Hi Korina, Personally, I'd avoid using Coir in a mix for these plants. I've used some in mixes for Hoyas & they did not like how the Coir broke down over time (tho' Haworthias liked it just fine). I'm suggesting this as Stapeliads can rot very easily & if the Coir holds more water than the plant can use, this might be a resultant problem. I'd avoid using peat or mixes containing peat for the very same reasons. I just re-read your post & also suggest avoiding vermiculite for the same reasons. I would suggest you not use an AV mix for these (too light & w/ too much organics). I'd suggest a better mix would be a C&S mix augmented w/ (pumice if you can get it) or perlite & coarse sand, grit or gravel. HTH

I thought A. ascendens had longer, sharper thorns than A. procera, not the stubby little ones on my cutting. Moreover, the thorns on A. ascendens seem to emanate directly from the stem, not a "shield" structure like this one. I'm still willing to say the weird morphology is from this plant's particular culture, but the more I look at it and other Alluaudia, the stranger it seems... From Wikimedia commons, here is a close up of A. ascendens:

Saw this on CNN yesterday. Would be cool if it were a new creature, but it does look quite a bit like a civet.

Mystery #1 is solved then - any references I find to Wedgewood making the 'Revelry' pattern between 1970 and 1993 are irrelevent to what my parents own because Wedgewood bought Coalport in 1967. The set my parents purchased in '65 or '66 was made when Coalport was owned by E. Brain. I find no references to 'Revelry' or 'Majestic' pattern styles or names from that period though. Mystery #2 remains - It appears that Coalport was owned by Cauldron Potteries from 1926 - 1958. Did they or E. Brain make a Coalport pattern called 'Majestic' that resembles the 'Revelry' pattern? The mark on the back of the platter is something like this: line 1: (image of a crown) line 2: Coalport line 3: Made in England line 4: Est 1750 line 5: Majestic Thanks to all for your help! BP