Edit: these are going to Travis.

This next one is for Streptocarpus, and begins with a puzzle.

When I first propagated 'Blue Frills', i took a picture of the chopped up leaf. I forgot to take a picture of the intact leaf, which would have been useful when combined with some idea of scale. As it is, I don't know how much material I started with. But I'd like to.

Here's what it looked like right before it went in the ziploc bag:

So the challenge here is to print out the leaf pieces and razor blade, cut them out (including the razor blade for scale), reassemble them into a leaf, and take a picture (with the razor blade).

Probably that sounds kind of tedious. Hopefully it sounds fun to somebody. Anyway, whoever does it first, reasonably well, and posts it here, I'll send for postage some Strep plants, cuttings and leaves at various stages. Again, this is for postage.

These are the Streps. One person gets all. Obviously not everything will be sent potted, as some are tiny. In fact it seems likely that only a small amount need be, keeping shipping under a pound.

1) Purple NOID

2) Blue Frills, smaller plant

3) Roulette Cherry

4) Blue Frills, in bud

5) Full Moon

6) DS-Eternity

7) Salmon Sunset

8) Spin Art

9) Bethan

10) Ladyslippers Yellow with Purple Cap*, leaf piece with roots

11) Cicero, leaf pieces, at least one with root started

12) Dale's Polar Canary, unrooted pieces as far as I can see

Not shown, leaf cuttings:

13) Streptocarpus floribundus

14) Streptocarpus formosus

15) DS-Bonaventura

*I understand the Ladyslippers series are renamed Dibley's plants. That probably makes (10) 'Harlequin Purple', a much nicer name.

Again, these go for postage to whomever can first cut out and reassemble the leaf, and take a picture with the cut out razor blade.

Columnea brenneri for postage.

Two seedlings each (I'll have to figure out how to ship them) for postage, for 3 people total who respond first.

The seedlings:

Blooming plants:

Mark, I would be interested in some of the seeds to give a try. I would also be interested in plants, but I don't think they would ship well this time of year to WI.

Here's my best try on the puzzle

Travis, that looks great. The Streps are yours; I can save them to send later. Do you have the razor blade at the same scale? That would help for me to nail down the size of the original leaf, as I know how big the razor blade is. Thanks. I can send seeds now--I actually meant to indicate the ones pictured were not for you, as I had already promised you some. By the time it warms up I might have fresh Columnea brenneri seeds, and I will always have plenty of that as plants. Randy

Mark, that would be great thank you! Do you have Facebook or anything? I could message you if that would be easier. Here's a pic with the blade for comparison.

Travis

Travis, thanks, that's exactly what I was looking for. So it looks like the leaf is larger than I thought--maybe 3.7 x 2.4 inches. So that's 8.88 square inches, or with about 148 plantlets so far, 0.06 square inches per plant (if such a number even makes sense). So, it can be thought of as each plant coming from about a 0.25 x 0.25 inch piece of leaf (on average). That's pretty tiny.

I am on Facebook. Here: https://www.facebook.com/randy.story.790

Randy

Randy, sorry for caling you Mark! I shouldn't have assumed by your display name.

Wow, that is crazy! I've been reading that thread I'll have to give that a try sometime when mine get a little bigger.

Travis

Streptocarpus 'Blue Frills' plant, one per person, for postage. These are growing very quickly.

A small plant in bloom:

A large plant in bloom:

Randy as much as I would love to have a mini sinningia, I think it is too cold to ship it, soooo, do you have any seeds left? Postage is not a problem. Thanks Rosie

Rosie, you mean the Lysionotus seeds? I do have plenty. I have actually not seen germination, although I think it's been 10 days, and 66 F, so I probably shouldn't worry yet. I just had fresh Begonia seeds germinate in 5 days, so I'm spoiled. I just sent Travis some stuff, which started as seeds and then expanded. They made it to WI in good shape. On the other hand, I'm sure I'll still have lots of Sinningias when it warms up.

Just checked the seeds--i do see a couple with signs of life, and the rest are very plump. So all is good.

You shipped plants to Wisconsin??? And they didn't freeze to mush?? Wow. I am impressed.

To answer your question I would like to try the Lysionotus seeds if you have a few to spare. I can email my snail mail to you unless you still have it. Let me know. Thanks

Maybe when it warms up if you have any more mini sinningia for postage that would be great!! Rosie

I would very much appreciate any streptocarpus you have available. I live in northern Mo, and am trying to restock my plant collection after losing most of my plants due to my daughters 3 month hospital stay. Seeds of plants will be most appreciated too.

I agree if you are just going to throw them on the compost pile, share first. But I also understand that it is time consuming and can get expensive, so I am tickled to pay postage and or a handling fee.

Gardeners are such generous big hearted people! Gotta love us!‍

Forgot to say a big Thank you for thinking of us.

SHIPPING SEEDS

Since you mentioned a desire to discuss this .... Much depends upon the size of the seeds. The biggest danger is the rollers the envelopes pass through crushing the seeds.

I have mailed Drosera "sundew" seeds to folks without any problem as well as having received such seeds. Most Drosera seeds are dust like in size ... about the size of a period in size 12 font. I typically put the seeds in a teeny wax paper "envelope" that in turn is placed in a swatch of paper towel or a sheet of paper folded several times. They are fine typically.

Seeds which are larger are more likely to be crushed. Something which I have not tired personally but have chatted with folks who have may be worth mentioning. With seeds about sesame seed size/thickness, one can take a piece or two of cardboard (obviously cut to fit in the envelope) from a cereal box, tissue box, etc and cut out a small square or rectangle from the middle of the sheets. Exact-O knives work well for this.) The seed packet is placed within this opening. (Tape can be used to hold it in place.) Apparently, the cardboard limits how tightly the rollers can squish the envelope enough so that the seeds in the cut out are not crushed.

Paul, I recently received Drosera gemmae twice from Larry Snow (mygreenobsession, I think, from Ohio.) He packed them in a regular envelope between 1/6 inch foam. They had no damage whatsoever. I was thoroughly impressed with everything about what he/his wife sent, but the packing is among the things that stood out. I'm guessing you know how big Drosera gemmae are, much bigger than Begonia and Gesneriad seeds, and so much more easily crushable by the USPS rollers. So I'm going to attempt sending Begonia seedswith similar packing, and probably Gesneriad seeds as well.

Carletta, I can definitely send you something. I'm Randy S. on Facebook, so I will know late tomorrow whether that includes the monstrous Strep. 'Blue Frills' leaf. So far nobody has contacted me looking for a trade:

:

Carlotta, the big leaf did not find a home yet, so I just contacted you via Facebook Messenger to see if you want it (plus others). Randy.

I still have most of the above. I still need to send seeds to one person. However, i thought I'd take pictures of the rest:

Lysionotus pauciflorus seedlings. These are just emerging. There will be more. They are tiny, and so are very hard to see.

The Columnea brenneri seedlings. All 6 remain and are much larger:

The two Sinningia pusilla hybrids. The one on the right has a very obvious bud at the 3:00 O'clock position!

The Streptocarpus 'Blue Frills' plants, 2 remain. If I remember correctly, one has a bud.

Someone in the UK was extremely generous and sent me tons of 3 kinds of Streptocarpus seeds. I'll put a couple of them up for free. I don't think it's worth trying to collect one stamp.

First is Streptocarpus thompsonii, which is from Madagascar, and given its origins not surprisingly is a very odd plant. All I know about it from I've read, but it reminds me in some ways of Begonia dregei, with a caudex. In the case, the caudex is translucent, with purple spots.

I split up a tiny fraction of the seeds into 9 lots:

Zooming in on the one in the center just to make clear how many seeds this is:

Imagine each one of those tiny dots a two foot plant and you'll get the idea. The are extremely quick to grow. Below is today, after 7 days. I think the resolution is just barely good enough to see that the seeds are pretty much all showing signs of life already:

And I just wanted to mention that the micro mini Sinningia hybrid plants for postage are both still available. The one in bud now has several buds. I've had a lot of luck lately shipping these plants intact and with their buds intact.

Hi Randy! Well, you have tempted me beyond reason. Would like the sinningias, strep seeds and Lysionotus seeds for postage. Thanks! Rosie

Sounds good Rosie, I will talk you about sending the remaining ones. The next week or two might be kind of crazy, though.

No problem!!! Just let me know when so I can watch for them! Rosie

These are very nicely grown plants! If you still have any for postage, I'd like some of the sinningias or streps plants/seeds. Thanks!!

fawnee, I've put a lot of things on hold in the immediate future for various reasons, but I'll save at least a Strep or two for you and see what I can do about the rest.

If I had noticed this sooner, I'd have inquired as to the Streptocarpus thompsonii seeds .... interesting caudex from what I saw on a few Google images. Haven't read up on growing requirements, though.

Mark, OoC, what species of pygmy Drosera gemmae did you get? Got some Drosera pulchella gemmae late last fall from an online acquaintence in trade for some Drosera seeds. Much to my surprise, several of the plants are already gearing up to bloom!

Paul, I have plenty Strep. thompsonii seeds. I'd be happy to send you some. I got Drosera scorpioides, mannii, and palacea ssp. palacea (not sure about the spelling of a couple of those). I also bonus species along with those, and I forget what they are. They are really cute plants.

Thanks, Mark! Probably the best way to go about getting you my snail mail address is via email. You can contact me at paulX.lauXtenschXlagerX@yahXoo.com --- just remove the capital "X"s from the address.

D. paleacea, from the images I have seen, has rather unique flower spikes. Drosera callistos is one I'd like to obtain someday. Looks like it gets orange flowers. My scorpiodes haven't produced any gemmae yet. Have had them a little over a year now.) Talking to an online acquaintance about that, I was told it is likely due to my growing it under lights. Because in doing so it isn't getting the change in daylight cues which would trigger production, I may not get gemmae forming until next month or later. Not horribly broken up about that. Would like to use them as trade fodder and shipping in the winter would not be a great idea.

He Mark!

Would have pm'd you but you do not have your account set up for that it seems. Wanted to show you a Begonia dregei I grew from the seeds you sent me.

Paul, that is amazing!! Isn't B. dregei a great species?

There are still a couple people on here that I owe things to. They collided with personal situations, particularly family medical problems.

Paul I just love the shape of that plant! Did you put it in a bonsai bowl from the get go? Or did you root it first and then when it fit you put it in there and kept it "little"? How large spprox is that bowl? Rosie

"Rosie1949(4a to 5b/SE Mi)

Paul I just love the shape of that plant! Did you put it in a bonsai bowl from the get go? Or did you root it first and then when it fit you put it in there and kept it "little"?"

Started the seeds in a clear "to go" container. From there to a 3.5" pot in a terr to see how it would do. Got too big for what I wanted in that space. Recently removed from the terr and the pot and placed in the bonsai pot.

"How large spprox is that bowl? Rosie"

Approx 6-7" in diameter.

Ahhhh,,,,well, let me say it is beautiful! Job well done! Thanks for the info! Rosie