Page 14 - Aberystwyth EGO January 2021

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Nature Notes

By David Williams

osh another year in the late 60s and early 70s and are combination could describe a lot of
starting already, where still popular today. plants not only this particular genus.
did 2020 go? Now that We nearly all recognise the They have fleshy white tuberous
Gthe festivities are at an evergreen plant with long strap- roots which store nutrition for next
end and the outdoors is looking so like leaves mostly having a white season's growth. They can easily
uninviting there may well be some or cream stripe down the middle. be seen on the young plants which
natural interest to be found indoors. But that's not all as there are 215 hang from runners after flowering
Houseplants are becoming a greater recognised species of Chlorophytum has taken place. They flower readily
part of our lives than they have been found in tropical and subtropical along the stems which are going to
for many years due to Covid. Their Africa, Asia, South America and have the baby plants. In the wild,
popularity has increased and there's Australia. They were first found the plantlets take root as soon as
no sign of that ending. Many people in British homes during the 19th they hit the ground. The vigorous
have houseplants but how many of century after being imported from plantlets will already have a good
us know where they are from and South Africa and they have remained amount of root very soon after they
what they are like in the wild? popular ever since. It is one of 114 emerge from the flower stems. The
Many years ago, lost in the mists genera which make up the asparagus flowers are white with six petals
of time, I was fascinated with the family of which there are 2900 and protruding yellow stamen. They
humble Chlorophytum comosum known species. can flower and produce plantlets at
better known as the spider plant. Many plants have names using any time of the year as long as they
As a toddler I used to play with the Latin words. Chlorophytum isn't are watered correctly and fed. It's
leaves and watched it flowering one of them. The name translates in the plantlets which weigh down the
occasionally. I still remember it Greek as green plant. Chlorus being stems after flowering that give the
clearly. They were all the rage back green and phytum being plant. That plant the common name of spider

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