Nice pictures, Ann, and even more impressive blooms! Really love the fuzzy flowers!
H. aff. fraterna- esp. Ms. Kitty
Wow Ann. Stupendous photos, especially that last one.
Your flowers are a much darker yellow than Mark's. Is that just the color in the photo, or are they really that dark? Must be different growing conditions, etc.
At any rate...GOOD GROWIN you two. And GREAT pics.
Marcy
Oh Ann!!! HOOOOW INCREDIBLY COOOOOL! =0) As I said earlier, I can't belieeeve all the wonderful blooms you are getting this year! Two green thumbs up to you! I'm also excited to see what this hoya looks like in bloom as I have it.
p.s. AAANNND, I've been toying with buying the same kind of camera you have. Your pictures are awesome!
Ann, awsome photos and flowers! Keep 'em comin'...
Christina
Yay Ann! I'm guessing your fraterna gets a little direct light and thats why the buds are darker red than mine? I think they look great, and will move my fraterna into a little direct sun if that is the case. My fraterna only started reflexing when we had a heat wave- some blooms were fully open for several days when we had an 80' day, then all of the rest opened at once and started reflexing immeadiately.
Yes, my fraterna gets bright, indirect light most of the day, but in the late afternoon it gets about 3 hours of direct sun (through a west/southwest-facing window).
Mark, like yours some of mine are staying "star-shaped" and a few are reflexing, and I have moved it out of the window (for display) so it will be interesting to see what effect less sunlight has on the speed in which the rest open and how quickly they all reflex.
Ann
Here is an update. I think about half of the buds are now opened.
Just LOOOOOOOOOVE that last photo Ann! I like the buds just as much as the flowers... I'm a sucker for nice buds!
Christina
Thanks Christina. I am too.
Ann
WAY, way, way cool! You go girl!
Here's a better close-up. I just love how the hairs look like a ratty old teddy bear's fur.
Oh wow, just beautiful, I love the color, and what a nice close up, it is way hairy...
What a stunning picture, Ann!
Congratulations!!
Great photos of wonderful flowers!!!
Thanks everybody!!! And thanks for humoring me and my photos ... I am just so happy this thing finally bloomed after all the bud blasting and tempermental fit throwing (by the plant, not me ... although I am capable...).
Movin' right along...
By the way, there must be something about the amount of light exposure & bloom scent because mine smells like overripe peaches. The scent is not strong enough to fill up a whole room, but I am about six feet away, with no air movement, and I can easily smell it. Mark, did you ever notice any scent at all? I did not notice mine until about 9-10pm.
The blooms that have been open since yesterday are more reflexed than the newer ones, but they are all starting to arch their little "backs."
I am going camping tomorrow and so I am a little irritated that I agreed to go (because, for one thing, my idea of camping is a hotel with room service), so I will not be documenting their progression for two days. Arrrgggghhh.
Ann
This message was edited Jun 24, 2006 1:28 AM
That's OK Ann, when you get home they will be reflexed like Marks & you can get us a good picture of the little beauties then. I think your's are more the same color as his now too. (I'm so nuts with my "obsession" I think I would be tempted to take it with me.) Ha Ha.
Oh but camping is great fun this time of year. Motels are nice and fun too, but with camping out in the open you can really get back to the appreciation of nature. You hear the birds in the morning and feel the cool of the nights with the stars shinning on you. Just enjoy yourself and tell us about it when you return.
Marcy
Hey everybody, you are not gonna believe what is fattening up and making some buds!!!
I'm a nerd, but I just had to share.
Ann
I have GOT to get myself a new camera!! NICE picture, Ann!
Thanks Karen!!
Ann
Nice shot, Ann!
What a great closeup, Ann. Isn't that peduncle weird and gorgeous. Never have determined if that is some sort of cresting or not...
Thanks Christina!
Mark, I think you put it perfectly - "wierd and gorgeous." What, by the way, is cresting?
Ann
Great shot, Ann!
And how exciting!! Seems to be a good bloomer =)
Lotta
Thanks Lotta. Yes, it does seem like a good bloomer. What's really funny is it is the plant I ignore the most - go figure!
Ann
MsKitty,
Love that close-up pic of aff fraterna..
Looks like a cuddly teddybear to me... =)
Maria
Too Cool, there, Ms. Ann!
I'm serious - you take SUCH GOOD PICTURES with that new camera of yours that I have been looking at and contemplating buying one for myself. Even have a search created for it on my eBay account!
Maybe one of these days...
FABULOUS WORK!
Thanks Maria and Bets!.
Betsy - it is a great camera for the closeups, but it doesn't do very good at all for long distance (just in case you were wanting to get pictures of birds in flight or something) (lol).
Ann
Ann, cresting is a weird growth deformation of the growth point of a plant. The easiest way to think of it is that usually growth points are just that- a point. The crested growth has a "break" in the point, so that it turns into a line that can grow sideways into strange shapes. It usually happens in cacti and succulents- you have probably seen the little crested cacti at nurseries that look like lumps of wax or half-melted ice cream. The peduncle is, and I'm going out on a limb here, I think a modified branch (?) and so has a growth point that causes it to elongate as it grows (?). Some species seem to be pre-disposed to cresting, while others rarely or never do. Maybe H. fraterna has the inclination, or maybe it is actually a form of branching. How many peduncles does your plant have, and are they all "branched"?
Carol, have you noticed this on your mother plants?
Thank's for that info. Mark!
One plant (the one with the photo of the crested peduncle) is, but the other one is not. However, I think the plant that has not crested is immature and hasn't bloomed yet (not sure if age matters). Interestingly, one peduncle on my H. tjadasmalanqensis looks like it might be doing this as well. I am not sure if it is a parallax thing with me, or if it is actually beginning to crest/branch.
I'll load up a picture pretty soon.
Ann
Mark...thanks for that wonderful explanation. Yes...I have noticed it: sometimes split leaves on new growth, sometime a confused peduncle...sometimes.....
GREAT conversation!!! You guys are so knowledgeable!!!! Kings and Queens, all of you!!!
Carol