Duncan,
Is it possible that you have Crassula muscosa (syn. C. lycopdioides) in your
collection. Some years ago I had a similar problem and traced it to this little
beast. The leaves are small and 4 ranked and the flowers are tiny and occur
singly in the axils of the leaves. They are hardly noticeable. According to the
source I have at hand it is supposed to be a spring bloomer though. It certainly
was stinky. The species name muscosa suggests the attraction of flies.
Gene Newcomb
Duncan Adams wrote:
> Hi experts,
>> May I bounce a problem off you? My wife I live in the UK, and we have a
> largish conservatory that is heavily stocked with a wide variety of plants.
> This conservatory is an important part of our lives - we eat breakfast in
> there in a morning, and I read in there at night.
>> In the conservatory is a large (and very heavy) ornamental stone fountain.
> We don't use it as a fountain - it makes a superb planter for our cacti and
> succulents. In fact, it has 'pride of place'. By the side of the fountain
> is a manhole cover, and beneath that is access to our drains. Naturally,
> the manhole is kept air-tight so that drain smells do not enter the
> conservatory.
>> Several days ago, I noticed a smell, exactly like drains. It was strongest
> in the vicinity of the manhole and the 'fountain' - naturally, I suspected
> the manhole, and I did some work on it to make absolutely sure it was
> airtight. If it wasn't before (and I believe it was), then it definitely is
> now. But the smell persists. I am completely sure it isn't my drains. So
> we have suspected the plants.
>> We have tried removing all of the plants, except for the fountain of cacti
> and succulents (which is immovable), but that hasn't helped. So, by
> elimination, it has to be in the fountain. But we can't pinpoint the actual
> culprit (pointing one's nose amongst cacti is hazardous, to say the least).
> I should add that being a fountain, the bowls we have planted have no
> drainage in them, so we are sparing with the water. We have excavated right
> down to the bottom of the bowls, between cacti, and there is no trace of
> excess water, and the soil smells as it should.
>> It is also significant (I think) that the smell is almost completely absent
> first thing in the morning (just before sunrise), and it is at its most
> intense later in the day. I know that plants metabolise differently during
> the day and night cycles, so I now suspect this cyclicity of the smell is
> further evidence of a botanical source.
>> Can anyone shed any light on this please? Perhaps point me at a likely
> culprit amongst the cacti and succulents (we have many varieties)?
>> TIA
>> Duncan Adams
