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An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Indoor Plants
Alternanthera
DESCRIPTION: A. bettzickiana, 2 to 3 in., from Brazil, has twisted narrow leaves irregularly marked with colors from creamy yellow to salmon-red. Sometimes called "miniature Joseph's coat." A. ramosissima, 8 to 12 in., from Brazil, has broad, pointed leaves of metallic wine-red, purple beneath, and flowers like small, stiff, white clover blooms, hence "indoor clover." A. versicolor, 3 in., from Brazil, is a
compact plant with almost round leaves, crisped and corrugated, of dark-green or coppery red with purplish veining and pink and white edging. It is the popular "Joseph's coat," a name also applied to its large, outdoor garden relative, Ama-ranthus tricolor.
CULTURE: Light, sunny to semi-sunny. Temperature, average house. Humidity, average house. Soil, equal
parts loam, sand, and peat moss; keep evenly moist. Propagate by cuttings at any time.
Iresine
DESCRIPTION: /. herbstii, 1 ft., from Brazil, and its varieties, such as aureo-reticulata, have rounded leaves noticeably notched or "dimpled" at the tip. It is from thjs shape that an absurd common name, "chicken gizzard plant," arises. /. lindenii, 1 ft., from Ecuador, and its varieties such as formosa, have pointed leaves. Foliage of all iresines is highly colored, predominantly deep crimson red, hence "bloodleaf." Yellow and green areas in the leaves, especially along the
veins, make these foliage plants attractive.
CULTURE: Light, sunny. Temperature, cool to average house. Humidity, average house. Soil, equal parts loam, sand, and peat moss; keep evenly moist. Propagate by cuttings at any time, but especially in the winter and early spring, because iresines are useful outdoors in the summer in sunny to shady places for bedding, also for planting in boxes, tubs, urns, and baskets.
AMARYLLIS FAMILY
Amaryllidaceae
Mostly tropical bulbous plants that differ only slightly from members of the lily family. Amaryllid flowers have six segments, and are usually borne in umbels above the foliage.
Agave
DESCRIPTION: A. miradorensis, from Mexico, is called the "dwarf century
plant.'' It has short, broad, gray-green leaves arranged in a symmetrical rosette. While this species is slightly pliable, another dwarf, A. pumila, also from Mexico, has very stiffdark-green leaves which are attractively striped with silver and tipped with black. There are many other Agaves, but their formidable armament and huge size prevent frequent use indoors. They are often confused with Aloes (members of the lily family). The spine-tipped leaves of agaves are tough, fibrous, with hard, sharp teeth, while those of the aloes are soft, fleshy, almost pulpy.
CULTURE: Light, sunny. Temperature, average house. Humidity, average house. Soil, 2 parts loam, I part sand; water sparingly when soil is bone-dry on the surface. Propagate by removing small offsets at any time.
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