COLLECTIONS JOURNEY: The collection of Irina Bessmertnaya, club "Discocactus", Sochi, Russia
By Peter Lapshin (Translated from Russian by Irine Ten)
Virtual journal about anomalius forms of succulents "Cultivar" www.cultivar.ru: issue 6 (28), December, 2004

Adromischus cristatus

Echeveria nodulosa

Frithia humilis

Huernia pillansii

Piaranthus foetidus

Haworthia maughanii

Sempervivum sp.

Photo 2. Echinocereus baileyi v. brunispinus

Photo 2. Shelves with artificial lighting

Photo 3. The window sill

Photo 4. Shelves on the window sill

Photo 5. Echeveria (on the left – E. shaviana, behind – E. nodulosa, on the right – E. pulidonis)

Photo 6. Adromischus cooperi

Photo 7. Crassula cv. 'Morgan's Beauty'

Irina Bessmertnaya became interested in succulents in 1985 and the first plants in her collection were cacti from genera Parodia, Astrophytum, Rebutia and others. From the first plants only Echinocereus baileyi var. brunispinus remains (Photo 1).

Gradually collecting of succulents changed its direction: the priority was given to leaf succulents, especially, to genus Haworthia (see below the list of species from Irina's collection). In addition to succulents Irina is interested in other decorative house plants, including the plants from the Orchidaceae family. Today there are few cacti from genera Rebutia and Mammillaria in her collection. The main attention is paid to collecting of plants from the Asphodeliaceae, Crassulaceae and Asclepiadaceae families.

In August 2004 the collection of the leaf succulents consisted of 161 species from 34 genera included in 9 plant families. The great attention is paid to members of genus Haworthia: the current count is 21 species. The most remarkable species in the collection are H. tesselata, H. pumila (synonym H. margaritifera), H. maughanii, H. truncata, H. attenuata v. clariperla, H. reinwardtii and H. viscosa.

In addition to Haworthia species, Irina owns beautiful plants from the Asclepiadaceae family, including Huernia pillansii, H. zebrina, Tavaresia barkley, Echidnopsis cereiformis.

The collection includes a wide range of members of the Crassulaceae family: 11 genera, 64 species, including 24 species of the genus Crassula: Crassula barbata, C. perfoliata v. minor, mesembryanthemopsis, cv. 'Morgan's Beauty', brevifolia and others, and also 15 species and forms of genus Echeveria.

Irina will be very glad to exchange plants with other collectors. We wish her luck! Her tel. is: + 7 (8622) 98-27-92.

Haworthia species from the collection of Irina Bessmertnaya (August 2004):,

angustifolia var. liliputana arachnoidea attenuata attenuata var. clariperla batesiana caespitosa coarctata cooperi cymbiformis cymbiformis f. variegata fasciata glauca limifolia maughanii nigra

nitidula obtusa f. pilifera pallida pigmea pumila reinwardtii retusa tesselata tesselata var. engleri tortuosa truncata turgida viscosa