Rumble Among the Jungle, Matches 1.21-1.24

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.

Match results, 1.5 to 1.8

I'm finding it interesting that so far, the winner of the first twenty or so votes has always accurately predicted the final result. Maybe this is a sign that I don't understand statistics. Even in the closest match so far (1.2: Peperomia obtusifolia vs. small Vriesea hybrids), every time I checked, the same plant was always ahead, and it was the one that eventually won the match. Considering that Vriesea was sometimes only down by 2 votes, I would have expected the leader to change back and forth at least once.

The ongoing match between Mammillaria spp. and Sansevieria cylindrica (match 1.19) may be the first one to break this rule -- initially Sansevieria cylindrica was leading, then Mammillaria. They were exactly tied as of 3 PM CDT today.

Anyway.

Match 1.5 was very nearly a blowout, as Saintpaulia cvv. pounded Hemigraphis exotica into a sticky green-purple paste, 82 to 27. Sure, that's more or less what I was expecting to happen, but still. Pretty brutal.

In what I consider a stunning upset, Echinopsis spp. stomped Cyclamen persicum in match 1.6, 72 to 45. I would have bet money that Cyclamen would win that one: apparently I had underestimated the amount of Cyclamen hatred (or Echinopsis love?) out there.

Saintpaulia cvv. will face off against Echinopsis spp. in match 2.3, in a couple weeks. I'm pretty sure I know how that one's going to end up, but we'll see.

Match 1.7 saw Pachypodium spp. making a good effort against Epipremnum aureum, but not quite good enough. Pachypodium loses, 47 to 68.

Finally, Match 1.8 was very nearly the same story, as a perfectly nice, somewhat unusual plant (Scindapsus pictus) was defeated by a popular and well-known one (Crassula ovata et al.). The only difference was the more one-sided margin of victory: the final score was 31 to 85.

Epipremnum aureum will face off against Crassula ovata in match 2.4. That one's going to be really interesting to watch.

And now, today's matches:

Match 1.21
Dracaena marginata cvv. (madagascar dragon tree) vs. Ficus lyrata cvv. (fiddle-leaf fig)

(L-R:) Dracaena marginata, D. marginata 'Colorama,' D. marginata 'Bicolor.'

L-R: Ficus lyrata, F. lyrata, F. lyrata 'Little Fiddle.'





Match 1.22
Fittonia albivenis cvv. (nerve plant) vs. Cereus peruvianus (peruvian apple cactus)

Clockwise from top left: Fittonia albivenis 'White Anne,' NOID, NOID, species (?), 'Frankie.'

L-R: Cereus peruvianus monstrose, C. peruvianus, C. peruvianus 'Spiralis.'





Match 1.23
Polyscias balfouriana/scutellaria (balfour aralia, shield aralia) vs. Hoya carnosa cvv. (wax plant)

L-R: Polyscias scutellaria, variegated Polyscias balfouriana.

Clockwise from top left: Hoya carnosa 'Krimson Princess,' 'Chelsea,' all-green revert of 'Krimson Princess,' 'Krimson Queen.'





Match 1.24
Maranta leuconeura cvv. (prayer plant) vs. Anthurium cvv. (flamingo flower, tail flower)

Top: Maranta leuconeura 'Marisela.' Bottom: M. leuconeura var. kerchoveana.

Clockwise from top left: A. 'Pandola,' NOID, A. 'Florida,' NOID.





-

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?