Saturday, May 9, 2009

Random plant event: Solenostemon scutellarioides variant

This is a Solenostemon scutellarioides 'Kingswood Torch' that apparently can't count to two. Instead of pairs of leaves, arranged oppositely along the stem, this one has sets of three. I have no idea how common this is, but I've at least never seen it before. Also I like it. And I bought it. It doesn't seem to be a very vigorous grower so far, possibly because counting to three takes more time than counting to two.


5 comments:

vuejardin said...

I used to have this plant, grow in the pot so that it can stay indoor during winter

sheila said...

Way cool! Was there just one in the batch?

Ivynettle said...

I've seen a lot of Salvia farinacea seedlings with three cotyledons, which presumably also developed like this. But I can't remember a coleus* behaving like this (and I spent a lot of time pricking seedlings earlier this spring).

*which, according to my books, is now called Plectranthus scutellarioides. In three years, I've now learned three names for this plant!

Anonymous said...

Wow! I've never seen this! Will cuttings still grow that way?

mr_subjunctive said...

sheila:

Yeah, just this one, and I'm not sure it started out life this way: I didn't notice it until we'd had them for a good six weeks at least.

Zeï:

Dunno. For obvious reasons, I've been a little scared to try.