Sunday, September 30, 2012

The Year of the Gasteranthus

We saw them in Seattle, and now in Delaware: Gasteranthus species.

You may have wondered about the big glass "jars" in yesterday's photo -- the plants with yellow flowers. That collection of Gasteranthus species was awarded Best Gesneriad in Show at the Mid Atlantic Regional. Exhibited by Nancy Kast, the judges' comments included "wow" and "incredible" -- these are beautifully grown and presented examples of five species. The judges also noted how well the collection illustrates the variety in the genus, including size, foliage forms/patterns, and flowers/flowering habit. Score: 96.

Gasteranthus collection

The back row from left to right are Gasteranthus tenellus and atratus. The front row from left to right are Gasteranthus villosus, delphinioides, and bilsaensis. These are species from Ecuador, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Panama -- you can look up specifics at the World Checklist of Gesneriaceae. The Clark Lab's Image Library also has many photographs documenting each specie.

More photos of Gasteranthus tenellus:

Gasteranthus tenellus

Gasteranthus tenellus

Gasteranthus tenellus

Gasteranthus atratus:

Gasteranthus atratus

Gasteranthus atratus

Gasteranthus villosus:

Gasteranthus villosus

Gasteranthus villosus