CSSA VOL.80, March-April 2008 No.2 The Huntington Botanical Gardens presents the 2008 offering of International Succulent Introductions John N Trager Saudi Arabia's Jabal Shada Sheila Colnette Pilosocereus alensis with mention of other Mexican members of the genus Bob Ressler Mammillaria formosa in northeastern Zacatecas, Mexico Zlatko Janeba Dorstenia lavrani a dioecious new species from northern Somaliland Tom McCoy and Mike Massara (Re)discovery of a mistletoe infecting the Cardón cactus James D Mauseth and Jon P Rebman Erythrina zeyheri in eastern Gauteng and western Mpumalanga, South Africa Charles Craib Cactus tips from a master grower Echinocereus Part 2 Elton Roberts Aloe altimatsiatrae a new Aloe from the highlands of Madagascar Jean-Bernard Castillon Two Portuguese epiphytes Ray Stephenson Some succulent memories Part 4. Hunting plants--at last Myron Kimnach Succulents on Stamps: Disney Peg Spaete Book Review: The southern African Plectranthus and the art of turning shade to glade by Ernst van Jaarsveld Steven Hammer Book Review: Desert plants, a curator's introduction to the Huntington Desert Garden by Gary Lyons D Russell Wagner Book Review: Aeonium in habitat and cultivation by Rudolf Schulz D Russell Wagner Book Review: The Great Cacti: Ethnobotany and Biogeography by David Yetman Root Gorelick

On the cover.Some plants have it all-great form, interesting flowers, ease of culture, splashy color, and seasonal variation. Such are the few cultivated succulent dorstenias, which are perenially popular and fascinating pachycaul succulents with a bizzare flowering structure, normally bearing both male and female flowers. Often self fertile, a few are eager to volunteer as seedlings without any help at all. Not so with our cover feature, a Somalian plant long circulating under only its locality as Dorstenia sp Taba'a Gorge. It turns out to be unique in the genus for having male and female flowers on separate plants, a feature that delayed its introduction for many years after its discovery and now distinguishes it as a valid new species.

It's easy to see why, even unnamed, this plant attracts attention. Our cover, a photo by Out of Africa's Mike Massara, reveals leaves of this "new" dorstenia in fall color, just before they drop for a winter rest. And in this issue it finally receives a name: Dorstenia lavrani.