ionantha?

homer · Oct 20, 2003

Hello,
I have a nagging question that I'm finally dealing with. I was told this plant is a rare ionantha, but I'm not sure... it kind of looks like a vulgaris

Please help! To be honest, I don't know my pings that well. Like so many other CP hobbiests, I've neglected my pings!

-Homer

Vic Brown · Oct 20, 2003

It is not P. vulgaris. The flat, green leaves with slightly rolled edges are consistant with P. ionantha, the shape looks right too. I see no reason to suggest it isn't this species. You'll know for sure when it flowers.

They look nice and healthy

Vic

homer · Oct 20, 2003

Thanks Vic,

I has flowered, when the photoperiod reaches 14 hr or so. They have white flowers on a stalk of 8-10 inches or so. I wish I could be more specific on the flowers

-Homer

Anyone else growing this species?

Vic Brown · Oct 20, 2003

White flowers and the longish flower stalk sound good for P. ionantha too. Did they look like this? P. ionantha.

Vic

homer · Oct 20, 2003

They were similar, I don't remember exactly. I guess I'll just have to wait until next spring.

thanks,

Homer

cephalotus88 · Oct 20, 2003

that looks just like my coloney of ionantha. They enjoy flooded growing, so i grow my 6 plants in an undrained bowl of peat/sand and occasionally flood the soil with water. I flowers are easy to pollinate, when in flower, just stick a toothpick in and out but withour breaking anything. THe seed pod should swell after the flower petals fall off. Leave pod untouched until it browns and opens

homer · Oct 20, 2003

Right on. I will take note and remember to flood these plants at times. Maybe in the springtime? Anyway, thanks for the info. I'll pollinate the flowers when they come up.

cephalotus88, do you grow these as "tropical" with little photoperiod variation? Do you flood your colony to trigger flowering by chance?

I never got information on how to grow these plants before!

thanks!
-Homer

cephalotus88 · Oct 25, 2003

ionantha is extremly easy to grow. I boguht my plant about 2 years ago at a bacps meeting. I grow it in a mix of peat/sand in an undrained plastic dish. THe plants have clumped and made lots more, so i seperated them and grew them in other dishes with the same soil mix. I flood whenever actually, like a few times amonth, waiit for all the water to go, and do it again. Too much may cause fungus, sdo dont over do it.
they are grown as a tropical on my windowsill that gets a good amount of natural light daily