Index Top

A. Meeting Location

B. Presidents Page

C. Officers

D.      Plant of the month

E.             Show and Sale

 F.   
Gone but not forgoten 

G.       Global Growing  

 H.
 The
Editors
Page

    I.
Library
Books

Affiliated with the Cactus & Succulent Society of America, Inc.

There is ice in the bird bath so I guess that means the outdoor growing season for 2004 is officially over. With the cooler, rainier summer this year my warmth loving plants like stapelias and some cactus seemed to grow well but bloomed less. However my Schlumbergeras (Christmas cactus) did marvelously along with the bromeliads, hatioras and crassulas. Now everything except a few hardy species are back inside and showing dissatisfaction about the move. Most of those promising buds that were popping out on the Schlumbergeras are now drying up and falling off. They just hate the constant drying heat from the furnace. The amazing thing is however, they will adjust and some will go ahead and bloom.

A slide show, featuring plants in Namibia , will be our program for this month. Then, on December 12, we’re getting together for our Holiday party. Wonderful food, new plants and a great time to get acquainted and reacquainted. For 2005 the dates have been scheduled for the meetings (see Calendar of Events) and the programs are being planned. If you have a suggestion for a program topic or activity please feel free to give me a call (913/ 362-6533).

Judy has returned from two weeks in Chile. As many of you know she was awarded the 2004 Herman Schwartz Travel Award. "It was the trip of a lifetime!" she told me. Everyday the group was up early and out to find native cactus, then not back to camp until dark. Because of good rains they were also able to enjoy amazing numbers of wildflowers. Two weeks into the three week trip the group was staying at a location about 7,000 meters up. The fog didn’t lift there until well into the afternoon each day. One morning as Judy ran to get her camera after breakfast she slipped on a wet floor and broke the femur bone in her left leg. With such a serious injury Judy started a new kind of adventure getting airlifted out of Chile. With help from her new friends in Chile she eventually returned to Kansas City where she had surgery to have her leg mended. Judy is home now and promises some wonderful pictures soon to come of her amazing journey. From everyone we wish Judy a speedy recovery.

See you at the meeting Sunday! -Linda

You can tell the Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera truncate) apart from the Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera x Buckleyi) from the shape of its leaves. It has sharply serrated or "toothed" leaves as compared to the more rounded leaves of the Christmas cactus. You may see the Thanksgiving cactus listed as zygocactus in some books, its former Latin name. And to confuse things even more, there's also an Easter cactus (Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri) with leaves that are almost three-dimensional with a thick ridge on one side. This cactus blossoms in the early spring.

28 - Davin Owen