The Beaver Tale May 2008

President’s Note
I am pleased to report that Celebrate Cactus was a huge success, in every way. Financially, we did well,
making enough money on sales to keep us afloat for another year. Kudos go to all of our vendors, most of
whom are now club members, but I must single out Mary Sheets, Jeanne Tinsman, and Steve Zeitlin, who
worked the cash registers both Saturday and Sunday from dawn to dusk it seemed. Also, special thanks go
to Sam Velenti and Pauline Wright, who managed to collect $300 in raffle ticket sales. And thanks to our
vendors who donated the raffle prizes, making the raffle pure profit.
The show portion of things went well too, thanks to Joey Betzler and Stephanie Thomas, among others,
who did a great job arranging, judging, and keeping things going smoothly in the show area. Thanks, too, to
all the members who brought in plants for show and display. According to Joey this year’s show was the
best yet in terms of variety of plants submitted.
The educational activities, coordinated by Paula Garrett and Susan Kent were terrific. There were lectures,
“walk-abouts,” potting demonstrations, and other practical presentations put on by a variety of experts. All
were insightful and entertaining and most were well attended. My idea of having Amy Z put together a
succulent dish for auction at the end of the day on Sunday produced a wonderful, albeit expensive, display,
but by then most folks had gone home. When it came to auctioning it off, I was afraid we were going to be
stuck with it, but at the last minute a customer came forth and we broke even, so even that ended well, an
artistic success and a financial “wash.”
But the thing I was most struck by over the weekend was how many of our club members were present,
helping out and showing the CSSSN colors. Susan and I counted at least 43 club members who were
present, some both Saturday and Sunday (as well as Friday to help set up), well over half of our total
membership. That I find impressive; it shows the value of this kind of event, as far as getting our members
involved.
Finally, I would be remiss not to offer a big “Thank You!” to Dave and Kris Turner for hosting the event and
Susan Kent for her Herculean efforts as the Chairperson.
I look forward to seeing everyone at the meeting next week. Victor will be doing Part II of his presentation
on how he got involved with cacti and succulents and his recommendations on places to go and things to
see in the Southwest US. After vicariously visiting far-away places like Socotra and Africa in search of
exotics the past two months (thanks to Mark Muradian and Mark Dimmitt), it will be nice to stay closer to
home this time.

Phil Lawton
++++++++++
Wild flowers are still in bloom! Grab a friend or family member or go alone if you wish more
peace. It’s beautiful. You’ll feel as if you’ve had a mini-vacation when you get back home.
North, south, east and west of Las Vegas are still reporting a bloom. Reports of blooms
over at Red Rock Canyon are glowing. Enjoy the possibly last couple of weeks of spring
before it gets too hot!
+++++++++

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 Next Meeting Monthly Meeting Programs:

May 1, 2008 Victor Lindsey, our own Vice president has tuned up his
General Meeting Starts at 7:00 PM. Please computer and will be talking with us again about more
come early to help set up! Board Meeting
adventures. Feedback from all the outings so far has
starts at 6:00 PM Members with last
been positive. I can’t imagine he would send us out on a
names ending in A-M please bring
bummer.
refreshments.

Planned Events

May 11 Mother’s Day Sale

“BLOOMS & TUNES”
CSSSN member sale at Springs Preserve.
Contact Pete Duncombe or Susan Kent.
See website
http://www.springspreserve.org/cfml/calen
dar/ddg_cal_main.cfml?m=5&yr=2008

STAY IN TOUCH AT THE MEETINGS AND ON THE

WEB. MORE WILL BE PLANNED!
GROUP SITE:
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/CSSSN/
WEB SITE: Photo by Thomas Garcia on Victor’s Mead View trip.
http://www.csssn.org/index.php?option=com_cont
ent&task=view&id=21&Itemid=37 MEMBERSHIP DUES: Individual - $15.00; Household - $25
Name(s): ____________________________________
_____________________________________________

If you have veggie or tropical plant gardening
questions, contact club member, Leslie Doyle, aka the
“Tomato Lady”
http://www.sweettomatotestgarden.com
Watch for her several Workshops around the Valley!
Victor Lindsey’s http://calplants.biz/
We are always looking for rare, special, and large
specimen Cactus & Succulents to buy.
Call 1-800-384-4559
E-mail calplants@yahoo.com
Street: ______________________________________
City, State, Zip ________________________________
Phone: ______________________________________
E-mail address: ________________________________
Email & website are default methods of communication. If you
have an e-mail address, we e-mail the newsletter. If you wish a
paper copy, please notify Liz at dicnliz7067@netzero.net.
Dues can be paid at any monthly meeting, or you may mail
them. Thanks for your continued interest!
CSSSN – Membership
P O Box 571101
Las Vegas, NV 89157
http://www.csssn.org Lists the club Officers

Turner-Greenhouse- http://www.turner-greenhouse.com
Dave & Kris Turner
645-2032 4455 Quadrel Street, Las Vegas, NV 89129
We specialize in Cactus & Succulents for the Landscaper & Collector
Native Nevada Cactus, Hedgehogs, BeaverTales Red & Golden Barrels, Rainbow Cactus
Yuccas, Joshuas, Ocotillos, Aloes, Agaves
We also have a large selection of additional Succulents from all over the world for the house & patio.
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 THANKS TO OUR VENDORS, EXPERTS, VOLUNTEERS AND PATRONS!
Our 2008 CELEBRATE CACTUS! SPRING SHOW & SALE
At TURNER-GREENHOUSE was another successful event. Too many good pictures to include
them all. Dick and Liz Askew and Susan K. snapped a few photos to share.

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SHOW PLANT HIGHLIGHTS!
Notes and Photos by Joseph Betzler

Our 2008 spring show had 20 exhibitors compared to 17 last year. Exhibitors included:
Robert. Middag Clifford Meng Dave Turner Gwen Garrett John Lobbestael
J. Reed Jay Neitling Jim Grothuesmann Joey Betzler Kris Turner
Linda Meng Paula Garrett Pete Duncombe Phil Lawton Richard Celosky
Roy Thomas Stephanie Thomas Susan Kent Talise Thomas Tom Garcia.

This year we missed the following entrants from our spring 2007 show: Alana Sullivan, Gene
Woodlock, Linda Gamble, Marilyn Brenner, Mark Pedigo, Michael Brenner, Ramona Lesley,
Stan Korabell, Sam Valenti, and Victor Lindsey. We need you back in 2009!

The high points for the show went to Linda Meng, with Susan Kent not far behind and Stephanie
Thomas next. Best Cactus and Succulent to Linda Meng for her Ariocarpus and Euphorbia
lactea crest; both plants were wonderful. I thought the people’s choice was interesting! Kris
Turner for her Tillandsia collection and Susan Kent for her Abromeitielia brevifolia split the
decision with the same number of votes.

Total plants, including collections and displays, were 137. In 2007, that number was 101! Last
year we divided the show into 5 classes. This year was more complex and 16 different classes
were required. Here is one of the most important things that happened in 2008: I have
been a show chair for about a decade all told (San Diego and now in Las Vegas). To my
knowledge, we added a class that has never been seen in any Cactus and Succulent
show in the Western U.S., a kid’s class.

We had two entrants: Gwen Garrett and Talise Thomas. I called the show chair in San Diego
and shared the news with him; he had never heard of this before either. He was going to look
into adding it to their show. To me this is one of the most important events; getting children
involved. It is a way to continue to share our hobby, and capture the imagination. We all
have a little kid inside.

Thanks so much for helping make the show a real success this year.

Joey

(Look for better pictures on the web site. More are added as club members send me their photos.)

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 PUZZLING MATTER, THIS SUCCULENT FAMILY: AGAVACEAE (have fun)
Genera: Agave, Calibanus, Dasylirion, Nolina, Sansevieria, and Yucca
1 2
3
4 5
9
12
13
14
16 17
20
21
23
25
26
Across
3 Another name for Phil Lawton
(5,4)
4 Leaves with long, thick walled
cells; sometimes used as "sisal"
(7)
9 Genus; Houseplant in Vegas;
natural distribution tropical
Africa, India & Madagascar (10)
12 Plants whose horizontal stems
at or near ground level form
roots at tips or nodes (13)
13 Spikes, racemes, panicles,
umbels, and composites (13)
14 Dentate describes leaf _. (7)
15 Genus; one species sometimes
called "Mexican Grass" (10)
16 Insects do this (9)
18 Genus; grass like leaves,
hemispherical caudex with
corky bark; a hooker! (9)
6
7 8
10
15
18 19
22
24
20 Genus; can grow to a small
tree; swollen caudex with thick
bark; long and narrow fibrous
leaves; beaucarnea recurvatata
is in this genus (6)
22 "FAT" plants have them (6)
23 Single leafed seed (14)
24 Protective part of flower buds; in
some plants quite showy
(Poinsettia & Bougainvillea's)
(6)
25 Describes the shape of a single
Agave flower upon its first and
last spike (7)
26 Family; short or absent stems;
leaves often arranged in
rosettes, long lived, often
dentate margins (9)
Down
1 Single Yucca flower shape (9)
2 Plants with underground
horizontal stems (11)
5
5 letter word
Yucca
6 letter words
Bracts, Caudex, Nolina,
Sepals
7 letter words
11
Fibrous, Margins, Tubular
8 letter words
Clusters, Rosettes
9 letter words
Agavaceae, Calibanus,
Coach Phil, Nocturnal,
Pollinate, Succulent
10 letter words
Dasylirion, Lanceolate,
Monocarpic, Sanseviera
11 letter words
Campanulate, Rhizomatous
13 letter words
Inflorescence, Stoloniferous
14 letter word
Monocotyledons
15 letter word
Celebrate Cactus
5 Describes typical leaf
arrangement of Agavaceae (8)
6 Describes plants that die after
flowering and seeding (10)
7 Name of Cassin’s spring show
and sale (9,6)
8 Some flowers are borne in
these (8)
10 Plants that can survive on water
stored in their own tissue during
periods of drought (9)
11 Describes the bell shaped
flower upon the first and last
spike of Furcraea (11)
17 "Desert Spoon" leaf shape (10)
19 A protective part of the flower
bud (6)
21 Genus; small tree simple or
branched stems (heads); Moths
do the pollinating during the day
while partially enclosed in
nocturnal flowers (5)
PUZZLE SOLUTION:
1 2
N R
O H
3
C O A C H P H I L
T Z
4 5 6
F I B R O U S O M
7 8
O R C M C O
9
S A N S E V I E R A L N
10 11
E A L T U S O C
12
S T O L O N I F E R O U S U C A
T B U T C A M
13
E I N F L O R E S C E N C E R P
14
M A R G I N S A R U P A
15
T D A S Y L I R I O N
16 17
P O L L I N A T E E C U
18 19
A C A L I B A N U S L
20
N O L I N A T E A
21 22
Y C C A U D E X P T
U E T A E
C O U L
23 24
M O N O C O T Y L E D O N S B R A C T S
A A
25
T U B U L A R
26
A G A V A C E A E

Which picture doesn’t

belong here? E-mail
susan@csssn.org with
your answer. (Or call
702 656 1786)
Respondents with
correct answers win a
chance at something
worth a hoot & a holler
& a happy day!
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