2016 Convention – Speakers

Gesneriads in the First State
July 5 to July 9, 2016

Dr. David Neill – “Plant Explorers in Ecuador, the Aftermath and Conservation Efforts”
This presentation will focus on the history of botanical exploration and plant conservation in Ecuador. David Neill will introduce the European botanists who visited Ecuador and studied the plants in the 18th and 19th centuries, including Joseph Jussieu of the 1736 French geodesic expedition to Quito, Alexander von Humboldt and Aimé Bonpland from 1799-1804, and Richard Spruce in the 1850s. He will cover the process of discovery of new gesneriads in Ecuador and the more recent discovery of the new arborescent gesneriad, Shuaria ecuadorica, in the Cordillera del Cóndor. David is the Director de Conservación y Manejo de Vida Silvestre, Universidad Estatal Amazónica in Puyo, Pastaza, Ecuador.

Betsy Gottshall – “The Joys of Growing Miniature Sinningias”
This program will cover one woman’s joyful journey learning how to grow micro and miniature sinningias from seed as well as other propagation techniques. Betsy will demonstrate her growing methods both in containers and in domed trays. She will share the trials and errors she has experienced trying new techniques and also different methods for getting stubborn dormant tubers to come back to life. The talk will include the benefits of symbiosis, soil mixtures, small containers, air flow, fertilizing techniques, and repotting. Best of all, this will be a demonstration program with examples of different techniques of propagation as the sinningias progress throughout their growth stages. Betsy lives in Collegeville, Pennsylvania.

Karen Allen – “Growing Streptocarpus Hybrids to Their Full Potential”
Karen focuses her growing activity on the genus Streptocarpus, and she grows and hybridizes beautiful plants. She is generous with her time and advice, sharing photos and growing instructions on social media sites, and moderating several discussion forums. She will share her considerable expertise on the best way to grow streptocarpus hybrids to their full potential. She concentrates her hybridizing efforts on fantasy varieties, as they are and always will be her favorites. Karen resides in central Virginia where she finds peace in growing and hybridizing streps and other gesneriads.

Dr. Jeff Smith – “Growing Saintpaulia Species: Mimicking Mother Nature”
In this brand new talk, Jeff Smith investigates the link between the local growing conditions and habitats for several Saintpaulia species and growing them in your home. He’ll share practical tips for several of the species that will open your eyes and change your growing approaches. He will also address the evidence that Saintpaulia and Streptocarpus should be merged into one genus. Jeff Smith is the world’s leading authority on species Saintpaulia. He is currently Director of Academic Affairs at the Indiana Academy, located on the Ball State University Campus.

Jim Roberts – “Hoarding: One Man’s Attempt to Grow It All!”
This program will show you Jim’s growing area, and let you in on some special techniques for growing plants with a wingspan of over four feet or a height of over five feet, all under lights. It will serve as a great introduction to some of the rarely seen and a pretty complete overview of what can be grown in your own light gardens. There are no “impossible” plants, says Jim, but there certainly are some challenges in the family. In the mid-1970’s, he started growing and selling gesneriads and by 1992 the collection consisted of 1400 varieties. Jim started growing again in 2005, albeit with a slightly smaller collection, mostly being grown under lights. Jim now lives with Andrew Norris, an accomplished grower in his own right. Between them they have a collection of over 800 gesneriads, over 200 begonias, many carnivorous plants, ant plants, hoyas, and a few succulents.

Anton Weber – “Conrad Ges(s)ner and the Gesneriaceae”
Anton Weber is unable to attend convention this year, but we are very pleased to be able to present his program after the Annual Meeting on Thursday in celebration of the 200-year anniversary of Gesneriaceae. His presentation deals with the life and seminal scientific work of Conrad Gessner (also spelled Gesner). During Gessner’s lifetime, no member of the gesneriad family was known to science. The first (Auricula ursi myconi, now known as Ramonda myconi) was published in 1586, with the next ones only in 1703. The family Gesneriaceae was established in 1816, but only in 1838/39 did it receive its longstanding shape (two subfamilies). At the end of the presentation, the current understanding of the family will be briefly reviewed. Anton (“Toni”) Weber was born in 1947 in lower Austria. In 1983 he was appointed full professor at the Institute of Botany of the Vienna University.