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Delightful evergreens
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Cryptanthus plants charm with varied colours
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LEAFY WONDERS They add that extra splash of colour
Cryptanthus are stemless or short-stemmed evergreens, mainly dwarf terrestrial perennials (bromeliads), found in soil or in rocks in dry regions in Brazil, belonging to the family Bromeliaaceae. The strap- to spoon-shaped, wavy-margined, attractively zoned leaves are borne in flat, star-like rosettes. There are many species with varied colouring and shapes. They are all clump-forming or short-stemmed.
Green Earth Star (Cryptanthus acaulis) are rosettes of narrowly lance-shaped, wavy margined, minutely toothed leaves.
The leaves are mid-green and scaly above, densely white scaly beneath. Cryptanthus bromeliads tricolour or the rainbow star is short-stemmed bromeliad with rosettes of 10 or 20 strap-shaped, minutely toothed, stiff olive green to bronze leaves.Cryptanthus pink starlight is stemless, spreading bromeliad with rosettes of about 15 strap-shaped, wavy-margined leaves some 8 cm long, striped olive-green and white, and strongly suffused with pink.
Cryptanthus produce dense corymbs of white star-like flowers 4 cm long. They are insignificant and flowering takes place only once in a while after, which the plant dies receiving offshoots at the base.
The offshoots grow in fertile, well drained, moist, soil in full bright filtered light. Water moderately, but carefully. Mist spray regularly with soft water and apply a diluted fertiliser every month.
Chitra Radhakrishnan
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