Saturday, October 1, 2011

Rumble Among the Jungle, Matches 1.41-1.44

Rules and Stuff
1) It's probably possible to vote more than once per poll, but please don't. If I believe that someone is voting repeatedly, I will throw out those results, repost the poll, and seriously question that person's priorities.
2) If you want to link to a poll on Twitter / Facebook / your blog / whatever and encourage your friends to come and pump up the support for your favorite plants, you are encouraged to do so.
3) You are also encouraged to leave comments on Rumble posts, if so moved.
4) All photos will enlarge if opened in a separate window/tab.
5) You can choose which plant is "best" according to whatever criteria you decide for yourself. My personal process is a bit convoluted.1
6) All polls will be open for three days.


Results for matches 1.25 to 1.28:

In match 1.25, Platycerium spp. beat Stromanthe sanguinea cvv., 65 to 51.
Match 1.26 went to Gynura aurantiaca over Hypoestes phyllostachya by a similar but slightly wider margin, 66 to 48, though there were some complaints from people that they didn't like either plant and didn't want to have to choose. Which is fair enough.

Platycerium and Gynura advance to the second round, where they will compete with one another on October 10.

The other two matches were basically blowouts: in 1.27, Aloe vera trounced Gymnocalycium spp. 83 to 33, and in 1.28, Schlumbergera cvv. smashed Dracaena surculosa by 91 to 23, which is not close at all but nevertheless a little closer than I had expected.

Aloe vera and Schlumbergera also meet up on October 10, in match 2.14, and I gotta say I'm a little nervous about the outcome of 2.14.

If anyone besides me cares, we're now about 2/3 of the way through the first round. (It'll end next Thursday Friday.) After that, the rounds will start going by a little faster. If everything goes according to schedule, I'll be announcing the winner on November 16.

Today's matches:

Match 1.41
Ficus pumila (creeping fig) vs. Dendrobium cvv.

Top left and bottom right: Ficus pumila. Bottom left and top right: variegated F. pumila.


Dendrobium cvv. Right center is 'Karen;' the others are NOIDs.






Match 1.42
Sedum morganianum / burrito (burro's tail) vs. Beaucarnea recurvata (ponytail palm)

Top left and bottom right: Sedum morganianum. Top right and bottom left: S. burrito.


(Bottom left: Beaucarnea recurvata variegata. Others: B. recurvata.)






Match 1.43
Euphorbia ammak / ingens / trigona (large columnar Euphorbias) vs. Oncidium alliance orchids (dancing ladies)

L-R: Euphorbia NOID, Euphorbia ammak, Euphorbia trigona, Euphorbia NOID, Euphorbia NOID.


Left side, top to bottom: Beallara Marfitch 'Howard's Dream,' Oncidium Tsiku Marguerite 'NN #1.'
Center, top to bottom: Vuylstekeara Aloha Sparks 'Ruby Eyes,' Odontocidium Tiger Crow 'Golden Girl,' Wilsonara Lisa Devos.
Right side, top to bottom: Oncidium Saint Dawn Gold, Bakerara Truth 'Silver Chalice.'






Match 1.44
Polyscias fruticosa (ming aralia) vs. Austrocylindropuntia subulata monstrose (Eve's needle)

Top left and bottom right: Polyscias fruticosa. Top right: P. fruticosa 'Snowflake.' Bottom left: P. fruticosa 'Elegans.'


Austrocylindropuntia subulata monstrose (Photo credit: ArséniureDeGallium, at Wikimedia Commons.)






-

1 I'm deciding according to a hypothetical situation in which all of my houseplants are gone, as are all the other houseplants of the world, except for one producer/supplier/retailer. Said person is offering to restock me with one or the other of the plants in question but refuses to give me both. Which one would I choose?


1 comment:

Pat said...

When I can't decide I don't vote.

In the case of Gynura I have no feelings for or against it as a houseplant, though I had one once. But, if something chooses to be purple and furry it has my vote.