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September 14, 2006 : Senecio rowleyanus
Keywords: Asteraceae | Senecio rowleyanus Jacobsen | 2006 Indoor Plant Sale
The longest running plant sale at the garden occurs today and tomorrow: the 29th Annual Indoor Plant Sale. I had a grand time yesterday trying to photograph a few of the plants available, since I don't often get the opportunity to work with indoor plants.
A native of southwestern Africa, “string of beads” grows in arid habitats. The succulent beads are actually the leaves, modified for living through extended periods of drought. Dr. T. Ombrello of Union County College has written an intriguing article on the adaptations of this Senecio and the closely related Senecio herreianus, entitled Senecios, With Windows in Their Leaves. The narrow bands you can see on some of the beads consist of transparent tissue to allow light to penetrate the interior of the bead and increase photosynthesis without increasing water loss.
It might be worth revisiting my comments on diversity within the Asteraceae in the BPotD entry on Raoulia australis. There is simply an amazing amount of diversity of form and structure in this plant family.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at September 14, 2006 12:00 AM
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Comments
Posted by: Beverley at September 14, 2006 8:01 AM
Cool plant! I followed your suggestion to follow up on Aster diversity. Mind boggling - as is all of nature when you get right down to it. Thanks again for a great site. Deb L.
Posted by: Deb Lievens at September 14, 2006 11:20 AM
My ex-supervisor assures me that it is: 'now known (I believe) only in greenhouses. The bloke who found it in the wild apparently couldn't remember where he got it! It propagates easily and looks peculiar - hence its evolutionary success in horticulture!'
Can this be true?
Posted by: Alec McAulay at September 25, 2006 5:45 AM
Alec, not sure. Not finding anything online, which will mean a search in the literature.
Thanks Deb.
Posted by: Daniel Mosquin 
at September 25, 2006 5:09 PM
i have the string of beads at home it is the coolest plant ever and it is easy to take care of....~kahla~
Posted by: kahla at May 24, 2007 6:30 AM
I have this plant,I heard it called Buddha's bead by the chinese. It is a very cool plant indeed. I don't know much about it so im researching.I have to transplant it soon. Any info would be greatly apreciated.
Posted by: Rees at May 3, 2008 5:32 PM
Please share your comments about the photograph(s) and accompanying write-up. Telling a story about the subject of the photograph(s) is also much appreciated! If you have a gardening question, the best place to ask is on the UBC Botanical Garden Forums. Thank you!
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Senecio rowleyanus - Z9 - RHS Index of Garden Plants, Griffiths