fall 2014

Fairchild: An Iconic Garden published by fairchild tropical botanic garden contents

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CELEBRATING EARLY 26 31 HATTIE BAUER HAMMOCK, AMERICAN NATURALISTS: A BOTANICAL SURVIVOR THE BARTRAMS

ORCHIDS 101: 45 DEPARTMENTS BASIC ORCHID CULTURE 4 FROM THE DIRECTOR 5 FROM THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER 7 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS 9 GET IN ON THE CONSERVATION 11 TROPICAL CUISINE 12 EXPLAINING 15 VIS-A-VIS VOLUNTEERS 18 WHAT’S BLOOMING 21 CONSERVING 23 PLANT COLLECTIONS 38 GARDENING IN SOUTH FLORIDA 41 BUG BEAT 48 EDIBLE GARDENING 53 PLANT SOCIETIES 59 BOOK REVIEW 60 WHAT’S IN STORE 65 GIFTS AND DONORS 66 GARDEN VIEWS 68 FROM THE ARCHIVES 70 CONNECT WITH FAIRCHILD gardening in south Áorida

a A Beautiful b Deformity Fasciation in the plant kingdom

Text and Photos by Kenneth Setzer

Plants offer probably the ou may have encountered miraculous. A now-deceased lantana fasciated plants before without (Lantana camara ŃKSANA@LNKBQOAHU >QP greatest variety of form; ARAJNA=HEVEJCEPLH=JP†OŃKSANO eventually produced what looked like might appear to be elongated >NK??KHEŃKNAPO =HKJCSEPDPDAJKNI=H even within one species asY though they’ve been stretched out ŃKSANO1DAUSANA=HIKOP=OH=NCA=O=?PQ=H there can be great deviation horizontally, or the growing tip of a plant’s broccoli, were green and soon wilted to stem (the apical ) looks unusually brown or black. A wondrous oddity only in shape, color and texture, Ń=PPAJA@=J@>NK=@ =OPDKQCDIQHPELHA the kingdom of plants could produce! stems had fused together instead of growing depending on the plant’s in the more typical cylinder shape. What exactly is fasciation? growing conditions, age or First of all, it’s important to know &łNOPAJ?KQJPANA@PDEOLDAJKIAJKJEJ that fasciation is not a disease. It’s the even simple idiosyncrasies. =łNAOLEGALH=JP Odontonema strictum plant’s reaction to any number of mostly (an absolute hummingbird magnet that, external forces, taking form as abnormal But even with such variety for me, thrives on neglect). Firespike development in which cells grow possible, too extreme of a normally produces long, tubular red perpendicularly to their normal pattern. ŃKSANO=NN=JCA@=HKJC=OLEGA0AP=C=EJOP Fasciation has been noted as a reaction variation can be viewed as EPO@AALCNAAJBKHE=CA łNAOLEGAŃKSANO to insect attacks, fungi, , physical can be quite striking. But recently, some of damage, a genetic mutation or the a deformity or mutation. PDAEJŃKNAO?AJ?AOKJIUłNAOLEGABKNIA@ bacterium Rhodococcus fascians. Exposure One kind of mutated growth EJPK=Ń=PPAJA@OPNQ?PQNAPD=PNAOAI>HA@= to frost has even been implicated. In folding paper fan or a shoehorn that had short, it seems nearly anything can induce in plants is referred to as been melted a little to include some waves fasciated growth. Some older sources I =J@NQBŃAO=PPDAAJ@3ANUK@@&PDKQCDP found even blamed excess nutrition for fasciation or cresting. initially this was caused by a disease of the the uncontrolled growth, or an uneven plant, and left the unusual growths alone. distribution of auxin, the plant growth hormone. That last one makes sense, A second example of fasciation also grew but it’s more of a description than an in my yard. Fasciation is somewhat rare, explanation. We would need to ask what so to have it present itself in two separate causes the inconsistent auxin levels. plant species in my small yard seems almost  THE TROPICAL GARDEN a b

1. Firespike (Odontonema strictum) EJŃKNAO?AJ?AOODKSEJCB=O?E=PA@ (a) and normal (b) growth. Note the IQ?DOI=HHANŃKSANO EJB=NCNA=PAN numbers, on the fasciated example. 2. Pachypodium lamerei ‘cristata’ with fasciated growth (a) and the normal P. lamerei (b). "TPNAIAHUB=O?E=PA@CNKSPD on a pygmy date palm (Phoenix roebelenii). 1DAB=O?E=PA@>HKKIKB=J Aechmea bromeliad. -DKPK>U*=NEHUJ$NEBłPDO#1 $

Fasciation can manifest in stems, , Commercial appeal Edible oddities BNQEPOKNŃKSANO PDKQCDUKQ=NAHAOOHEGAHU How many times have you heard “one of a You must have encountered those huge, to know about it in roots for obvious GEJ@‡=O=OAHHEJCLKEJP4ADQI=JO=PłNOP misshapen strawberries that look like reasons. It is most apparent in stems tend to shy away from the odd ones out, but someone fused together multiple berries =J@ŃKSANO eventually we prize and value the unique and =J@Ń=PPAJA@PDASDKHAPDEJC=>EP There are even variations within unusual. Such is often the case in horticulture Yep, fasciation again! This can also be fasciation. The abnormal growth may be and plant collecting as well. Therefore, it found occasionally in tomatoes. Genetic Ń=PPAJA@=J@B=JOD=LA@ KBPAJNABANNA@ ODKQH@?KIA=OJKOQNLNEOAPKłJ@B=O?E=PA@ researchers have even looked into fasciation to as “crested.” Or it may appear diffusely plants cultivated as marketable varieties. as the reason domesticated tomatoes branched like the business end of a One such example is the Celosia, a of are so much larger than their supposed broom, coiled like a snail shell (as in some plants in the amaranth family. If this plant’s wild NAH=PERAO"RAJS=U>=?GEJ fasciations) or as a tangled mess ŃKSANDA=@O=NAKBPDAB=O?E=PA@R=NEAPU ancient history in terms of modern genetics of Medusa-like coils. Flowers or leaves they are sold as “cockscomb” celosias. The research—an author in The Botanical growing from fasciated stems are often ŃKSANOHKKGMQEPA@EBBANAJPPD=JPDAJKNI=H Review noted something to ponder: clustered, undersized and overabundant. variety, somewhat similar to brain coral. This ?NAOPA@BKNIKBB=O?E=PEKJEONAŃA?PA@EJ “The commercial value of the tomato Fasciation doesn’t seem to be limited to the plant’s full name: Celosia cristata. owes its existence largely to the a particular species or variety of plant. I increase in size brought about found references to fasciation in plants Another commonly marketed fasciated plant by a prehistoric fasciation mutation in as varied as hoop pines (Araucaria is lactea ‘Cristata.’ It’s sometimes some tropical American valley.” cunninghamii) and cacti sold as a cactus, though isn’t one. The crest I savor the romantic notion of some (Carnegiea gigantea)—the former is a is grafted onto rootstock for commercial prehistoric Native American in the CUIJKOLANI SDEHA?=?PE=NAŃKSANEJC purposes, and indeed the fasciation is neotropics running across a fasciated tomato plants, angiosperms. These two groups of further cultivated to produce ever more and contemplating the idea of cultivating it. plants diverged from a common ancestor startling colors and variegations. Common names for it include crested elkhorn or a very long time ago and are not very If you don’t like having fasciated plants closely related. crested euphorbia. Crested ferns are another ornamental oddity sometimes cultivated for EJUKQNC=N@AJ FQOPNAIKRA=JU=BŃE?PA@ O=HA1DABNKJ@KNHA=ŃAPPELO=NAPDAB=O?E=PA@ parts. The odd growth most likely will not parts and resemble tiny outstretched hands. return—unless you’re lucky.