The ABCs about naming Sans

9 years ago

Last year I bought a Sans from Annie's Magic Garden, right before she got sick and went out of business. I love to choose the Sans that haven't been classified. Don't ask me why, because it makes me crazy to have a NOID Sans, but I like to buy the ones that just have a location collection and some letters to ID I'm guessing the collector.

i bought one from her called Sans. sp. MB31. It was really an awful looking plant when I got it, in fact, I kind of couldn't believe how beat it was, but I potted it up and put it outside in full sun. Eventually by summer's end it got a new growth. I brought the whole thing to work and keep it in a huge west-facing window. The growth got quite tall, about 20" and was kind of pale green and lightly mottled, very unusual I thought. It was fine all winter and now that spring is almost here, the inner leaf just flopped! It looks like it might be etiliolated but it really gets all day light and direct afternoon sun. Clearly not enough.

You can see the old growth was very mottly.

The leaf on the left is the one that fell. (Tears)

Close up of the color and mottling. Certainly not like anything else I own.

I cant find anything about this plant so my questions to all are, does anyone have this plant or has heard of it? What do the letters and numbers in the name mean? Any ideas how I can research more about it based on the letters and numbers? And with that kind of light, why did it flop?

Thanks for any insight.

Featured Answer

albert_135 　 39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.

9 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

There is a ''Horticulture 202 Laboratory 3

Key to Sansevieria '' on-line. I will attempt to link to it.

key - KEY.PDF - Horticulture 202 Laboratory 3
Key to
Sansevieria

Never-mind, perhaps. It looks about 50 pages too short but I will leave the link. Perhaps it will inspire someone. About 1966 or so I had one, perhaps 50 pages or so. One needed a Latin and a British dictionary to use it as it had a lot of obscure argot.

This might be it. Kew, and the Missouri Botanical Gardens sounds familiar. http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/11492757#page/245/mode/1up

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Comments (10)

vitorama
Original Author
9 years ago
Thank you, Albert. I found the Key to Sansevieria hard to follow in that the numbers don't seem to correspond with the names they are describing. That Kew book is fascinating! As soon as I can print it out I will. Thank you for the links!
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Stush2049 Pitts. PA, zone 6
9 years ago
Possible it was hit by some think or some one? I would use a stick to tie it to and keep it upright. I use tomato cages on all my tall sans to keep them from falling over by moving them or if some thing might bump into them.
vitorama thanked Stush2049 Pitts. PA, zone 6
vitorama
Original Author
9 years ago
Someone would have had to go out of their way to hit it because it is buried behind my desk, Stush, but I may just stake it. Or I thought I might cut it and root it too.
woodnative
9 years ago
Cut it and root it! Looks like it would be a fun plant to propagate and trade. Quite nice looking with those long narrow leaves. I hope Russ comes along and looks at this. He like to collect a lot of these types of Sans and has better insight on some of the collectors and collection numbers. Huntingdon Gardens keeps quite a collection and maybe they could help you (?) with more background information.
vitorama thanked woodnative
vitorama
Original Author
9 years ago
Thank you woodnative! I was hoping Russ would weigh in on this too. I was thinking about propagating with that leaf. You've convinced me more. How do I contact Huntington? Don't I have to know somebody there?
Karen S. (7b, NYC)
9 years ago
Any chance of root rot down below the leaf that flopped?

What kind of mix is that? Hard to tell. What are those little beige balls in the mix? Time released fertilizer? If so, I'd skip that completely.
vitorama
Original Author
9 years ago
Hi Karen, I use the 50/50 mix I recommended to Vito. In fact, I may be heavy on the perlite at times. No chance of overwatering because I use a water meter.

The little balls are Osmocote, which was recommended to me by a friend who grows healthy, robust Sans like I've never seen anyone grow them before. What kind of fertilizer do you recommend?
Karen S. (7b, NYC)
9 years ago
H i Vitorama,

I don't fertilize much, maybe once or twice a year. Some of us just don't fertilize succulents much.

If you're going to use time released fertilizer like that, I suggest you need to mix it thoroughly into the soil & water it in, not just pool it at the base of the plant, that MAY be too strong (not dilute enough by not being mixed in). I'm familiar w/ Osmocote, it's usually mixed in.
vitorama thanked Karen S. (7b, NYC)
vitorama
Original Author
9 years ago
I didn't know that Karen. I will be more careful with it in the future.