Viewing comments posted by rattlebox

In the United States, native to a few counties in south Florida, mainly Dade, Collier and Lee. Also found in Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Ecuador, Venezuela, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama and SE Mexico.

Dormant during dry season, grows from underground basal tubercles at beginning of rainy season. Reportedly self-fertilizing.

These are NOT hot peppers!

They are a Jalapeno with the heat bred out. These are as mild as Bell Peppers, but with a different (and in my opinion) much better flavor. Great for eating out of hand with sandwiches, added to salads, etc. I eat, and love, Jalapenos for their spice and flavor, but these peppers are great-eating as well, with no danger of heat for those that can't handle hot peppers.

Justicia 'Sidicaro' blooms are very similar to those of Justicia spicigera, and the plant has been considered a possible hybrid of J. spicigera (probably based on that flower similarity). It is also recognized that J. 'Sidicaro' may be an undescribed species. I personally subscribe to the undescribed species theory as I currently have seedling offspring of J 'Sidicaro' about 2½ feet tall and just coming into bloom. So far, the seedling plants appear virtually identical to each other and to the parent in every aspect. There is absolutely no tendency toward the growth habit of J. spicigera.

The two plants are easily told apart.

J. 'Sidicaro' is much larger with a much coarser growth form. The leaves are 6-8" in length and 3-4" wide. They are bullate (sometimes heavily dimpled), smooth and glossy. Flower clusters are dense and held close to the stem.

By contrast, J. spicigera leaves are 2½-3" in length, generally flat, and velvety pubescent. Blooms are held in loose rather than dense clusters.

Although this plant was apparently trademarked as Dorotheanthus bellidiformis 'Mezoo Trailing Red', and therefore widely and generally identified as a variety of Dorotheanthus bellidiformis [Livingstone Daisy], it clearly is not. It is much more closely allied to Aptenia cordifolia 'Variegata' (now Mesembryanthemum cordifolium 'Variegata').

The leaves of Dorotheanthus bellidiformis are elongated, almost spatulate, often twisted and curled, covered with obvious papillae; the stems are round (also covered with obvious papillae), and the flowers are large (1 1/2-2") with a large "daisy eye". The leaves of Mesembryanthemum cordifolium are wide, heart-shaped with a pointed tip and nearly smooth (papillae are much reduced in comparison); the stems are square, and the flowers are dime-sized or slightly larger with tiny, almost obscured eyes.

I have read that 'Mezoo Trailing Red' is simply a variegated version of Aptenia 'Red Apple' (a hybrid of Aptenia cordifolia and A. haeckeliana). Whether this is strictly true or not, it is certainly closer to the true identity of 'Mezoo Trailing Red' than being called Dorotheanthus bellidiformis.

(Note: Aptenia spp. are now classified as Mesembryanthemum spp.).