Sounds like what you're looking for is a flora with dichotomous keys; something like Gleason & Cronquist's Manual of the Vascular Plants of the Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. In addition to the limitations you mention, an additional problem with field guides is that none of them contain all, or even most, plants that occur in an area. The best they can do is include most of the widespread, common species that you're likely to run into often. There are people who are either putting existing floras online or creating online floras. However, having spent some time doing it myself, let me assure you that it is indeed quite a lot of work. The online flora I've been working on (which will hopefully be finished in another couple of years) is at organmountainsflora.com. Other sources of online identification keys are plantsystematics.org (click the "keys" button at top left) and, although not nearly as sophisticated (being just a translation of written keys into html), Flora of North America. The FNA, when finished, will be the best authoritative source for plant identification in the US & Canada as a whole. Patrick

Ohhh I see Malaysia is a bit different from me When #4 was in flowering for me Sun time here at longest is about 15.75 hours buds where easy to see and nearly ready to open and did so with lesser sun light time and finished flowering 12 days later. Temps where in the 80 - 92 F range at the same sun times mentioned and the time of day mine opened was 16:00 hours to 23:00 hours For now I can say your heaviest rain season might be a bit much for #4 although the soil you have it in does look nice enough to drain fast enough. Again odd #4 Messeb like water more than most succulents but doesn't like wet roots for to long of time in days the top will rot out on you if to wet to long. Your other plants would certainly benefit with a lot less water than #4 can handle Other than a season rain over watering concern I have think you'll do very well with yours. As caution I think it would be best if you could provide a tarp or tent for some over head covering during your heavy tropical rain season over the entire garden bed. I and others here appreciate you and want to see your plants in there best of flowering later too. In all honesty it's best to tell you to talk to some of your local people with the same succulent garden passion as yours and ask them what they do.

I'll check out the Vent Marin site... ***** Trust me catman, you can't ID a variety for sure from a picture and description at any site and that includes Ventmarin, b'c there are other sites. Once a variety gets seperated from its name there's no way back. At this point I think the best way to go is to contact your seed source and explain the problem, send some pictures and ask for advice. That's the only way you're going have a chance of IDing what you have. I did check the 2009 SSE Yearbook for an orange colored High Country and there was no listing. When I Googled it there were two places selling seed for it and I've linked below to the one that had a picture. I sure wouldn't let an oz or so deter me from considering that you might have received High Country seeds. And yields for the same variety grown in different places sure can vary. Again, I think contacting your seed source is the best way to go. ( smile) Carolyn Here is a link that might be useful: High Country picture

Hello Ken, Yes, I like to sterilize potting-mixes too. I make my own blend. Mostly peat, harvested sand and some biochar and (sorry) "twist of lime". The sand is important as it gives good drainage AND weight to the pot. Tiffany and Gardengal, I know IDing plants can difficult and posting pictures are often the simplest way to ID plants. (I guess I posted the picture twice.) I am interested in what exactly this plant is and any available on-line plant ID sites. Thank you! Doug