The 2019 double issue newsletter has been published. Many thanks once again to Matt Lanas for all his hard work and to the many contributors who have made this a bumper 48-pager. Special thanks to Matt Candeias for his guest article on Adenia and to Markus Varga for his practical guide to this fascinating genus in the passionflower family; the sharp-eyed will discern a member species in his photo on the front cover, behind the foreground subject Passiflora edmundoi, which inaugurates our new series of Plant Profiles.
The first item in the issue is an update from your President and Vice-President, in which we ask you all (basic as well as premium members) to complete a PSI and Me questionnaire, to tell us what you would like PSI to be, and how you can help us get there! Please do take a few moments for this – unless you tell us, we may never know !
Other contents include:
- PSI Meeting 2018, Bochum, Germany – report by Rob McPhail
- Passiflora × violacea: The First Hybrid by Leslie A. King
- Two Go To Mexico – field-trip report by John Vanderplank
- A History of Passiflorunde Magazine 1993 – 2013 by Axel Frank
- The “Succulent Passionflowers” by Matt Candeias
- Adenia: A Practical Guide by Markus Varga
- Passiflora Seed & Pollen Part 2 by John Vanderplank
- Remembering François Thuys by Christian Houël
- Plant Profile: Passiflora edmundoi by John Vanderplank
- Butterfly Corner by Martin Wills
- Passiflora Crossword by Leslie A. King
- crossword, recipe, seedbank, conference and other news
Hard copies are being mailed to everyone on the 2019 premium member list AND the current list (as at press date, 26th December 2020), except for those requiring a digital copy only. This can be found on our Newsletter Downloads page as usual.
Basic members can purchase a hard copy with a free digital version from MagCloud, as can non-members. The digital version now has its links and similar features enabled, but is lower resolution than the version on the PSI website – which you may (or may not) find more convenient.
The size of this issue has entailed a slight delay to the 2018/9 Cultivar Register, but that’s next ! This and subsequent issues will only go to premium members on the list just before the date of issue – so make sure your subscription is paid up on time.
Work has also started on the following issue and our commissioning editor, John Vanderplank, would welcome additional contributions.
Published 5 January, 2021
The PSI European Seedbank is now closed. Thank you to all members who have donated, purchased and helped distribute seeds. Sales were a record, with 50% more packets sold than this time last year.
We hope to hold at least 2 more sales in the coming year – watch this space !
with best wishes to all for a happy 2021 !
Published 31 December, 2020
The European Seedbank Sale 2020 is now open to all members. It will close at about 6pm GMT on 31st December 2020.
You will find the sale here.
Published 12 December, 2020
The European seedbank sale is now closed for stocktaking and will reopen to all members at about 6pm GMT tomorrow 12th December
Published 11 December, 2020
The European Seedbank sale is now open here to Premium Members at discounted prices. Please note it will close on 11th December for about 24 hours for stock-taking.
Just a Basic Member ? upgrade to premium here, or else be patient until 12th December, when the sale will reopen to all members at regular prices and remain open until 31st December
Published 1 December, 2020
The European Seedbank is back ! It will open, to premium members only, at around 6pm GMT on Tuesday 1st December 2020.
To enjoy the discounted prices available, make sure your premium membership is up to date by logging in now and taking action if necessary. This should also ensure you receive the 2019 double issue newsletter which will be out shortly.
The seedbank will then close on Friday 11th December for about 24 hours for stocktaking, before reopening to all members (at regular prices) on Saturday 12th December. It will remain open until Thursday 31st December.
All standard packet prices have been reduced since last year, and there are a few bargains available at around 50% discount !
Meanwhile you can preview some of the items on offer here.
Published 25 November, 2020
Attention seed donors: please note that instructions have changed – see How to donate seeds
Always check with the relevant seedbank manager before sending anything.
Published 17 November, 2020
Getting the North American Seedbank back up is taking longer than expected: we are now aiming for early January
To make up for this we are planning to bring forward the European Seedbank sale to mid-November.
We are also exploring the idea of a South American Seedbank. If you might use this, or have any questions, please submit a contact form and we’ll get back to you.
If you have seeds for any of the seedbanks, the managers would love to hear from you – please follow the instructions on the How to donate seeds page.
Please watch this space for further updates
Published 27 October, 2020
The American seedbank plans to hold a sale commencing in mid-October, and the European seedbank a sale in early January.
In the meantime, if you have any seeds to donate, the seedbank managers would be delighted to hear from you ! Please follow the instructions on the How to donate seeds page.
Premium members who donate more than 50 seeds in accordance with the instructions will be able to purchase seeds in the relevant sale one week before all other members.
For more information, please visit the Seedbank page.
Published 4 September, 2020
In view of the ongoing risks, restrictions and uncertainities relating to travel and meetings due to Covid-19, it has been thought wisest to postpone the conference that would have been held at Saint-Jory this October to 1st-4rd October 2021. All other details remain the same.
This is disappointing to all of us, not least to Christian who has put in so much work organising it, but we hope you will understand.
We will however need to hold our 2020 AGM some time before the end of the year; this we will probably do on Zoom. Further details in due course.
Published 12 July, 2020
The 2018 double issue newsletter has been published. Many thanks to Matt Lanas, our new editor, for all his hard work, and to Ron Boender for the stunning cover photo. Contents include:
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- report on the 2017 Colombia meeting by Rob McPhail
- proposal to breed a cold climate, edible Passiflora as a team by Don Ellison
- new books by Ron Boender and Christian Houël reviewed by Patrick Worley and Robert Rice
- notes on Passiflora seed & pollen by John Vanderplank
- thoughts on the registration of Passiflora cultivars by Les King
- obituary of Emil Kugler by Axel Frank
- recipe, seedbank, conference and other news
(It does not include the 2018/9 Cultivar Register, which will now be published as a separate issue later in the year.)
Hard copies are being mailed to everyone on the 2018 premium member list AND the current list (as at press date, 30th June 2020), except for those requiring a digital copy only. This can be found on our Newsletter Downloads page as usual.
Basic members can purchase both hard copies and digital versions from MagCloud, as can non-members.
Matt is now hard at work on the 2019 issue and our commissioning editor, John Vanderplank, would welcome additional contributions.
Published 10 July, 2020
The $10 membership special offer has sadly come to an end; but the good news is that we now have some new membership options starting at the equivalent of $18 per year which will help keep the cost down, and at the same time, we hope, offer greater convenience. Check them out here
Published 9 July, 2020
The entire series of 79 issues of Passiflorunde, including special issues and indexes, is now available on the PSI website www.passiflorasosciety.org.
This wonderful magazine was published in German from 1993 to 2013, and is full of useful information and references to articles on all aspects of Passiflora from around the world. Just log in as a premium Member PSI member and go to the Other Publications page; if you are not yet a premium member, join or upgrade now before 30th June when the special price of just $10 expires.
More goodies of this kind on their way to ease the lockdown !
Published 25 April, 2020
The next PSI Conference is to be held in France at Saint Jory, near Toulouse and its international airport as already announced, but in view of the present pandemic it will now be held 2nd – 4th October 2020. All details except the dates are unchanged. Please register now.
So many activities available ! To help us choose, even if you are not yet certain you can come, please use the form to let us know your preference by 30th June.
There is no commitment at this stage, and you can indicate the likelihood of your coming
Full details and registration form here.
Published 17 February, 2020
The present seedbank sale will close on 20th February. Hurry, hurry with any last minute orders !
Thank you, Sal, for all your hard work – you deserve a rest ! and thank you too to donors and purchasers alike.
Watch this space for news of the next sale.
If you have any seeds to spare for it, Sal would be delighted to hear from you – but please do contact him before sending anything to make sure there is a demand for it. As an extra incentive for those who send a significant amount, in future at each relevant sale there will be a special Priority Window for donors only, before that for Premium Members.
Published 13 February, 2020
The next PSI Conference will be held from 11th-14th June 2020 at Saint Jory, near Toulouse, France, and will be hosted by Christian Houël, whom many will remember for hosting the wonderful conference at Cormoray in 2010
Toulouse international airport is not far. More details in due course.
Don’t miss it – SAVE THE DATE !
Published 2 January, 2020
The PSI European seedbank stocktake is complete and the seedbank is now open again to all members, basic as well as premium.
To access it, please login, fill in the enrolment form unless you have done so already or joined after 12th October, then go to Seedbank | European on the menu or click here.
Published 2 January, 2020
The PSI European seedbank will close for stocktaking late on 31st December 2019 and will reopen about 2.30pm GMT on 2nd January 2020.
When it reopens, normal prices will no longer be discounted and basic members will also be able to buy, so any premium members who wish to take advantage of the priority period should do so NOW.
Published 29 December, 2019
The next register of cultivars will cover the years 2018 and 2019.
Please submit your applications on www.passifloracultivars.org by 31st December if you wish them to be considered for inclusion.
Published 26 December, 2019
The European seedbank is now open to PSI premium members who have enrolled in New PSI.
Premium members have discounted prices and priority until 2nd January 2020, when the sale will open to basic members as well, and prices will revert to normal levels
Once you have logged in (and enrolled if not before), you will find the sale here. Happy hunting !
You can see a larger picture of most of the plants on the preview page.
If you have any difficulties, please submit a contact form and the webmaster will respond asap.
If you have any queries about the seeds or your purchase, please email the European Seedbank Manager.
Published 29 November, 2019
The PSI European Seedbank will open on 30th November 2019. Login for a preview
Over 50 species available.
You don’t have to be a European to buy !
Published 19 November, 2019
On 12th October, 2019 the momentous decision was taken during the Madeira conference to form a Voluntary Association under the name Passiflora Society International (“New PSI”), to dissolve the Florida corporation formally (and formerly) entitled The Passiflora Society International, Inc (Old PSI) and hand over its assets and activities to New PSI. Well, maybe not so momentous: very little has changed for you, the member, but it will make the society soooo much easier for its officers to run.
BUT THERE IS ONE IMPORTANT THING YOU DO NEED TO DO unless you were one of those who voted to join New PSI as a founding member, or have joined since 12th October; please login and complete the simple form which will then appear, and your membership in Old PSI will be immediately converted into membership of New PSI, whether you are a Premium Member or a Basic Member.
Please make sure you do this BY 31st MARCH 2020; if you do not do so, the GDPR will compel us to drop you from our membership list (though you will retain any outstanding benefits).
Members who wish to see the minutes of the Madeira meetings should log in, and can then find them here
Published 28 October, 2019
To the one third of premium members who have cast their vote for the meeting, thank you !
To the two thirds who have still to do so, please do login BEFORE 10th OCTOBER and cast your vote now for the meetings on 12th October
If you wish to read the explanatory notice first, please go to the Forthcoming Meetings page for the link.
Even if you will be attending in person, it is important to vote, to ensure
- there is a quorum at the meeting
- your membership is carried over immediately to New PSI
Published 7 October, 2019
Premium members, please login and cast your vote now for the meetings on 12th October
If you wish to read the explanatory notice first, please go to the Forthcoming Meetings page for the link.
Even if you will be attending in person, it is important to vote, to ensure
- there is a quorum at the meeting
- your membership is carried over immediately to New PSI
Published 5 October, 2019
PSI was originally founded by Ron Boender in the United States of America and registered in the state of Florida, where its bank and other accounts were held
This worked fine while its management and members were predominantly US-based, but this is no longer the case, which has resulted in practical problems.
PSI is therefore being restructured as as an unincorporated association under English law, and two meetings have been called on 12th October 2019 to complete the process.
It is important that as many premium members as possible participate in these meetings whether in person, or by voting online.
Once the meetings have taken place, and the motions carried, premium members who participate, wherever they are based, should see no significant change in their membership terms and benefits; the same applies to premium members who do not participate and to basic members, except that they may need to confirm their registration the next time they login.
For more details, please click here.
Published 18 September, 2019
AT LAST !!! The 2017 66-page double issue newsletter has been published, and to celebrate we are holding a BACKNUMBER SALE – see below.
The 2017 Newsletter includes:
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- the 2016/7 Cultivar Register
- Rebecca Hilgenhof’s magisterial student project on Passiflora subgenus Astrophaea: Curiosities amongst the Passionflowers
Hard copies are being mailed to everyone on the 2017 premium member list. Current premium members not on that list can
- purchase their own hard copy from MagCloud
- download a digital version free of charge by logging in and going to the Newsletter Downloads page
Basic members can purchase both hard copies and digital versions from MagCloud
SEPTEMBER BACKNUMBER SALE. Prices have been slashed by UP TO 60%, with an AVERAGE OF 35%. For Newsletters, go to the 50-strong PSI Newsletter Collection on MagCloud BEFORE 6th OCTOBER and fill your boots. For Special Issues go here.
2018 NEWSLETTER. We are now working on the 2018 newsletter, which will be another double issue, and will include a further update to the Cultivar Register. Contributions welcome !
Published 6 September, 2019
Have you been waiting to join PSI, but been frustrated by the “Suspended” notices on the joining and renewal/upgrade pages ? Then your wait is over ! They are back up and running. To make them more reliable, we have abolished the Join PSI Premium button altogether, and instead ask brand-new members to register first as Basic members and then upgrade to Premium if they wish.
To help avoid the unnecessary foreign exchange fees on both sides, we have added two additional currencies for payment – Euros and Pounds Sterling. We hope you will find this helpful.
A big thank you to the members who kindly acted as guinea-pigs during the testing period. If nonetheless you do encounter any difficulties, please use the contact form to let us know immediately. We are happy to receive compliments as well !
Published 28 August, 2019
We hope you like the new website. The Passiflora you can see at the top of this page are newly registered cultivars. Apply now to register your new cultivar, and it will soon be here!
We are still in process of setting up the new site, having had to move it more quickly than expected, so bear with us.
If you have any comments or suggestions, please send them in – we’d be delighted to hear from you.
Published 13 July, 2019
Registration is now open for the 2019 PSI conference in Madeira. To reserve your place please follow click on the picture below. To be certain of your place please do so as soon as possible.
Published 25 June, 2019
SPECIAL OFFER UNTIL 30th JUNE 2020: To compensate for recent reduced levels of service, the price of premium membership has been slashed from $30 to $10 for all those subscribing or renewing their membership between now and 30th June 2020. To take advantage of this offer, please go to the Join page.
Published 25 June, 2019
PSI is pleased to announce that the 2019 meeting will be held on the island of Madeira from 10th to 13th October. For more details, please see the Forthcoming Meetings page.
The AGM was held separately on 16th June.
Published 25 June, 2019
