Dorstenia foetida is ...

[Spectabilis73]

Hi all,
Phil Faulisi gave me a Dorstenia foetida on my trip to his greenhouse. It's kind of like an ant plant, but its a succulent, and does not house ants. Anyways when I got it it had 4 leaves. 3 were really small leaves formed during dormancy. The big one was the newest one, came out 2 weeks ago, Phil told me. This new, large leaf was well for a few days, but now it seems to be curling! I kept it in a moist vivarium with high lighting... DOH!

I just learned that this one is a succulent, and likes low lighting and dry soil. What should I do? I have also noticed a flower bud coming up! Should I put a ziplock bag around the flower once it starts to die, to keep the seed from exploding out?
Any help would be appreciated.
-Spec

 

[Odysseus]

Hey Spec,

Definitely get the plant out of the Vivarium and let the soil dry mostly before watering again. I think the high light is why your leaf curled. My same plants that Phil gave me are doing well and flowering. I don't know if Foetida will throw their seeds, but some Dorstenia do. I wonder if anyone knows if their seeds are thrown maybe they can tell us. Besides that just let yours dry up a bit and get it in shade/mostly shade. No direct light. Phil had his on the floor under a shelf in his greenhouse. Good luck with yours!

 

[Odysseus]

Check that. This website http://www.plantoftheweek.org/week183.shtml says that they will throw their seeds. I'd bag them.

 

[Spectabilis73]

Quote[/b] (Odysseus @ Mar. 31 2004,3:16)]Hey Spec,

Definitely get the plant out of the Vivarium and let the soil dry mostly before watering again.  I think the high light is why your leaf curled.  My same plants that Phil gave me are doing well and flowering.  I don't know if Foetida will throw their seeds, but some Dorstenia do.  I wonder if anyone knows if their seeds are thrown maybe they can tell us.  Besides that just let yours dry up a bit and get it in shade/mostly shade.  No direct light.  Phil had his on the floor under a shelf in his greenhouse.  Good luck with yours!

But Phil said it would do well in there!

I took the plant out, and the leaf uncurled a bit. I don't think it will completely uncurl, but we'll see

I'm already attached to my dorstenia, I dont want it to die!

Coudl you take some pics of your dorstenia for me? I'd like to see how my leaf should look, and how fast yours is growing.(to see how fast mien should be growing) I can't find any good pictures online.

thanks for the help! any more input anyone else?

 

[Finch]

I think its the humdidty. Plants with the succulent adaptation have evolved to conserve water in dry areas. There are very few succulents in wet humid areas. And most of those that are found in humid enviorments are remmenents from the past where those areas were dryer than they are now.