Main | Family List (MO) | Family List (INBio) | Cutting Edge Draft Treatments | Guidelines | Checklist | Citing | Editors The Cutting Edge Volume X, Number 2, April 2003 News and Notes | Recent Treatments | Leaps and Bounds | Germane Literature | Season's Pick SEASON'S PICK: Gibsonionthamnus epiphyticus (Standl.) L. O. Williams This species is nothing new but since the placement of Gibsoniothamnus among families has been problematic until recently, and since it is a somewhat rare and unusal, often epiphytic plant that flowers during the first quarter of the year, it wins this season's lottery ticket to fame. As noted in Francisco Morales' treatment for the Manual (see Treatments, this issue), this species loses it's leaves early in the dry season and then, just as the new and reddish tinged leaves flush, it also bursts into flower (ca. Feb--May). Its flowers range from about 1.5 to 2.5 cm in length. The photo showing the new leaves with flowers and fruits isof an epiphytic plant, 26 April 2002, from the region of Cerro Turrubares and the close-up of the flower is from a plant collected near Cerro Caraigres, growing on limestone rocks. This latter is growing nicely as a potted plant in Santa Ana where it flowered this year, 11 February. It makes a nice ornamental, almost fitting the bill as a "natural" bonsai. The potted plant did not set fruit. Photos are by B. Hammel. TOP