Lovely plant.

Do most of you buy plants online? I haven't had a terrarium in many years though I love them. I find the houseplant selection here locally (Portland OR) lousy even though I used to be able to buy wholesale as I was a florist there just wasn't much choice.

I had forgotten about this board....

buyorsell888 I'm in the Portland area, too. I do get some plants online, sometimes even eBay, but mostly I've gotten things from seed funds or trading with people on email lists, or at plant club meetings. The only other person I'm sure has this plant here in Portland also runs the Indoor Garden plant club here. Another member grew some seeds from hers, and mine are descended from those. I've just gotten some seedlings of other kinds in a trade with another member of a Brazilian plants club, and one he got from Ecuagenera in Ecuador. A fifth species (from Brazilian seed) doesn't seem to want to germinate for me (yet).

I've noticed the people in Orchid, Begonia and especially the gesneriad clubs tend to keep and share a lot of other rare indoor plants- there are many crossover members that belong to those groups (also the African Violet clubs) at the same time here.

Next year when they've grown enough to pot up, I'll be bringing these young Bertolonia plants to the Mt Hood Chapter Gesneriad Society meetings, Indoor Garden meetings, and sending some on to the African Violet clubs with friends.

Someday when I win the lottery I'd love to start a little shop of all kinds of odd, unusual, and rare plants. I'm sure it would have to be online too in order to survive, but having a real store sure would be nice.

Vincent

I surprised just how heavily varigated it is. Looks like it would be too large a plant for my use but definitely a good possibility for a large terr.

:)

Hi
Sounds like an interesting plant for me to try though I keep most of my plants in a shadehouse not in terrariums.
Had to laugh at your post as a friend recently described my orchid collection as "floofy" lol He used the term for oversize Phals and muti colored Catts . I like to think of them as "gaudy" lol Whatever the definition I must like floofy as I love Episcias but they won't tolerate the winter lows.
gary

Heheh Gary, yeah... I replied to the email.

Paul, they're actually not variegated at all. This is the 'Sanderiana' variety, which is covered in metallic silvery patterns that do look like heavy variegation in the pictures.

I don't consider it a miniature plant, just smallish. They don't get very tall, but can spread out to push leaves against both sides of that 10 gallon aquarium. I'd say about 12" (30 cm) would be about the smallest diameter terrarium it would look comfortable in, and it would dominate that.

Vincent

Hi
Got a good laugh again as while cruising around some vivarium websites . I found the word "floofy 3 times!!
In fact one said "I don't do "floofy orchids just species." Couldn't find a definition of the word but so far
seems negative lol
I kind of like the sound of the word rolls off the lips
and sounds very exotic lol gary

Gary,
W/ orchids "floofy" refers to those orchids which have petals and/or sepals whose edges are wavy or very frilly. Often such and orchid is simply refered to as a "floof"

:)

Bertolonia Marmorata is so pretty it's breathtaking. I really would love to get this plant (or seeds) to where I live, in the Netherlands. I have already been checking with Mauro Peixoto, but alas... On the Kartuz website it says they don't accept orders from outside the US. And here in Europe I haven't found anything at all... so I'm stuck.
My account here on GardenWeb is made specially to get in touch with dirtmonkey or anyone who has some idea on how to get this beautiful 'Jewel plant'.
I really, really hope for help

Hi Talauma;

I haven't seen this plant available elsewhere for a long time. Last I checked, Michael Kartuz only had B. maculata available even for US sales, and I don't think Mauro has ever had it. It's more likely a variety developed in cultivation than a wild type. I am going to try to get seeds from it later this year, but I've already sent out the two cuttings I could make of it. It is self-fertile; seeds were easy to grow in conditions like starting Begonias and many gesneriads. Unfortunately the flowers don't set viable seed for me every year unless it's out in a greenhouse, and this year it's in the house.