Clivia: Nature and Nurture

Clivia: Nature and Nurture describes all varieties, habitats, distribution, ecology and endemism, with emphasis on South African origins, ecology and habitat.
Swanevelder, Dirk; Fisher, Roger
clivia-nature-and-nurture
978-1-875093-61-8
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Title: Clivia: Nature and Nurture
Author: Dirk Swanevelder; Roger Fisher
Publisher: Briza Publications
Pretoria, South Africa 2009
ISBN 9781875093618 / ISBN 978-1-875093-61-8
Softcover, 17 x 24 cm, 224 pages, distribution maps, 400 colour photographs

Description:

Clivias are amongst the most admired of all the many native plants southern Africa has given the world. Clivia: Nature and Nurture provides a comprehensive and up-to-date account of this horticulturally important group of plants. People's appreciation of plants is coloured by the prism of their own culture. In Africa, for example, clivias are extensively employed in traditional medicine, most plants for this purpose still being collected from the wild. Elsewhere the popularity of the group is due to their ornamental and aesthetic qualities. In the West, clivias are mainly valued for their magnificent blooms, whereas in the East they are often treasured for leaves rather than for flowers. Clivia: Nature and Nurture is primarily aimed at those seduced by the aesthetic appeal of the group. Unlike so many collector items that require special attention, clivias are amongst the easiest of plants to grow and breed.

The ability to survive under shady conditions makes them ideal as houseplants and for growing in those outdoor locations where few other plants seem to thrive. Furthermore, clivias are remarkably tough and drought-resistant, long-lived and easily propagated by the separation of offsets. But it is the marvellously variable shapes and colours of their flowers and the attractive, evergreen, strap-shaped leaves that serve as the main allure for the collector - qualities clearly captured by superb colour images on the pages of this publication. A special feature of the book is its emphasis on the different species of Clivia in the wild. Lavishly illustrated with photographs and botanical artwork, this accessible and beautifully produced book covers all currently recognised species and varieties of Clivia.

Each species treatment presents information on diagnostic characters, history, morphological variation, natural habitat, geographical range and conservation status. Identification keys and distribution maps are provided to help distinguish among the various species, a task which can be quite challenging at times. Reference is made to the classification of Clivia in family context and its closest generic relatives are noted and illustrated. A wealth of practical advice on cultivation and propagation is provided, including sections on growing conditions, pests and diseases, feeding, watering and lighting. Utilisation of the different species in breeding programmes is explained in an informative chapter on hybridisation and selection. The book concludes with an illustrated list of the most popular cultivars.

Content: Clivia. Nature and Nurture

List of subscribers
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Introduction
The mists of time
Clivias and their cousins
The genus Clivia
Clivia nobilis
Clivia miniata
Clivia gardenii
Clivia caulescens
Clivia mirabilis
Clivia robusta
Which is which? Identifying the species
Conservation of the genus Clivia
Growing clivias
From roots to fruits
Plant needs - getting the artificial habitat right
Breeding clivias
Clivia assassins - pests and diseases
Clivia in the world
Breeders and cultivars
Clivias - Plain Jane or named cultivar?
List of named clivias
Contact details
References
Index

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