We're into the fourth day of the Convention and a lot has been on the schedule. Dale Martens held a session on
Streptocarpus (mostly on vegetative propagation), and Karyn Cichocki on underwater design. Stephen Maciejewski and Jim Roberts spoke about their two separate trips to China. Ingrid Lindskog led a session on conservation. The Gesneriad Hybridizers Association held their meeting, at which David Zaitlin spoke about yellow
Sinningia hybrids (including 'Butter and Cream',
recently mentioned here) and Dale Martens shared photographs of recent hybrids by others. Three students gave short presentations of their research -- Laura Frost (undergraduate, University of Alabama) on "Origins of radial floral symmetry in the New World members of the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae," Lacie Schulte (Research Assistant, Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University) on "Evolutionary relationships within a subset of species within the genus
Columnea," and Jeremy Keene (Ph.D. student, Plant Systematics, Ohio University) on "An examination of the
Monopyle sodiroana species complex." A panel discussion on growing moderated by Paul Kroll featured Arleen Dewell, Timothy Tuttle, Beverley Williams, and Leonard Re. Dr. Michael Kotarski (Niagara University, Lewiston, NY) presented on "The phylogenetics of the genus
Petrocosmea."
Mulling over Petrocosmea over a glass of wine.
Not enough plant talk for you? How about a trip to Chanticleer, judging-oriented sessions, and many informal discussions over coffee, meals, wine and gelato? And there's more to come, plus a Show as well.
