annual Winter Show was celebrated on November 10 & 11, 2007. It was a greatshow with beautiful plants and wonderful people.

The Show Committee wants to thank all of the Club members who worked hard to set-up and tear down,judges, clerks and tabulators, the people working in the sales area, plant holding, back gate guarding,hospitality table, the people in charge of the kitchen who made sure we were fed, all of the exhibitors whobrought those gorgeous plants to the show and, of course, all of the vendors and auctioneers.

Saturday Night: Those who attended the Show Dinner, provided by Richard Jones Pit Barbeque, had agreat time and had a chance to obtain plants from our, probably the biggest ever, plant auction.

Show Results: Total Participants 53 – Novice 23, Advance 16, Open 14Total Entries 665 – Cactus 270, Succulents 395

Congratulations to all of the winners:Sweepstakes – Pat SwainHigh Points Cacti Novice – Pat Swain

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High Points Cacti Advanced – Carol and Paul MakerHigh Points Cacti Open – Tom and Jeannette GlavichHigh Points Succulents Novice – William MolinaHigh Points Succulents Advanced – Alan HookerHigh Points Succulents Open – Jim Hanna

2007 Winter Show Trophy Winners

Best Cactus Novice – Pat Swain – Notocactus MagnificusBest Cactus Advanced –Calvin and Cheryl Newman – Buiningia BrevicylindricaBest Cactus Open – Vince Basta – Astrophytum Capricorne v. NiveumBest Succulent Novice – Rosanna Barela – Conophytum BilobumBest Succulent Advanced – Joe Chen – Ficus sp.Best Succulent Open – Petra Crist – Pachycormus Discolor

Best Ariocarpus – Carol and Paul Maker – Ariocarpus Fissucatus v lloydiiBest Mammillaria – Joe Wujcik – Mammillaria NejapensisBest Epiphytic Cactus – Judi Romine – Rhipsalis CorolinaBest Gymnocalycium – Tom and Jeannette Glavich -- Gymnocalycium ChiquitanumBest Rebutia/Sulcorebutia – Karenn Ohlinder – Sulcorebutia CandiaeBest Opuntia – Tommy Dodson and Horace Birgh – Cylindropuntia Comosissima

Best Agave –Tom and Jeannette Glavich – Agave PumilaBest Mesemb – Karenn Ohlinder – Phyllabolus PusillusBest Haworthia – Ana Troub and Mike Wisnev – Haworthia TruncataBest Madagascan Euphorbia – Tom and Jeannette Glavich – Euphorbia CapsaintemariensisBest Euphorbia – Petra Crist – Euphorbia AlobosaBest Dorstenia – Gene and Laura Oster – Dorstenia FoetidaBest Crassulaceae – Petra Crist – Tylecodon ReticulatusBest Geraniaceae – Petra Crist – Sarcocaulon HerreiBest Pachypodium – Jim Hanna -- Pachypodium BrevicauleBest Winter Growing Succulent – Larry Grammer – Crassula Commutata

Best Collection – Tom Vermilion – ConophytumBest Mutant – Vince Basta – Euphorbia gymnocalyciodesWinter Thematic Award – Chris Rogers – Dyckia ‘Icicle’Best Baja Plant – Calvin Arakaki – Dudleya brittoniiBest Mexican Plant – Glen and Linda Carlzen – Ferocactus latispinusBest Miniature – Lem and Pat Higgs – Echinopsis subdenuclata or Fuzzy Navel

Thanks Everybody!Show Chair Manny Rivera

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San Gabriel Valley Cactus and Succulent Society

Cacti of the Month January 2008 - Hooked Spined Mammillaria

Mammillaria perezdelarozae

A Mammillaria is often one of the firstcacti that a beginning grower buys. Acredit to the toughness of these plantsis that many survive for years in spite ofall sorts of abuse and neglect. Theyare generous with flowers and seeds,and the seeds germinate readily, somany rare species end up in unlikelyplaces like home centers, and discountnurseries. It’s worth keeping an eye outfor unusual specimens, but beware ofnames and insects found on discountstore plants.

Although a Mammillaria is often theplant a succulent plant collector startswith, as they become more ‘advanced’growers, they often migrate more to the‘other succulents’. A surprising numbereventually come back to infinitelyvariable geometry and the interestinggrowth challenges that many cactiprovide. In the entire plant world, thereare few sights more spectacular that thedense spines of a well grown

Mammillaria reflecting the early morningsun.

Mammillaria is one of the larger generain the Cactus family, and one of themost variable, with some membersremaining as solitary columns for theirentire lives, some remaining asfingernail size solitary globulars, somestraight spined, and some clumped andheavily spined with hooks. Althoughthe hooked spined species give thegenus one of its common names,“fishhook cactus”, they are not as oftengrown as the straight spined species.They are not as friendly either, with thehooks catching on skin and clothes, andpieces of stem coming off, when leastexpected.

Although most Mammillaria are nativeto Mexico, some species in the genuscan be found from Columbia to Kansasand California. With this widedistribution, the cultivation requirementsobviously vary considerably. Thespecies from the tropics and warmerareas are rarely tolerant of cold anddamp. Those from the drier desertregions are also intolerant of continueddamp, but can take considerable cold.With these restrictions aside, mostMammillaria are easy to grow.

The secrets to good growth are acontinued supply of fertilizer during thegrowing season, strong light, andmaintenance of a clean and insect freegrowing environment. The appearanceof white mealy bug egg cases(Mammillaria’s worst enemy) on the tipsof the spines or the appearance of antsmeans that mealy bugs are sucking the

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sap and life of the plant. Immediatetreatment is required, with a thoroughwashing, and spraying with aninsecticide. A less toxic solution is tosoak the entire plant in soapy waterovernight.

Propagation of Hooked SpinedMammillaria is easy. Cuttings can betaken at any time during the growingseason (April to early November), left todry for a few days and replanted in aclean potting mix. Rooting is rapid, withshort white roots generally appearingafter a couple of weeks. Mammillariaare one of the easiest species to growfrom seed. The seeds are simplyplaced on top of a damp potting mix,covered with a light coating of gravel,placed in a plastic bag in bright light,but out of direct sun and allowed togerminate. Germination usually occursin a week or 10 days. The seedlingscan stay in the plastic bag for severalweeks until they get large enough tosurvive unprotected, and should thenbe removed to a still shaded, butbrighter and drier environment. Mostwill survive, and grow quickly.

Mammillaria to get hooked on:

Mammillaria aurihamata, shown righthas golden hooked spines on a glossygreen body. From San Luis Potosi,Mexico

Mammillaria bombycina is the classichooked spined Mammillaria. Beautifuldark spines are set off by the whitewool. From Jalisco, Mexico, it is easyto grow, and clumps quickly to form animpressive plant in just a few years.

Mammillaria guelzowiana has lightbrown spines on a loosely tubercled,and very woolly body. It has large

lavender flowers, and is a rapidclumper. From Durango, Mexico.

Mammillaria aurihamata

Mammillaria perezdelarosae, is asmall plant discovered only in 1985. Itis a beautiful species.

Mammillaria senilis has dense whitespines, giving an impression of a whitehaired body, and thus its name. This isone of the Mammillaria with large redflowers, different than the small cups ofmost others.

Mammillaria thornberi is a darkspined, dark stemmed species whichforms dense clumps. Stems are easilydetached from the main body, hookingeasily on clothes, and skin; this isprobably one of its principal means ofpropagation in habitat. From Sonora,Mexico.

References:E. Anderson, The Cactus FamilyJ. Pilbeam, Cactus for theConnoisseur

Tom Glavich December 2007

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San Gabriel Valley Cactus and Succulent Society

Succulents of the Month January 2008 – Bulbs

The world of bulbs is nearly as large asthe world of succulents as a whole. Ithas its own specialty societies, and itsdevotees collect plants from around theworld, including many familiar areassuch as South Africa, but also manycold temperate areas such as Siberia,Eastern Asia, the Himalayas, andGeorgia (both of them).

Massonia pustulata

Cultivation practices and weatherrequirements vary greatly, and bulbswill only thrive and flower if the correctgrowing conditions are given. For thoseof us in California, it means that thebulbs of California, Chile, theMediterranean, and South Africa will bethe easiest to grow. Those from thecolder regions of central Turkey (suchas tulips) and Russia (some Hyacinths)will be much harder, and onlyintermittent success in keeping thesealive can be hoped for, and flowers,expecting cool damp weather will neverachieve their proper form or color.

Just as with succulents, some speciesthat you would never expect to thrive doso, allowing bulb collectors toexperience the entire world of bulbs.

Shown at left is one of the classicmembers of the Hyacinth family fromSouth Africa. There are many speciesof Massonia, all with wonderful nightfragrant flowers. Leaves can bepostulate, stripped, plain green orspotted.

Lachenalia mediana

Many of the bulbs of South Africa comefrom winter growing areas with soilidentical or similar to that wherePelargoniums and mesembs grow.They want winter water, and mineralbased soil.

Narcissus viridiflorus

Shown above is Narcissus viridiflorus, aprimitive relative of the common

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daffodil, native to Spain and Morocco.There are many species Narcissusavailable from specialty bulb suppliers,and all of them are worth trying.Hybridization of Narcissus for improvedcolor and flower form has been an areaof active work since the 16th century.Surprisingly, some of the early cultivarshave survived two or three hundredyears and are still available. Othershave been reproduced fromhybridization records and paintings ofearly plants.

Habranthus acutifolia

Representing the new world isHabranthus acutifolia, a species nativeto Mexico. This genus is a member ofthe Amaryllis family, a distant relative ofthe Narcissus shown above. Theflowers are about 4 inches across andare a spectacular sight. It is easy togrow, and is summer blooming.

No discussion of bulbs would becomplete without a mention of the Irids.This world wide family has dozens ofgenera in South Africa, includingGladiolus, Freesia, and many othercommonly grown bulbs. These are in

fact corms, which are stems modifiedfor storage. True bulbs are stems andleaves, modified for undergroundstorage.

Freesia refracta

Tulbaghia galpinii

Closing out this article, but just barelytouching the world of bulbs is a memberof the Allium family, Tulbaghia galpinii.This is a distant relative of the onion,with other species having the commonname ‘Society Garlic’.

There are thousands of bulbs worthgrowing, with many species available inlocal nurseries and others fromspecialty bulb nurseries. Everyoneshould try a few.

Tom Glavich December 2007

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THE HUNTINGTON BOTANICAL GARDENSINVITES CSSA MEMBERS AND AFFILIATE CLUBS TO A FREE

DESERT FORUMSATURDAY - JANUARY 19, 2008

1151 Oxford Rd., San Marino

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

9:30 – 10:00 A.M. REGISTRATIONAssembly and Registration at the Entrance Pavilion

(For those bringing sack lunches please write your names onto the bags and they will be transported to the TeachingGreenhouse for later consumption)

10:00 – 12:00 A.M. TOUR OF THE DESERT GARDENKnowledgeable staff will be stationed throughout the Desert Garden and DesertConservatory. Aloes will be flowering.

12:00 – 1:30 P.M. REFRESHMENTS, SALE AND LUNCHLight snacks and beverages will be served in the Teaching GreenhouseWelcome by Jim FolsomBook signing by Gary LyonsInformation related to the CSSA by Laurel WoodleyPlant sale in Desert NurserySack lunch or visitors may go to the Huntington’s Café (no reservations required)Tea Room – Reservations required several days prior (626) 683-8131

1:30 – 2:00 P.M. TALKLocation: Teaching GreenhouseTopic: “The Future of the Desert Garden”

2:00 – 4:30 P.M. FREE TIMEVisitors are free to tour the Gardens and Galleries on their own until closing time

For further information call Rosalie Gorchoff @ (310) 822-1783_________________________________________________________________________________________________

TENTATIVECACTUS AND SUCCULENTCALENDAR OF UP COMING EVENTS FOR 2008

FEB. 9th SAN DIEGO WINTER SHOW AND SALE 9AM to 4PMRM. 101 CASA DEL PRADO, BALBOA PARK, SAN DIEGO

APR. 12 th - 13th SOUTH COAST CACTUS & SUCCULENT SOCIETY SHOW & SALE AT SO. COASTBOTANICALGARDENS 26300 CRENSHAW BL., PALOS VERDES, CA # 310-832-2262

APR 19th - 20th GREEN SCENE PLANT SALE—AT THE FULLERTON ARBORETUM1900 ASSOCIATED ROAD, FULLERTON, CA 92831

APR. 27th SOUTH BAY EPIPHYLLIUM SOCIETY SHOW AND SALESOUTH COAST BONTANICAL GARDENS INFO. CALL-310-833-6823

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Winter Show 2007

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COMMUNIQUE

Newsletter of the San Gabriel ValleyCactus & Succulent SocietyC/O Evelynn Stevens10119 ½ E. Olive StreetTemple City, CA 91780-3345

FIRST CLASS MAIL

If you have a cactus or succulent related event that you’d like to have announced in the COMMUNIQUE,please forward the information to the address given below. Please verify event dates - sometimes events arerescheduled or canceled without adequate advance notice. Articles, Notices and Corrections can be sent viaE-mail to: sgv_css@prodigy.net or via post to: San Gabriel Valley Cactus and Succulent Society NewsletterEditor, c/o Evelynn Stevens, 10119 ½ E. Olive St., Temple City, CA 91780-3345. Material must be receivedby the last Thursday of the month to be considered for publication in the next issue of the COMMUNIQUE.

Material in the SGVCSS COMMUNIQUE may be reprinted by nonprofit organizations (unless such permission is expressly denied ina note accompanying the material) provided proper credit is given to the SGVCSS and the author and that one copy of the publicationcontaining the reprinted material be sent to the editor. Reproduction in whole or part by any other organization or publication withoutthe permission of the publisher is prohibited