Gill, The Arabicums are known to have hairy (very fine hair-like surface) which is not overly noticeable. No more than that of an azalea or some rhododendron species.

I believe that with all the crossing of different species or variants, it will become exceedingly tuff for anyone to say it is a specific species. My thoughts on this.

Swazicums have a fuzzy leaf also.

Rick

Gill I was reading in a book about some traits of arabicum being fuzzy leaves. I assumed that meant that my obesum pair with fuzzy leaves were arabicums. After some discussion we concluded that they are most likely obesum hybrids that picked that trait up while crossing obesums with arabicums.

I love the fuzzy leaves by the way! They are my favorite.

Tracy

Thanks both of you for the replies. A good comparison to the azalea/rhodo leaf Rick. I must admit the soft felted underside of my particular obesum that has that feature makes it a very tactile plant, the leaves are just sooooo soft. I was curious as it seems I have plants of both species that both show traits of the opposite.

I'm just waiting for my first ever seed grown flowers to open, but I've not checked on them this morning as its thick fog, very windy and raining cats and dogs here, remnants of hurricane Joaquín we are told:/

Gill UK