I wanted to post a photo I took of the stem culture from last months blog on the Shimai variant plus the concurrent stem I took of the standard Shimai.
The test tube on the left is the variant (or the suspected variant) and the tube to the right is the standard Shimai. You can see the plantlet forming just above the junction of where the leaves of the flower stem meet the flower stem. (You can click on the image to enlarge.) The standard Shimai plantlet appears to be growing far faster and appears rather robust (B) as compared to the first tube where the plantlet is just starting to take shape (A). But it is very early and we have another 1-2 months in culture and another 5 months in a pot before the plants will be ready to flower and reveal the answer. We shall see.
Also I found on the web a 7 page summary on African violets from how they are described, some nomenclature, about soil types best for growing and how to make them, insect pests and on and on. I think it is one of the most concise and comprehensive summaries out there.Give it a look. Click Here. It can also be found on the far right column under “General Educational Information” and at the bottom of that category you will see “~African Violets Missouri Botanical Gardens”. Just click on it to be taken to the paper.
